Dear fellow equine practitioners, It has truly been an exceptional year for our Florida organization and our members. I am consistently proud of the dedication and resilience of the talented individuals within our profession, but it is safe to say 2025 surpassed all expectations.
Aft er an unexpected cancellation of the Promoting Excellence Symposium in 2024 due to Hurricane Milton, it was incredibly rewarding to see the successful return of PES this past October in Fort Lauderdale. The energy and engagement at the conference proved the ongoing passion we all have for learning and staying up to date on medical practices and technology within our profession. It’s events such as this that remind me that reconnecting with colleagues, sharing knowledge, and practicing equine veterinary medicine among peers reinforces the necessity of associations such as ours and the importance of coming together at in-person meetings.
Looking ahead, I’m excited to see this excitement and engagement recreated at our Ocala Equine Conference in February 2026. There is something truly special about fellow equine practitioners coming together to learn from one another, and there is no better setting than Florida’s horse country and the World Equestrian Center. Th is venue provides the perfect backdrop for learning, collaboration, and professional growth, surrounded by the very industry we serve every day.
I am particularly excited about this year’s wet lab in Ocala. Th ere are always different practical techniques we can learn best from getting hands-on coaching and tutelage. This year’s lab will focus on skills as attendees rotate through four stations: ocular nerve blocks & corneal scrapings; sub-palpebral lavage catheter use & placement; abdominal, thoracic & ocular ultrasound; and podiatry ultrasound. Th is wet lab is a unique opportunity to obtain an immersive, hands-on learning experience from experts, and I’m sure our attendees will fi nd it invaluable.
I would also like to share a brief legislative update in anticipation of the New Year. Th e FVMA Legislative Advocacy Committee is currently working in favor of what is known as the Food Animal Veterinary Loan Repayment Program, which was developed and included in the larger SB 290 bill. Th is program would provide qualifi ed individuals with $25,000 in loan principal repayment per year, for up to fi ve years, to those who spend at least 20 hours per week working in food-animal care and treatment. While the program currently applies only to food-animal veterinarians, the committee is underway to update it by expanding the scope to “large animal” and including equine practitioners as eligible recipients of this fi nancial support.
Thank you for your continued support of our FAEP and for your dedication to our patients and clients. I am truly excited for what we can accomplish together in 2026!