10/15/2026
✨This is what I dreamed about doing when I was a little kid✨
You hear it so often from young, veterinary hopefuls— “ I want to be a vet because I like animals more than people” — but each patient has an owner. This job is really about treating both the animal and the person who loves it, and sometimes that is really difficult. At A Bucking Nightmare this past weekend, I literally got to live my dream getting to help all of you and your horses while raising money for a charity we love. The kicker: You all made it so easy and so fun. So far this month, my little clinic in the backyard of our family farm has raised almost $5,000 (shameless plug: keep buying shirts!!!) for two amazing causes. I’m in awe of your support, whether it’s for me or the charities, and I am so proud of what we have built together.
When I started this practice three years ago, I had less than no clue about how to run a business, and barely a clue about how to be a vet. I knew it was the best option for me to be able to be close to my family, so I just started working. My husband and I renovated his father’s clinic to make it Longview’s home. I had help finding all the equipment I could ever hope of owning from my mentors. I knew that in order to be able to do a really good job, I needed help. So, I hired a long time friend, had some really great friends who showed up when I needed them, and prayed for the phone to ring. I remember thinking in November that I was going to have to brush up on my small animal knowledge. I needed to start working as a relief veterinarian a few days a week, or even find an overnight job to be able to pay for supplies I had already purchased and pay my help. Then, like magic, I got a call on Thanksgiving to talk about biologic therapy that I was lucky enough to be able to provide, and I think we never looked back. My good clients followed me hours to Washington, Pa and spread our name like wildfire. I realized how badly people wanted to learn and understand how to help their horses, and I started doing some community outreach and speaking to 4-H groups. In February, a new client with a medical binder thicker than one of my pigs desperately wanted her horse’s airway scoped after a barrel race. I took my horse to a show and brought the scope with me, and I was quickly overwhelmed with questions and appointments. On that day, I knew we were going to be okay, and I knew I was really going to make a difference in this community. This weekend I got to keep horses safe, keep them healthy for future runs, and spend time teaching— so much so that I lost my voice. I also got to discuss my career with a lot of young people who hopefully want to do what I do, and we all know we need more vets. This is it, guys. This is what Longview is, what it means to me, and what you can expect if you come to see me.
As long as you keep showing up, I promise to continue to get better. I make it a point to learn something every day, and I will continue to stay up on the new advances that are coming to our sport. I will do my best to continue to make educational experiences accessible for my clients. I will be someone that you feel comfortable asking questions to, and I will find the answers that I don’t know right away. I promise to never stop caring about your horses, and I will give back to this community as much as I can, as often as I can. Thank you for trusting a little girl with pink hair. I won’t let you down.
Haley Rose Sutton, DVM
Longview Veterinary Clinic
