SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!

Sidelines MagazineSidelines Magazine

  • LOGIN
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Flipbook
    • Subscribe Options
    • Order Individual & Back Issues
  • Podcast
  • Marketplace
    • Business Ads
    • Directories
      • Barns, Farms, Trainers & Clubs
      • Equestrian Services
      • Real Estate
      • Tack & Feed Stores
    • Equestrian Gallery
      • Stallions
      • Horses & Ponies for Sale
    • Horse Trailers for Sale
  • Advertise
  • Blogs
    • Show World
    • What’s Happenin’
  • Partners
  • Contacts
    • Contacts
    • Employment
1
Monday, October 28 2019 / Published in Weekly Feature

Michele Hollis: Equestrian Doctor and Doctor to Equestrians

By Tafra Donberger

Portraits by Isabel J. Kurek

Armed with a little black bag and an iPad, Michele Hollis, M.D., is bringing medicine to the places equestrians need it most: barns, ring side, you name it, she can help where you’re at.

As a doctor who is an equestrian herself, Michele knows exactly how a horse person’s brain works. The early mornings, the late nights, putting the horse before yourself — she’s done it all herself, and it all began with a spunky horse named Sonny, short for ‘son of a…’

“I received him from an older cousin who had outgrown him after teaching him tricks such as drinking beer, eating dog food and running back to the barn,” Michele laughed. “I learned ‘emergency dismount’ before I learned to steer!”

Michele is a medical doctor and an equestrian.

Her mother wasn’t enthralled with Sonny, but Michele was able to convince her parents to purchase a different horse named Beauregard. “He couldn’t have been more ordinary,” she said. “He was wonderful, and I loved him.” Though she had no formal lessons as a child, watching Joe Fargis ride Touch Of Class to the gold at the 1984 Olympics inspired a pursuit of jumping.

It wasn’t until college, however, that Michele decided, unbeknownst to her parents, to choose what college she would attend based on whether there was an equestrian team or not. She chose Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. “I structured my schedule so that I only went to class two days per week,” Michele explained. “This strategy left me five days to go to the barn as a working student.”

That’s where she met Holly Hugo-Vidal, who taught her the proper way to muck a stall, how to make a horse shine, set jumps and the other various chores associated with horses and the horse showing process. Michele finally had the opportunity to show horses, which she did with the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), starting with beginner walk-trot.

While she developed her skills as an equestrian, Michele developed her career by studying psychology. When she was a senior, someone recommended Michele go to med school instead of grad school. “Truthfully, in the beginning, medicine was just a job — until I discovered a way to connect it with my love of horses,” she said.

Life-Changing Event

Michele spent 10 years practicing medicine in various hospitals in her home of Virginia, but when her daughter, Rachel, was injured in a riding accident, there was a shift. “We have a friend who has racehorses, and Rachel had been breezing them,” Michele explained. “The saddle came loose and she came off at a fairly high speed.” Rachel suffered a spinal cord injury, which was what everyone was initially focused on. What they didn’t realize was Rachel had also suffered a concussion, which affected her cognitive abilities and emotions.

Michele with Talek, owned by Stephanie McComiskey.

Happily, Rachel is fully recovered, and Michele used that transformative experience to make a change in her way of practicing medicine. “As an emergency medicine physician, I’m trained to look at you and immediately determine if you’re sick or not sick, or if you have something that needs to be treated,” she explained. Off that premise, Michele began to see equestrians in private practice.

From January to March, Michele takes a form of sabbatical from her ER duties to live in Wellington, Florida, seeing patients on an as-needed basis. “Horse people don’t go to a doctor,” she said. “So if you can be where people are and meet them where their need is and do urgent care, I think that’s helpful.”

As the sole practitioner for Hollis Med, Michele is excited for the opportunity to do things that few other physicians do. Many of her clients come to her through word of mouth, and she gets to spend the time listening to them — both with a stethoscope and simply discussing symptoms and questions. And once she has an established relationship with a patient, she’s able to practice telemedicine, which allows her to discuss any concerns her patients have, no matter where, no matter when.

