Since we moved up to Fort Collins in the fall of 2010, we’ve been involved with the kids and grandkids and setting up a primarily dental practice
that ranges from Virginia Dale to Boulder along the Northern Colorado Front Range. We’re getting used to the crowds and the highways, but
we find ourselves hanging around the little agricultural community of Wellington, riding up near Red Feather Lakes, and exploring a bit more of
Old Town Fort Collins. The vistas are amazing and our resident deer, pheasant, lake waterfowl, and overhead raptors from Bald Eagles to
owls keep us close to nature. The horses love the more open, rolling terrain and don’t worry as much about mountain lions and bear around every corner.
Plus, they like the irrigated pastures.
Last June we had a discussion with Dr. Diana Hassel at CSU about the status of equine dental education and as a result committed to teaching the junior
class at the vet school for the 2011-2012 year. We’ve given lectures and labs and tried to give another generation our philosophy and experience as
well as trying to keep up to date with this rapidly evolving field. It has been a challenge and a joy. It is a special treat to be teaching at our
alma mater -- giving back to the school that gave us our lives focus.
In January this year, we presented "Selected Case Reports in Equine Field Dentistry" at the CSU 73rd Annual Conference for Veterinarians. We really
appreciated the interest and the great question and answer session after the talk. And we enjoyed the conference as always—keeping current is so important
these days. Presentation is available
here. Summary of other pertinent topics available here.
February 1, 2012 We had an opportunity to present Equine Dentistry for the Life of Your Horse to the Northern Colorado Back Country Horsemen and we
repeated a similar presentation during a snow storm to the Larimer County Horsemen’s Association at The Ranch in Loveland. On March 29 we will
conclude our lectures at the vet school with Case Based Field Dentistry.
This year will see Jake moving to
F1000 from D-sports racing. After winning June Sprints at
Road America and standing third on the
podium for the National Runoffs also at the Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, track, Jake sold his car to a competitor in Australia and is looking for a
new challenge. It’s a big year, too, because Jake and Dr. Amy Le will be married June 16, in Breckenridge, CO. We are thrilled.
Jim the younger is back from travels in Central America and Mexico for a bit before heading north to Alaska for the summer. Meanwhile he is
getting practice pounding in fence posts for the horses.
The grandkiddos, Will and Samantha, are learning to ride now that the horses are within an hour’s drive.
Plans for the practice remain in development but we will continue to make twice yearly visits to Pagosa Springs for dental tune ups and to spend a few more
days in Paradise. We will try to post some interesting dental cases this year and get the website current on developments in equine medicine and surgery.
Stay tuned, stay well. Happy 2012