Every veterinarian has had an equine client (or three) that resisted treatment and often a nightmarish story to go along with it. Compliant patients allow for safer and more efficient veterinary practices, so the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) teamed up with the American Quarter Horse Association at the AAEP convention to offer veterinarians a live horse demonstration titled “Ground Handling the Problem Horse.” The session combined the instructional talents of Joe Wolter, trainer for the renowned Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie, Texas, and Mark Fitch, DVM, who practices in Boulder, Colo.

Practitioners typically follow a strict schedule and do not have a lot of time to spend convincing a horse to comply with treatments. The nature of the trainer’s job is different. Wolter said, “When I work, I don’t have a time constriction, so I feel for you. Hopefully, I’ll do my job, then your job will be easier