Photo from The Athens News, Athens, Ohio
August 24, 1998
Used with permission
Abbott "Pete" Smith, D.V.M.
June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010
Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate the legacy of Pete Smith, D.V.M., and Milliron: Abbott “Pete” Smith, D.V.M. The Biography (Monday Creek Publishing 2017). A graduate of Colorado State University and a well-known veterinarian in southeast Ohio, Dr. Smith continues to motivate and inspire.
A notable person in southeastern Ohio, Dr. Smith was often the subject of the local media, including newspaper articles. Many of his clients were horse people - from show horses to the trail horse down the road.
The caption to the above photo..."Veterinarian Pete Smith cleans the teeth of Apricot Spice, a horse belonging to Beverly Wright of Spencer, West Virginia. Smith is the focus of one of the articles in The Athens NEWS' annual Progress edition..."
The article, Amesville vet has high-tech facility, low-tech manner, August 24, 1998, was written by Chris Vance. As a horse owner and writer, I am always interested in the behind-the-scenes of photos. The photo above shows Dr. Smith floating the teeth of Apricot Spice, a Tennessee Walking Horse mare with good breeding. You know the kind - big heart, ultra smart, but likes to be serendipitous.
I connected with Beverly Wright, the owner of Apricot Spice. We talked last week about horses, horse shows, veterinarians, and life with horses. "I still have the mare," Beverly said. "She's 28 this year, doing well for her age. Spice comes and goes out of the barn as she likes, grazing when she feels like it. I feed her hay all year around - that seems to keep her feet issues at bay, especially when she doesn't feel like getting out of the barn."
Beverly continues, "I remember the day of the photo at Milliron Clinic. I raised this mare. She's a pretty sorrel mare with a flaxen mane and tail. Her mother, Lady, was a black TWH with a forehead star, just like her sire, Sun's Delight, a 1963 World Grand Champion. They all are from the famous Midnight Sun, another World Grand Champion and icon in the TWH world. I showed TWH's for years. When I wasn't showing, I was the event announcer. I enjoyed showing horses. My neighbor at the time was Rusty Moore. He showed one of my TWH mares. Now he is Dean at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
"I purchased Lady, Spice's mother, from a TWH horse breeder in Cambridge, Ohio. She was one of the last foals out of Sun's Delight. When Lady was older, she became ill. I took Lady to Dr. Smith. My veterinarian in West Virginia recommended Dr. Smith because he was well-known for vetting horses. My vet said, 'There's a great equine vet in Ohio. You need to take your horses over there.' So we did.
"The journey from my stables to Milliron Clinic was a long one, but worth it. Dr. Smith was one-of-a-kind; smart, wise, witty, and his staff was the best. They always made me feel right at home. Dr. Smith taught me important things to know about horse health. We would talk about vet school and we always thought, since he was in Ohio, that he graduated from The Ohio State University. Dr. Smith made sure we knew he graduated from Colorado State University. That was important to him. He enjoyed talking about his days in Colorado.
"When we took Lady to Dr. Smith, he said to leave her at the clinic overnight so he could give her a thorough examination. When we came back the next day, he said her heart was giving out and she did not have long to live, so he euthanized her and she is buried in the Milliron Clinic cemetery.
"I sold Spice when she was 5 yrs old to a horseman in the next county. He showed her in Plantation Pleasure Walking. I stayed in contact with the man because I always follow the horses I raise. When Spice was of age, he had her bred in Kentucky. We went to see the new foal and the horseman said he was going to sell Spice. I told him I wanted to buy her back, and I did. When I brought her back home, she remembered me and my place. Spice had a vaginal discharge that wasn't going away, so I took her to Dr. Smith. He said the discharge was from giving birth and Spice needed cleaned up. So he flushed her out and she was fine after that.
"When you take on a horse, they are your responsibility. My veterinarian is 50 miles away. He comes to my barn once a year to give Spice a complete exam and her vaccines. But we sure do miss Dr. Smith. I took my dog to him, too. He really helped her and she lived longer because of him. Dr. Smith was a great guy - polite and willing to share."
Have a great week ahead.
Connect with Gina
Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.
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