At Brazos Valley Equine Hospitals, our mission has always been simple: to help people succeed by taking care of their horses. Whether that means keeping a performance horse competing at the highest level, guiding recovery from injury, supporting breeding programs, or responding in emergencies, our focus remains on helping our clients achieve their goals.
Great equine veterinary medicine begins with understanding the people behind the horses. Success in this industry depends on teamwork between veterinarians, trainers, farriers, riders, and owners—all working toward the same objective. Our approach is built on that collaboration, bringing together specialists across disciplines so every horse benefits from the combined expertise of our team.
Over the past several years, we have continued to expand and invest in advanced diagnostics and hospital-based care, including standing CT, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and expanded surgical and critical care services. These capabilities allow earlier diagnosis, more effective treatment of complex conditions, and a level of care previously available only at a limited number of referral centers.
Staff Update
As practices grow, teams naturally evolve. Dr. Weston Warnock is no longer practicing with Brazos Valley Equine Hospitals. We thank him for his contributions and wish him the very best in the next chapter of his career. At the same time, we are excited about the continued development of our veterinary team and services.
Dr. Stacy “Hondo” Caffey, DACVS will be taking over Dr. Warnock’s cases. As a board-certified equine surgeon with extensive experience managing complex orthopedic, soft tissue, and neurologic conditions, Dr. Caffey shares our commitment to proactive care and helping horses perform at their highest level. Working closely with our sports medicine and rehabilitation teams, he guides cases from diagnosis through treatment and recovery, ensuring coordinated care for both routine and advanced surgical patients.
Additionally, Dr. Kurt Heite is expanding his role in rehabilitation cases in Navasota in collaboration with Dr. Tena Ursini. Dr. Meghan Murphy will see more outpatient performance cases in Navasota alongside her ambulatory role, increasing access to sports medicine services. Drs. Jon Johnson and Kurt Heite continue to see outpatient performance cases at our Cypress facility and throughout the greater Houston area.
Sports Medicine & Advanced Diagnostics
Performance horse medicine remains central to our practice. With more than 100 years of combined clinical experience, our sports medicine team provides comprehensive lameness evaluation, diagnostic imaging, and targeted treatment plans that address both immediate concerns and underlying causes of poor performance.
A cornerstone of this program is our advanced diagnostic imaging capability, which includes digital radiography, ultrasound, standing CT, and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Brazos Valley Equine Hospitals is one of a small number of equine hospitals in the world currently utilizing PET imaging.
Unlike traditional imaging methods that evaluate anatomy alone, PET imaging evaluates metabolic activity within bone and soft tissue, allowing clinicians to detect subtle stress injuries, bone remodeling, or inflammation that may not yet be visible on radiographs or CT scans.
By integrating PET and CT imaging with careful clinical evaluation and a whole-horse approach, our veterinarians are able to identify subtle sources of lameness earlier, guide more precise treatment plans, and objectively monitor healing as horses return to training.
Advanced Surgery
Our Navasota facility serves as a center for advanced surgical, emergency, and diagnostic care, supporting both ambulatory veterinarians and referral cases from across the region. Our surgical service, led by Dr. Caffey, continues to expand its capabilities. We are seeing excellent results with procedures including cervical facet surgery, arthroscopic procedures, and advanced airway surgery. We are also continuing to develop less invasive surgical techniques designed to improve recovery times and return horses to performance sooner.
Dr. Caffey works in close collaboration with our internal medicine, sports medicine, and rehabilitation teams to manage cases from initial diagnosis through treatment and recovery. This collaborative structure ensures that both routine and advanced surgical patients receive coordinated care. By integrating diagnostics, surgery, and rehabilitation, our clinicians provide a seamless continuum of care focused on restoring soundness and supporting long-term performance.
Rehabilitation & Return to Performance
Rehabilitation is fully integrated with our sports medicine and surgical programs. Working in collaboration with Dr. Tena Ursini, DACVSMR, from the University of Tennessee, our team develops veterinarian-directed rehabilitation plans that guide horses safely through recovery and back to performance. This program serves as an important bridge between treatment and return to athletic work.
Farrier Collaboration
Successful performance horse management depends on strong collaboration between veterinarians and farriers. Our veterinarians regularly work alongside farriers to coordinate trimming and shoeing strategies that complement medical treatment, lameness management, and surgical care.
With Bob Hodges, Quinn Hansen, and other farriers now seeing appointments several days each week at our facility, there are increasing opportunities to integrate farrier expertise directly into case management. This partnership allows us to address both the mechanical and biological aspects of performance, helping horses maintain long-term soundness and athletic longevity.
Emergency & Critical Care
Brazos Valley Equine Hospitals maintains fully staffed emergency and surgical services 24/7. Following recent expansion, we now have more than 20 stalls dedicated to hospitalization and post-emergency care, allowing us to manage a greater number of critical patients.
Our hospital routinely manages colic, traumatic injuries, infectious disease, and critically ill neonatal foals, with immediate access to advanced imaging and surgical care when time is critical. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is also available to support healing in select cases, with encouraging results in gastrointestinal disease, post-surgical recovery, and neonatal care.
Looking Forward
Equine medicine continues to evolve, and the needs of horses and horse owners continue to grow. At Brazos Valley Equine Hospitals, we remain committed to the collaborative approach that includes the horse owner, trainer, rider, farrier, and veterinarian. We also remain committed to continued growth, innovation, and investment in the people and technologies that allow us to provide progressive equine veterinary care.
Whether providing ambulatory care, advanced diagnostics, surgical treatment, rehabilitation, or emergency services, our focus remains the same: helping people be successful by taking care of their horses.
With appreciation,
The Brazos Valley Equine Hospitals Team
