The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) congratulates Dr. Sam Crosby, the July honoree of the Good Works for Horses Campaign, whose persistence and commitment to the next generation of the profession is providing veterinary students in the Southwest with skills training and opportunities to kick-start their careers.

Good Works for Horses honors AAEP-member practitioners who perform volunteer service to benefit horses and the equine community. Horse owners and veterinary professionals are encouraged to nominate AAEP members for this monthly recognition.

Dr. Crosby, who specializes in performance horse medicine at his Crosby Equine Service in Arcadia, Okla., is a founding board member and driving force behind Veterinarians Encouraging and Teaching (VET), a non-profit organization that coordinates hands-on clinical experiences for veterinary students at no cost as well as a biennial “Pathways to Success” career symposium that connects students with internships, residencies and associate positions.

VET’s origins trace to a December 2017 meeting at the Lazy E Ranch, during which 15 area equine veterinarians, faculty and staff from Oklahoma State University, and representatives from several pharmaceutical companies discussed means of augmenting the practical experiences of veterinary students to complement the vast “book knowledge” acquired in school.

On his own volition, Dr. Crosby began pursuing initiatives discussed at the meeting. He organized a student wet lab in May 2018, recruiting six instructors and 30 veterinary students to an indoor arena in Carney, Okla., to refine skills related to colic emergencies and horse handling. VET formed shortly thereafter when Dr. Crosby mobilized the support of colleagues to implement a career symposium. The inaugural symposium, held at Heritage Place in October 2018, brought together guest speakers, representatives from more than 30 equine veterinary practices and 15 pharmaceutical companies, and 90 veterinary students from Oklahoma State and Texas A&M universities. The success of the event spurred considerable interest in the next symposium, scheduled for October 2020.

In the meantime, VET organizes regular wet labs in central Oklahoma to provide veterinary students with necessary skills in dentistry, podiatry, reproduction, horsemanship and other areas. The result is better-prepared graduates ready to make a difference in the health and well-being of horses.

Throughout 2019, the AAEP’s Good Works for Horses Campaign will spotlight AAEP-member practitioners whose volunteer efforts are improving the health and welfare of horses. To discover the Good Works of AAEP veterinarians or nominate a Good Works candidate, visit the AAEP website. For more information on nominating a veterinarian for this program, contact Giulia Garcia at ggarcia@aaep.org.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its over 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.

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