“Before buying any horse, it should have a pre-purchase examination by a qualified veterinarian.”
The advice comes from Dr. Jason Miles DVM of Stone Horse Veterinary Services offering mobile equine care based out of Lawrence.
“Even when purchasing what might be considered an inexpensive horse, an unbiased evaluation is worth the small investment,” Miles emphasized. “All of a sudden that horse could become very expensive if it has permanent ailment or costly yet treatable issues.”
Owning and working with horses all of his life, Dr. Miles is speaking from experience.
“There are a number of conditions that can arise in horses, even those that appear healthy,” he clarified. “It’s not always possible to identify problems, but better to have a horse checked out than wish you had later.”
That includes all soundness from movement to breathing to digestive even reproduction. “Just because a mare has a foal doesn’t mean she’s a favorable candidate for a breeding program,” Dr. Miles added.
Through his youthful experiences showing horses, Miles decided early on to pursue becoming a veterinarian.
“Growing up on my family’s farm north of Lawrence we always had horses and a cow-calf operation,” he said. “Regardless how hard we worked caring for the livestock, veterinarian services were sometimes required. I was inspired to have a career serving owners in health care of their animals.”
Attending Kansas State University, Miles graduated with a doctor’s degree in veterinary science in 2014.
“I had decided that I wanted to specialize in equine medicine due to my lifetime working with horses,” he said. “I didn’t want to concentrate on one area, but offer general overall horse health services.”
Experience builds knowledge and the new Dr. Miles found that opportunity with an internship at Oakridge Equine Hospital, Edmond, Oklahoma. “Five surgeons are on staff at the surgery referral facility with five interns like I was,” he explained.
The hospital handles all areas of equine medicine, lameness, respiratory surgery, sports medicine, orthopedics, and emergency abdominal procedures. “I was able to increase my knowledge of general horse health in my year there,” Miles said.
In July 2015, Dr. Miles became an associate at the Oklahoma City Equine Hospital. “It has a heavy focus on reproduction including embryo transfer, but also routine horse health care,” Miles said.
“The hospital foals out about 60 mares a year. And, those mares don’t necessarily foal exactly when you want them to either,” Dr. Miles grinned. “As an associate I was one of those responsible for getting up in the middle of the night assisting foaling mares.”
With Remington Park nearby, high level race horses were frequent patients at the hospital.
Dr. Miles served as veterinarian at the Appaloosa Horse Club World Show treating health issues of those quality horses.
When his wife Dana accepted an electrical engineer position in Kansas City, Dr. Miles returned to Kansas in October 2019.
Noteworthy, Jason Miles first met Dana Gude of Olsburg when they were showing 4-H horses at the Kansas State Fair. “We were both entered in the two-year-old snaffle bit class and literally ran into each other,” he remembered.
With mutual horse interests, they became better acquainted, dated during college and were married.
“After we moved back to Kansas, I took a few months off from veterinary practice,” Miles explained. “We bought a home in Lawrence and keep our horses at my parent’s place north of town.”
With his knowledge and specific interests in horse health, Dr. Miles saw a need for his services throughout the area.
“There are a lot of horses requiring regular health care and treatment,” he said. “Yet frequently many owners don’t have the time or even the capability to get their horses to a veterinarian.
“There was a place for mobile equine services, so I decided to develop my practice with that philosophy,” Miles explained.
Stone Horse Veterinary Services was started on March 4, 2020. “My wife actually named the practice based on homage for my family’s farm. There are three stone barns on my grandparent’s farm where we keep our horses,” he said.
Nearly complete horse health services are provided by Dr. Miles out of his pickup with the exception of certain surgeries.
“I have a general practice covering all areas of equine medial issues,” he said. “I do not handle any other animal health cases.”
Qualified in serving lameness issues, dentistry and reproduction Dr. Miles offers artificial insemination with frozen, cooled or fresh semen.
Emergency service is a feature of his practice. “I understand the dilemma of needing immediate care for a serious horse health issue,” he said. “I do my best to serve the demands of horses and their owners as quickly as I can.”
Clients’ appreciation for Dr. Miles knowledgeable congenial services has made the mobile equine practice grow and thrive.
“It took a while, but the word of mouth has increased awareness of what I do,” he said. “However, I keep the mobile practice within about an hour’s drive so I can maintain the quality service.”
Looking forward, Miles sees the possibility of adding another equine veterinarian to the mobile service.
Both Dr. Miles and his wife continue to enjoy riding and showing horses in area competitions. “We have four horses and plan to raise some colts, too,” he said.
Horse health is first concern of Dr. Jason Miles at Stone Horse Veterinary Services.
CUTLINES
Dr. Jason Miles DVM of Stone Ridge Veterinary Services provides mobile equine care within an hour’s drive of his home at Lawrence. Serving all areas of horse health, Dr. Miles is doing dental work on one of his equine patients.
Whenever there’s free time from his Stone Ridge Veterinary Services, Dr. Jason Miles DVM enjoys working with and showing his own horses. He’s with his home raised three-year-old gelding Walkabout Winchester best known as Chester.
