You know you’re surrounded by equine folks when the hotel gym is 2/3 full at 5:30 in the morning. As we pulled up to the hotel last night, I took one look at the clusters of people near the valet stand and said to my husband, “Yep, we’re in the right place.”

Something about a lifetime spent working with horses leaves its mark on people. Maybe it’s the Ôuniform’ –pressed jeans, button down or polo shirt, sport coat, “dress” boots, and the occasional cowboy hat–or perhaps it’s the perpetual tan, but there is a look that says “equine veterinarian” louder than any convention badge ever will. For my part, I think the mark goes deeper than clothing or UV damage; there is something in the bearing of folks who work with horses for a living. We move differently, for one thing. A lifetime spent keeping horses and their owners from spooking will do that