The annual American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Convention is always a great time to catch up with old friends and make new ones. By friends I mean fellow veterinarians, industry sales and technical representatives, and international members.

I always come to the convention with a tentative schedule—listen to this presentation, go to this table topic, have lunch with this friend, spend time in the trade show. But, inevitably the best laid plans are foiled. I am now going to dinner not lunch with this friend and more added to the list and the presentation I was on my way to got cut short because I saw my friend from Germany in the hall and we got a chance to catch up on our personal and professional lives.

It’s a time of learning whether in the presentations or out in the hallway. Sometimes there is a chance to pick up new techniques while walking the trade show. A lot of companies will launch their new drug at this meeting due to the large population of equine veterinarians in one place. It is a marketing dream. We go to sunrise talks at 6 a.m. before the actual meeting begins to learn about the applications and side effects of the new drug. 

Then onto the regular sessions at 7:30 a.m., a quick sandwich in the trade show, a brisk walk around, and then back into the sessions by 1:30 p.m