When someone you know dies, it is human nature to become reflective. You think about how that person touched your life and the lives of others around you. You think about your own life–the brevity and uncertainty of each day and what keeps you going in the face of this uncertainty.

Two veterinarian friends of mine died recently. One, DeWitt Owen, lost a long and hard battle against cancer. The other, Jim Wallace, was struck down suddenly by a brain aneurysm. While I grieve their loss, there is a stronger part of me that recalls the positives these two men brought to the world. These positives are based in what I have long known about people whose lives revolve around or involve equines–horse people are full of hope.

Have you noticed at recent summer gatherings that the “horsey” people at a party eventually get together and discuss all the things that have happened to their animals in the past few weeks? If you were a casual, outside observer, you might wonder why in the world these seemingly sane people would expend so much time, money, and hard work on something that seems prone to injure itself at the worst time, requires daily care and maintenance bordering on what is needed for a child under two years of age, and is better turned-out than most of the owners!

The answer is hope, and a positive outlook.

Drs. Owen and Wallace devoted their lives to the horse, mostly dealing with young, up-and-coming racing stock. They had an eye to the future, and an optimism that was contagious. They were always looking to make life a little better for those around them, challenging the status quo, and doing their jobs in such a way that others naturally worked harder just because of the positive atmosphere.

Sometimes we have to take a longer look–try and see a little farther down the road from where we are standing. When a horse gets injured or sick, we want answers and solutions. Sometimes they aren’t there. But there is hope.

Horses are still battling diseases that have plagued equines since their domestication. Laminitis, navicular disease, joint problems, respiratory illnesses–these are but a few of the challenges that horses, and their owners and veterinarians, continue to face. Some problems such as botulism, equine viral arteritis, and tetanus have been controlled by management, medications, and knowledge. Then there are the new kids on the block, such as equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, that make us nervous because we don’t know what to expect or which way to turn for answers.

Yet none of this has decreased the fascination people have with horses, or the dedication to these animals by those who breed, own, or ride horses. With the development of new tools, we are seeing small steps along the road to understanding; even age-old equine complaints are being managed better today than five years ago. As long as we continue to expect, and support, the quest for knowledge, it will come (although horse people also are known as an impatient lot).

So when you gather with friends and the conversation invariably turns to horses, see what kind of response you get by saying how much better things are today for your animals than they were just 10 years ago. Then you’ll see the hope and positive attitude.

On a personal note, I want to acknowledge the many contributions of Dr. Wallace as a member of the AAEP Editorial Advisory Board to The Horse. Whether conveyed in person or through correspondence, his message was for this publication to strive for excellence–to give the best, most accurate information in the most reader-friendly format, in the most timely manner. His message still rings loud and clear to me, since we shared those beliefs. He will be missed by his friends, colleagues, and those who never even knew that he touched their lives by his expectations of a better world.