Dr. Kerry Ridgway

Kerry Ridgway, DVM is one of the USA’s premier national and international lecturers and clinicians in the field of “Integrative Equine Medicine.” His passion for horses, extending from his childhood in Montana to this day, likely comes from his father who was a professional horse guide in Yellowstone National Park and an avid rodeo professional as well as ranching in Montana.

Kerry, as he prefers to be called, graduated from Montana State University with a degree in Chemistry and then graduated 2^nd in his class with honors from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State University. He received the highest score in the nation that year on the National Veterinary Board Examinations.

Very active in Equine Sports Medicine, Dr Ridgway was a charter member and officer for the international organization, the “Association for Equine Sports Medicine” (AESM). His work with the sport of endurance has spanned from 1967 to the present time. He served a total of nine years as the chair of the veterinary advisory committee to the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) and was elected to the AERC Hall of Fame in 1989. Having served as an endurance judge for over 300 rides, many as the head veterinarian, he was the first “approved” FEI judge when endurance became an FEI recognized discipline. 

In 1986, he was overcome with Lyme disease and had to give up his conventional medicine practice. After a long period in which allopathic medicine did not provide adequate help, he gradually recovered his health through the use of “Integrative Medicine” in the form of acupuncture, chiropractic, nutritional therapy and homeopathy. The disease that altered his life he often describes as the best thing that ever happened to him. It allowed him to see the importance of looking at health and the body from both a conventional as well as alternative options. His illness set him on the goal of always seeking the root cause and not just treating the symptoms.

Excellent responses to these alternative options set him on the path and mission that he pursues today. That mission is to work with veterinarians, trainers, hoof care professionals, equine body workers, and the riding public to integrate the best of “alternative therapies” with the best of veterinary allopathic conventional medicine. Critical and integral to the enhancement and treatment of performance issues; many of Dr. Ridgway’s seminars integrate the importance and role of saddle fit and properly balanced feet. He does a superb job of helping seminar attendees become more educated consumers.

Dr. Ridgway places great emphasis on, in his words, “An integrated team approach is the best hope for prevention and treatment of equine injuries.”

Dr. Ridgway's website: http://www.ultimatesaddlesolutions.com/