By Richard Markell, DVM, MRCVS

When I was starting my veterinary practice 14 years ago, I wanted to do something important with my degree. So I contacted a tiny therapeutic riding program in Orange County that had four horses and only a handful of students. I was poor myself, but I thought this was really important, so I said, “I’ll make you guys a deal: You let me take care of your horses, and I’ll do everything for free.”

What I didn’t realize then was the growth that the J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center would experience. It is now the second largest program in the United States, with 30 horses and 600 riders, and it is one of the leading therapy centers in the country. I still care for their horses today.

In the meantime, I grew a sport horse veterinary practice, for which I fly all over the world treating elite-level horses. I manage some of the most famous international show jumpers, but I treat therapy horses no differently