More than 300 topics will be covered at this year’s Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) on Nov. 24-28 in San Diego, Calif. The major sessions will include several presentations each on Western performance horse lameness, athletic horse lameness, antimicrobials, handling and breeding with frozen semen, joint ultrasonography, pediatrics, surgery, reproduction, and medications. Each session includes a variety of topics and speakers who have experience in the lab and/or field in various areas of horse care.

The idea of getting veterinarians together in order to teach them—and allow them to teach others—should be applauded by every horse owner. There are so many new techniques, technologies, and trouble spots for horse care in today’s world that it is difficult for veterinarians to keep up (much less horse owners). Continuing education is one of the reasons that the AAEP exists. They strive to provide the best and most varied educational opportunities for practitioners, and are expanding that mission to include horse owners (see Horseman’s Day at https://thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=3143).

A veterinarian who continues to learn and expand his or her horizons is valued by horse owners. While your veterinarian might not use something as simple as a marble to keep your mare from coming into heat during your next show season, wouldn’t it be great if he/she at least knew about the technique and how it might work? Are there new treatments that will help bone, cartilage, ligament, or muscle heal more quickly following injury? Are there ways for a veterinarian or horse owner to know before a horse has clinical signs that a problem is developing? Can a blood test show the development of arthritis or cartilage breakdown?

As well as the standard scientific sessions that have one or more veterinarians speaking and using visuals to teach a large audience, there are chances for more personal communication and sharing of information during the AAEP Convention. Breakfast and lunch times offer Sunrise Sessions and Table Topics for interested veterinarians. At these sessions, one or more experts in a certain area of horse care moderate roundtable discussions with attending veterinarians. These discussions often start slow, but warm quickly as opinions and experiences are shared. Many times there is standing room only around tables, a problem which the AAEP has addressed by repeating some of the topics on different days