A FULL-SERVICE EQUINE REFERRAL HOSPITAL LOCATED NEAR SANTA FE, NM  

SERVING NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHERN COLORADO

Thal Equine is the best-equipped and most capable equine hospital between Albuquerque and the Denver metro area. Dr Thal, a lifelong horseman and equine vet since 1993, has been solving tough equine veterinary problems since he started practice. The practice has added and lost staff and veterinarians over the years, but one thing has stayed the same- a commitment to providing thorough veterinary care, exemplary customer service and great communication. We do have a fully-equipped mobile practice, but our emphasis is on providing top-quality hospital services. Here are a few things customers have said about this practice over the years. Please check out our Testimonials!


Dr. Thal's Articles

Viewing 1 - 15 out of 52 posts

Worms vs. Drugs: The Fundamentals
  • posted: Dec. 26, 2019

Research over the past 10 years has confirmed that indiscriminate deworming leads to selection for worms resistant to common deworming compounds.  Because of this, “targeted deworming” based on fecal analysis Read More

Winter Health Care Basics for Horses
  • posted: Dec. 26, 2019

Generally, horses are not used as heavily during the winter months, but their proper care is every bit as important as in other seasons.  Winter provides different stresses on horses Read More

What? You are going to ROLL my horse? Non-Surgical Correction of Left Dorsal Displacement with Nephrosplenic Entrapment
  • posted: Dec. 26, 2019

Case Report from Thal Equine LLC January 2015   Friday, an 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, arrived at Thal Equine showing signs of abdominal pain (colic).  He had not responded to pain relievers and Read More

Vesicular Stomatitis: What Horse Owners Should Know
  • posted: Dec. 26, 2019

Vesicular Stomatitis (“VS”) is a viral disease that affects horses, and less commonly cattle, pigs, llamas, alpacas, and other livestock. We see periodic outbreaks of Vesicular Stomatitis in our region Read More

Understanding & Managing the Rising Costs of Equine Veterinary Care
  • posted: Dec. 26, 2019

This article addresses a subject that I deal with on a daily basis – the rising cost of providing quality equine veterinary care.  It is a topic many horse owners Read More

The Value of a Diagnosis
  • posted: Dec. 26, 2019

Jake, a 20 year old Hanoverian gelding, showed signs of colic (looking at his side, not eating) and also seemed to be having difficulty urinating (based on his stretching out, Read More

The Use of Complementary or Alternative Therapies: An Equine Veterinarian’s Perspective
  • posted: Dec. 26, 2019

Read More

The Late-Term Pregnant Mare, Foaling & Newborn Foal Care
  • posted: Dec. 26, 2019

From the last trimester of pregnancy through the foal’s first month is a critical time.  It is extremely important for horse owners to know what to expect.  In this article Read More

The Importance of Pre-Purchase Exams
  • posted: Dec. 26, 2019

For horse people, the purchase of a new horse is an exciting time.  Unfortunately, many horses are purchased that are not suitable for their intended use.  This lack of suitability Read More

The Equine Hock: What Horse Owners Should Know
  • posted: Dec. 26, 2019

The “hock” is a horseman’s term for the tarsus, an anatomic region of the horse’s hind limb.  Horses of all breeds, types, and disciplines can suffer from hock-related lameness problems, Read More

The Equine Eye: What Horse Owners Should Know
  • posted: Dec. 26, 2019

The equine eye is a miraculous and delicate organ.  Veterinary problems relating to the horse’s eye are common, and should be recognized and treated appropriately.  There are many types of Read More

Thal Equine Client Handout: Intramuscular (“IM”) Injections
  • posted: Dec. 26, 2019

This handout is intended for clients that are comfortable and willing to administer intramuscular injections and have horses that are relatively well-behaved during this process.  It is only recommended when Read More

Thal Equine Client Handout: Giving Your Horse Oral Medications
  • posted: Dec. 26, 2019

The most important part of any oral treatment is seeing that your horse or foal gets the total dose of medicine at the prescribed time for the total number of Read More

Thal Equine Client Handout: Equine Behavioral Workshop
  • posted: Dec. 26, 2019

Some Take Home Points from our October 15, 2011 Equine Behavioral Workshop I owe the late and great Ray Hunt a debt of gratitude for first opening my eyes to a new way Read More

Thal Equine Client Handout: Common Diagnostic Tests for Equine Abdominal Diseases
  • posted: Dec. 26, 2019

The purpose of this client handout is to describe some of the actions that I take in trying to determine the cause and severity of your horse’s abdominal illness.  If Read More

Viewing 1 - 15 out of 52 posts

Testimonials

  • My 21 year old horse had severe colic while in Pagosa springs Co. on Oct 6th 2019. After treatment from the local vet we were referred to Dr Thal for possible impaction surgery. We arrived in the early morning hours with the horse still standing, which was a miracle in Itself. We agreed to the exploratory surgery and Dr. Thal and his team went to work saving my gelding. Promise was in very bad shape and we did not expect a good outcome. The colic was the result of a dense area of balled up coastal hay in the ileum of his intestine. Surgery took several hours and the days following surgery we were told to take it day to day. It has been 4 weeks since the surgery and Promise is back home on the mend. He will be able to join his herd in the new year. Dr. Thal is outstanding and we were so blessed to have him treat our horse! I highly recommend the Thal Equine Clinic. Thank you Dr. Thal and your team for saving my beloved horse Promise.

