Our Doctors

Equine Veterinary Specialists in Arizona

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Rick D. Howard, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVS

Dr. Howard, a native of Kentucky, is a 1989 graduate of Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. He subsequently completed an internship in Equine Medicine and Surgery at the University of Missouri in 1990. Dr. Howard completed his large animal surgical residency and received a Masters degree at Colorado State University in 1993. He became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1994. After completing his residency, Dr. Howard completed a doctoral program and conducted research in equine joint disease at Colorado State University leading to a PhD degree conferred in 1997. Dr. Howard was on faculty at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech from 1996-2003. In 2003 he accepted a position as an equine surgeon and as the Director of the E. Paige Laurie Endowed Program in Equine Lameness at the University of Missouri, College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Howard joined Arizona Equine in June of 2005. His major interests are orthopedic and soft tissue surgery and the diagnosis and treatment of equine lameness.

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Tresha Robinson, DVM, CVA

Dr. Robinson was born and raised in Nebraska on a Quarter Horse ranch. She did her undergrad at Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska. She graduated from Kansas State University Veterinary College and completed an internship at Arizona Equine in 1999. She has been a partner at Arizona Equine since 2004. Her interests include preventative and internal medicine, dentistry, reproduction and lameness. Dr. Robinson is certified in Equine Acupuncture. Both her father Charlie Hill and her late husband Jason Robinson were farriers. Dr. Robinson enjoys working with farriers as it is an integral aspect to the horse’s health. Outside of work the Robinson household is huge into sports. Both of her boys play football for the University of Nebraska Lincoln and her daughter is a 3 sport athlete in high school, so she spends a lot of her time at ball games. If he is not at ball games she enjoys riding her horse with her dad.

Denisse Holden, DVM

Dr. Holden was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco and moved to Arizona when she was 8 years old. She is fluent in Spanish and English! She lived most of her life in Gilbert, Arizona. She worked at AZEQ as a veterinary technician until she graduated from Arizona State University and then attended Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her internship and stayed on as an associate at AZEQ. She is an avid horse rider and has particular interests in equine dentistry, reproduction, chiropractic, and over all preventative medicine. In her free time, you can find her outdoors with her husband, Andrew and their son, Trace. Together they enjoy doing long distance/overnight trail riding, camping, off-roading and boating. They have 2 horses, 4 dogs, and chickens at their mini farm in Mesa.

Kelsey Kafesjian, DVM

Dr. Kafesjian is originally from Bluffdale, Utah where her family has paint and quarter horses. She grew up riding and showing her late quarter horse Scotty in local 4H events. In high school, she competed nationally in APHA all around events with her paint horse, Cheese.

She graduated with her bachelors degree in Equine Science from Colorado State University in 2018. She was fortunate enough to stay in Colorado for vet school and she graduated from CSU in 2022 with her DVM (Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine). Her professional interests include equine lameness, surgery, and preventive medicine, and she may pursue an equine surgical residency after her internship.

Outside of vet med, she is an avid hiker and skier, enjoy any time spent riding her horses, and loves spoiling her two cats, Astrid and Mona.

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Gayle S. Leith, DVM, Diplomate ABVP, Certified in Equine Practice

Dr. Leith is now retired after serving the horse community for many years. Dr. Leith was born in New Jersey and grew up in California. She raises Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods. She competes in the amateur hunter division. Dr. Gayle Leith is a 1988 Wisconsin graduate, has a M.S. in Reproductive Physiology and is interested in medicine, lameness, and theriogenology. She has been with Arizona Equine since 1988. Dr. Leith is a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, certified in Equine Practice.

NOTE: December 2007, 2008 – American Association of Equine Practitioners – Dr. Gayle Leith presented “Buying into a Practice.”

NOTE: 2009 “Start – Up Problems in an Equine Relief Program on the Reservation – Getting the Kinks Out” also given at AAEP.

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D. Scott Taylor DVM, Diplomate ACVS

REST IN PEACE: 3/18/1964 – 5/14/2022

Dr. Taylor was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. He got his first horse, a Palomino named “Goldie”, when he was nine years old. He has owned and ridden horses for most of his life. He completed his undergraduate studies at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He graduated from the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in 1989 in the top ten percent of his class. Dr. Taylor wanted to specialize in equine medicine and surgery, so he completed an internship in equine surgery and lameness at the University of Missouri in 1990.

While in his internship, Dr. Taylor became very interested in surgery and sports medicine. He was fortunate enough to obtain a very competitive residency position at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. He completed a three-year residency in equine surgery and lameness at UC Davis in 1993, and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1995. He joined Arizona Equine in 1993 and purchased the practice, along with Dr. Gayle Leith, in 1996. He has been a partner and treating veterinarian at Arizona Equine since 1993.

He enjoys diagnosing and treating lameness and surgical cases. His main interests are in sports medicine, and surgery (orthopedic and soft tissue).

If you want to know more about Dr. Taylor and his qualifications, go here.