The Equitarian Initiative Table Topic session at the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Annual Meeting, held Dec. 4-8 in Baltimore, Md., was characterized by great enthusiasm and a spirit of collaboration among the participants and like-minded organizations. Jay Merriam, DVM, of the Massachusetts Equine Clinic in Uxbridge, started off the session with a summary of the Vera

Animal rights, owner responsibility, health and welfare, and all the attendant issues occupy more and more of our time and energy these days as we horse owners struggle to find a place in our busy lives for what once was a routine part of life in a long-ago society. Now, a few generations removed from our agrarian roots, we are bombarded, it seems, with ethical and political questions unasked