    ...
    Show More - Lynn Turner

  • I do not have words to describe just how wonderful Dr. Thal, Kristin and the staff are. Not only are Dr. Thal's technical skills amazing, the caring and empathy by everyone there is absolutely wonderful.

    - Annette Peterfy

  • This is a great facility. Our horse had a very serious leg injury and he is now 100% sound. They did excellent work and were very easy to work with. We couldn’t of asked for better service!

    - Jaki Polich

  • Dr. Thal and his staff are VERY professional and kind. My 7 year old quarter horse had a life threatening large colon impaction. Living in Pagosa Springs, I was directed from my local vet to haul my horse to Thal Equine in Santa Fe for colic surgery. It was a very scary situation I've never been in before and an equine surgeon I've never met before. Once we arrived Dr. Thal was personable, honest and professional. He made me feel comfortable about leaving my horse with him. He did preform the colic surgery just in time to remove the huge impaction and saved my horses life. My horse is home now and healthy as can be thanks to Thal Equine.

    ...
    Show More - Jacie Bramwell

  • In May 2011 my 12-year-old Andalusian mare had a very severe colic episode. Our local vet referred us to Dr. Thal, who has extensive experience in diagnosing and treating colic cases. Upon arrival, Dr. Thal quickly made a diagnosis and we proceeded with surgery. Before, during, and after surgery Dr. Thal and his staff were kind and skilled professionals. Today, I am riding and showing my mare again.  Thank you!

    ...
    Show More - LeslieAnn & Mark Weiler

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Meet Our Skilled Team

Learn Who We Are

  • Dr. Thal
    Douglas O. Thal DVM DABVP Thal Dr.

    Dr. Thal is the owner of Thal Equine. Raised on a cattle ranch in Northern New Mexico in a family of horse enthusiasts, Doug Thal has been riding and training horses since childhood.  Dr. Thal attended the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, where he received his DVM degree in 1993 with an emphasis on equine and large animal medicine and surgery.  Following veterinary school, Dr. Thal was the resident intern at Littleton Large Animal Clinic (now called Littleton Equine Medical Center) in Littleton, Colorado in 1993-1994.

    Littleton was and remains one of the largest private equine hospitals in the Rocky Mountain region.  As an intern living on site, Dr. Thal assisted with a heavy caseload and gained valuable experience that he used in forming his own practice and practice philosophy.  Littleton is highly regarded for its in-depth and precise lameness diagnosis, and Dr. Thal maintains a keen interest in that area.



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  • Brian Van Der Wege
    Brian Van Der Wege

    Brian is our facilities manager and a veterinary assistant at Thal Equine.  He was raised in East-Central New Mexico and began working with and riding horses at an early age.  Brian has a fine mind, predisposed to understanding mechanical systems.  Brian keeps everything running smoothly around here, from the tractor to the anesthesia machine, to the computer network.  We appreciate his broad skill set!

    In the last few years, Brian has perfected the art of composting horse manure, yielding high quality “black gold” compost for us to use in our landscaping projects. In his free time Brian races sports cars and rides his motorcycle. 

  • Tomas Medrano
    Tomas Medrano

    Tomas is our senior barn hand and a veterinary assistant at Thal Equine.  Tomas cares for our boarded horses daily and is regularly of great help with our veterinary patients.  Tomas is originally from Chihuahua, Mexico.  He was a jockey for several years in California.

  • Kristin Thal

    Kristin is our business manager at Thal Equine.  A double alma mater of the University of New Mexico, Dr. Thal persuaded her to return to New Mexico from her hometown of Denver in 2005. Luckily, she likes both green and red chili.

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Office Hours

Spring & Summer: Closed at 5pm / Fall & Winter: Closed at 4pm. We take emergency and referrals 24 hours per day

Santa Fe Office

Monday

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Tuesday

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Wednesday

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Thursday

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Friday

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Saturday

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Sunday

Closed Sundays & Holidays

Santa Fe Office

Monday
9:00 am - 12:00 pm 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Tuesday
9:00 am - 12:00 pm 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Wednesday
9:00 am - 12:00 pm 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Thursday
9:00 am - 12:00 pm 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Friday
9:00 am - 12:00 pm 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Saturday
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Sunday
Closed Sundays & Holidays

Location

--mi

Santa Fe Location

Address

69 Bonanza Creek Rd.
Santa Fe, NM 87508

Contact Information (505) 438-6590

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