Dr. Joyce Harman graduated from Virginia
Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1984
with an interest in acupuncture and alternative medicine.
She went to England, the Ireland to study equine exercise
physiology and sports medicine, always looking for a better,
safer way to treat and train horses.
Upon her return to the United States, she went to work in
New Jersey for a large equine practice, with all the latest
equipment. However, as Dr. Harman began to find out, many
animals still could not be helped and she began to use acupuncture
extensively to resolve cases that were not responding to
conventional medicine. Dr. Harman became a Certified Veterinary
Acupuncturist in 1990.
She decided to open her own practice and do just acupuncture,
so she moved to Virginia in 1990 and opened Harmany Equine
Clinic. In 1994 she became a Certified Veterinary Chiropractor
and also completed an advanced homeopathic course for veterinarians.
Along the way she has taken many other courses in holistic
medicine for animals.
Dr. Harman finds the best approach for the horse is a team
approach involving veterinarians, therapists, farriers,
dentists, riding instructors and saddle experts. She has
become the first veterinarian to acquire a computerized
saddle-fitting device, the SaddleTech unit. This equipment
gives a color scan of the pressure points under as saddle
while the horse is being ridden at all gaits.
She writes extensively in both the lay and professional
magazines and also speaks to both groups frequently. She
has published over forty articles in professional journals
and more than that in lay magazines. A number of equine
magazines have also featured her work. She was president
of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association
in 1998 and 1999.
In what little spare time can be found, she has a young
Connemara-Thoroughbred mare that she plans to teach many
different sports including eventing, endurance, driving
and cutting.
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