Hooves and Hands Equine Education
Rick Mcmillen
DVM
Dr. McMillen is a 1988 graduate of Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He moved from Minnesota to McMinnville in 1989 to begin working with Mark Thorn DVM in his large animal practice.
In 1995 Dr. McMillen purchased the practice from Dr. Thorn and established it as Valley Equine Veterinary Service Inc. During the early days Valley Equine was known for its breeding work in horses. In 2000 Dr. McMillen began pursuing specialty training in diagnosing and treating lameness and performance issues, turning much of the breeding work over to an associate.
In 2006 Dr. McMillen became a member of the newly formed International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology (ISELP) and in 2009 completed the training courses they offered for advanced diagnostics in lameness and performance issues. Since that time Dr. McMillen has offered advanced diagnostics and treatment for equine lameness and performance issues, including back problems from saddle fit and other causes.
Dr. McMillen lives near Amity, Oregon with his wife Michelle, who is an FEI level dressage rider and his son Brian. He enjoys teaching, camping, riding cutting horses and helping out at his local church when he is not working on horses.
Melissa Shaver
DVM
Dr. Shaver has been involved in horses most of her life, and has shown Arabians since the early ‘90s. Early on, she found a strong desire to help ease suffering in animals in general. It was only natural to follow the progression to vet school. She graduated with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Oregon State and Washington State in 2006. From there she worked with a variety of large and small animals in general practice. After years of frustrating cases not responding favorably to a solely Western medicine approach, she decided to pursue continuing education in a more holistic approach. She has done a chiropractic internship under the tutelage of Dr. Mark DePaolo. She did acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine training through IVAS, one of the most respected governing bodies for acupuncture in America. Her goal is to embrace the best of both Western and Eastern worlds, and tailor the best treatment to each case for best results and patient comfort .
Dave Thiems
Farrier
Dave has been trimming and shoeing horses for the past 20 plus years. He has served as a Yamhill City Reserve officer and spends his free time with his wife and dog.
Deborah at Trinity Equine Massage
Deborah has been doing equine massage since 2016. She understands the horse owners desire for our horses to be as healthy and comfortable as possible. Through massage she helps us keep their bodies supple and in balance. Her motto is "Let your horse have a comfortable, happy day"
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