AAEP funds fledgling tech group

DENVER-The golden anniversary of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) convention set the stage for the organizational meeting of the American Association of Equine Veterinary Technicians (AAEVT). The AAEP executive board endowed the fledgling group with $10,000 to establish bylaws and continuing education programs, says Scott Palmer, VMD, who became the 51st president of the AAEP during the conference.

"We support them from an organization standpoint and fiscally as well," says Palmer, owner of the New Jersey Equine Clinic in Clarksburg, where he has practiced for nearly 30 years.

More than 3,300 veterinarians, students and technicians attended the American Association of Equine Practitioners' golden anniversary convention in December. Veterinarians enjoyed a comprehensive scientific program and a 300-strong vendor exhibition and trade show.

Wet labs in dentistry, lameness diagnosis, reproduction, ultrasound and foot surgery accompanied the scientific sessions, which included more than 20 how-to segments.

The last few copies of AAEP's newly released "Care Guidelines for Equine Rescue and Retirement Facilities" were available at the show. The run of 1,000 was out of print less than a month since it released its manual on basic health, nutrition, refeeding the starved horse and caring for the geriatric horse.

Honors and awards

The association recognized Nathaniel White II, DVM, with its Distinguished Service Award for exemplary service to the AAEP and similar organizations that benefit the horse, the industry and the profession of equine veterinary medicine. White is a 1971 graduate of Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine and has been a professor of surgery and the assistant director for clinical services at the Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center since 1985.

Educators Robert M. Kenney, DVM, and Leon Scrutchfield, DVM, were recognized for significantly impacting the development and training of equine practitioners through mentorship and teaching excellence.

Kenney, with research appointments at Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania, has been influential in training more than 50 residents, graduate and post-doctoral students in equine reproduction.

Scrutchfield has served 28 years at Texas A&M University, where he has grown into icon for dentistry education.

The Dorothy Russell Havemeyer Foundation and its director, Gene Pranzo, were honored with the AAEP George Stubbs Award, which recognizes the contributions made to equine veterinary medicine by lay people. The organization was founded in 1979 with a mission to conduct scientific research to improve the general health and welfare of horses; its efforts largely have been directed toward scientific conferences and investigator-driven research.

After 10 months of judging more than 400 entries, David Miller, DVM in Akron, Ohio, won the grand prize of the My Vet Matters Contest. Miller was recognized for his work with Victory Gallop, a therapeutic equestrian program for children, ages 3 through 18, who have emotional or behavioral disabilities or a life-threatening illness. He is co-founder of Victory Gallop and provides complete medical care to all of the group's horses. He also raises funds for the organization and obtains product donations from pharmaceutical companies.

Herb and Ellen Moelis, founders of Thoroughbred Charities of America, earned the Lavin Cup, the AAEP welfare award. The honor is given to non-veterinary people or groups that have demonstrated exceptional compassion or developed and enforced rules and guidelines for the welfare of the horse.