Quidditch stood quietly in the barnyard as his hooves were examined for the cause of lameness and abnormal heat. Matt Rose, DVM, discussed the possibility of laminitis, a common and painful hoof condition, with owner Chrissey McCarty. He suggested Quidditch stay away from green grass and stick to a diet of hay, which he hoped would alleviate his symptoms. He then turned his attention to Snowbird, a 20-year-old Morgan who managed to sneak into McCarty’s asparagus bed and consume a large helping of ferns — fortunately with no discernible ill effects. It’s a typical episode in the life of Vermont’s large-animal veterinarians who travel the state, diagnosing and treating farm animals; conferring with, and sometimes consoling, their owners.

Nicole and Matt Rose. Photo courtesy of Alice Dubenetsky.

Matt and Nicole Rose began their equine veterinary practice, called Balanced Rhythms, three years ago, after working at Vergennes Animal Hospital’s large animal practice for several years. Matt, a Massachusetts native, graduated from Tufts University with a degree in veterinary medicine and moved directly into a practice in California’s San Joaquin Valley, where he stayed for only one year before realizing he preferred New England. “I thought I wanted to live there — until I did,” he quipped during a recent conversation, driving along in his well-used Toyota Tacoma pickup during his daily round of barn calls.

Nicole Rose is a Certified Veterinary Technician, an equine physical therapist and an equine massage therapist. She also runs the office, handling the practice’s finances, scheduling and emergency calls. “She’s the guts of the machine,” says Matt. “I can focus on the medical part and don’t have to worry about the taxes.”

Matt and Nicole live in Bridport with three horses and three dogs named Dell, Roxy and Miles Grady Yellow Dog Rose. All three were rescue dogs and both Dell and Miles Grady Yellow Dog Rose are three-legged, although that doesn’t appear to slow their enthusiasm or playfulness. The Roses’ home/office is surrounded by perennial and vegetable gardens and a huge blackberry patch where visitors are invited to help themselves to as many berries as they can carry.

Matt and Nicole recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary and exhibit a charming and youthful enthusiasm for their life together. “It’s a good thing we both love what we do,” said Nicole during a tour of the property. “We spent our third date in a barn, breeding a mare, in a rainstorm, because the semen (which is time sensitive) didn’t get delivered in time.”

The Roses are, for now, purposely keeping Balanced Rhythms small enough for the two of them to handle. The practice is doing well enough on a referral basis that they don’t need to advertise, and their client roster is full. Days are busy but between the two of them, they can handle whatever comes their way. Often, Nicole will ride along to assist with a surgery, allowing Matt to concentrate on his work while she handles the horse and whatever IVs or other procedures are required. “We’re big enough to be successful, but small enough to be personal,” said Nicole. She cited an example of a recent phone call that she accidentally deleted after a quick listen. She only remembered the name of the horse, but that was enough information to return the call to the correct person.

Matt’s daily rounds take him up and down the Route 7 corridor, over to Bridport and Waltham and points south, and back north to Hinesburg and Charlotte.

Riding along with Matt is a good way to get a feel for the life of a rural vet. He tries to structure his calls in a logical geographical order, but often emergencies interfere with his plans and he’ll rush to a far-flung barn to visit an ailing horse. He knows all the shortcuts and back roads as he winds his way from farm to farm, barn to barn. Matt possesses an easy charm and an innate kindness that puts animals and humans alike at ease. He is calm, thorough and professional in his diagnoses and recommendations, and he’s also ready with a humorous aside to lighten the mood.

While driving between calls, Matt discussed the current veterinary shortage in Vermont and why he prefers to practice here rather than in more populated, wealthier states. Vermont definitely needs more vets, he said, especially those who handle dairy, which is demanding and physically exhausting. As a first-year practicing vet “you can expect to make between $35 to 40,000.”

With student loans that can be in excess of $100,000, it becomes very difficult to make a living in Vermont. In addition, the work environment of a large animal vet can be inhospitable, working in the blazing heat or freezing cold. However, the Roses say they love their life in Vermont and choose to practice in the state, even though they could make more money elsewhere. “I could double my salary by moving to Connecticut or Kentucky, but my lifestyle would change,” said Matt. Working in a small animal clinic is apparently not an option, either. “I’d rather be in the cold than wear khakis and a white coat,” he laughed. “Besides, I don’t look good in khakis.”

A typical day might start with Quidditch, the horse with sore feet in Hinesburg, and then on to a beautifully maintained home and barn, with acres of sparkling white fence tucked away out of sight on a back road in Charlotte. He’s there to see Obie, a petite 9-year-old Quarterhorse/Arab with a sore leg. With the assistance of a pack of noisy — and nosy — barn cats, Matt checks Obie out extensively, finally asking owner P.J. Laberge to trot him back and forth in the driveway to check his stride. He recommended five days’ rest for Obie, which P.J. noted was a long time off for him. “He’ll be pretty energetic after his long vacation,” she said, with a touch of trepidation.

Munching fresh cucumbers from his garden as he headed to the next call, Matt joked that spending all day analyzing horse’s gaits and posture sometimes leads him to analyze humans’ “gaits” and to speculate what could be wrong with them, especially when he and Nicole are on vacation with no horses to watch. “Nicole gets mad at me,” he said with a grin.

The next stop was a visit to Tilly, a 5-year-old quarter horse pony. Her owner was planning to bring her to a horse show that weekend. This was Tilly’s second visit for the same lameness issue and they were hoping for a clean bill of health. However, the diagnosis was that she was only about 65 percent better and Tilly got to extend her rest for a bit longer — no horse show for Tilly. Back in the truck Matt sighed, “I either make or break their day—that’s pretty much what I do.”

An emergency call about a pregnant Standard-bred mare with a fever required a change of plans and a side trip to Cornwall. On the way, Matt warned that this particular mare tended to be “a spunky handful” but on arrival Sarah turned out to be quiet and docile due to a high fever and general feeling of malaise. Matt checked her over thoroughly, assuring owner Kathy Conway that the foal was still alive and moving, and there were no signs of mastitis (she has a 3-month-old colt). He drew blood for testing and then rushed back to his home office to catch the afternoon Federal Express pick-up. Although she had left the office for the afternoon, Nicole left explicit instructions for Matt about the proper way to pack and ship the blood. Obviously, Matt noted, Nicole is the one in charge of the office procedures. “I just do what I’m told,” he said with a smile.

Later in the day, Matt arrived at a barn in New Haven for a “pre-purchase exam.” Kristi Jennings was considering buying a 6-year-old quarter horse from a local horse dealer. She brought the horse to the barn to try him out, but had concerns because he seemed so quiet and lazy. Was it a problem or simply his personality? It didn’t take long for Matt to diagnose a stifle issue, telling Kristi that “he’s too funky on that left leg.” He did not recommend purchasing the animal, leaving Kristi somewhat disappointed but relieved that she found out about the problem in time to prevent a costly mistake.

Once again, it’s make or break someone’s day — in this case, a little of both, and then it’s back on the road, from barn to barn, visiting with clients and four-legged patients — no lab coat, no heat or air conditioning, but plenty of satisfaction at the end of the day in the life of a rural Vermont veterinarian.

Alice Dubenetsky lives in a Starksboro farmhouse with her husband, Dan, and two children. They own an assortment of house pets and livestock.