Most of what she’s called for are fairly simple diagnoses, with the occasional emergency that allows her to intervene and send a patient to a hospital for the care they need. Perhaps most importantly, she’s free to spend as much time with her patients as they need — a huge difference from the hurried physicians one might find in a busy hospital or family practice. “I love the idea that I have a role, like a braider has a role or the farrier has a role,” Michele said.

Michele and Talek in Wellington, Florida.

Equestrian Life

In the saddle, Michele competes in adult jumpers — or at least, when she finds the time. She and her kids, Rachel and Harold, live at their Perry Hill Farm in Virginia, along with her somewhat-retired Warmblood, Quito, and a retired short-stirrup pony, Major Fun.

As an equestrian herself, there’s nothing more satisfying than making that connection between her horse life and her professional one, so though she doesn’t get to ride as often as she wishes, she still feels connected. Michele brings her knowledge and skill to a world where she knows and understands that too often, an equestrian will ignore symptoms for as long as possible; yet she also knows that’s human nature, and by being available 24/7, she hopes to encourage her clients in receiving and maintaining care.

Michele talks to her daughter Rachel, on Talek, at the Winter Equestrian Festival.

“We need vets and farriers to take care of the horses,” she said. “Why not doctors to take care of the humans who support the horses? That’s as satisfying to me as it is for a trainer to take a young horse and make something nice of it.”

For more information, visit hollismed.com

Photos by Isabel J. Kurek

Share this page:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
Tagged under: dr michelle hollis, isabel j. kurek, tafra donberger

What you can read next

Living Out Her Childhood Dream as an Artist and Breeding Warmbloods
Keeping Her Wings
Kimberly Prince: Her Amazing Life Journey – From a Wanna-Be Rodeo Queen to Leaving Home as a Teen, A Remarkable Tale of Determination and Love…

Download Sidelines Digital now from your favorite app store!

Sidelines Magazine - Apple store   Sidelines Magazine - Google Play store   Sidelines Magazine - Amazon store
Update iOS app. Re-download Google Play and Amazon app.

Follow on Instagram!

sidelines_magazine

Sidelines Magazine
Happy December 1st! Now the fun begins! 13 days of Happy December 1st! Now the fun begins! 13 days of Hot Horseman Christmas! To start us off is our featured hot horseman Woods Baughman! Growing up in Lexington, Kentucky, Woods Baughman was surrounded daily by all things horse. Driving through Lexington, he couldn’t help but see horses, whether they were in a field along the road, on billboards advertising upcoming equestrian events or on street signs—as even the roads are named after horses. As a child, Woods and his non-horsey family attended a rodeo that came to the area. Immediately, Woods knew what he wanted to be when he grew up: a rodeo rider. “That’s when the nagging to my parents about wanting to ride began. Eventually, they caved in and signed me up for English riding lessons, with the agreement that if I stuck with it, I could switch to Western and go down the rodeo path,” Woods said. Woods never made it to the rodeo circuit, as another equestrian event in Lexington captured his heart. When Woods was 6 years old, his grandfather heard about “some horse thing” that was taking place at the Kentucky Horse Park. That “horse thing” just happened to be the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. While bull riding initially won Woods over, watching the horses gallop the cross-country course left Woods awestruck. Get to know Woods in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine! Click the link in our bio for more! And keep your eyes 👀 out for the 1️⃣2️⃣ other men featured this month! 🎄 📸Portraits by Melissa Fuller #sidelinesmagazine #sidelines2023 #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople #dressage #hunterjumper #eventing #magazine #horses #hothorseman2023 #hot
It’s hard to get Tony Sgarlata to talk about him It’s hard to get Tony Sgarlata to talk about himself—much easier, in fact, to get him talking about horses, his dogs or the people in his life. That doesn’t mean he and his career aren’t worth celebrating. Tony is an accomplished rider, and in the course of 20 years of running his own business has trained horses and ponies to all levels and coached multiple zone and national champions. He is a strong proponent for the sport, giving back as a clinician and USEF “R” judge. Last year, Tony partnered with the USHJA to help riders understand changes to equitation tests for 2023. He has judged throughout North America, including at WEF, Tryon, Lake Placid, Old Salem and more. When he’s not traveling to judge, Tony can be found at home in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his partner, Brian, and their three dogs, or traveling the world, sans dogs. Get to know Tony in last month's edition of Sidelines Magazine! Link in bio!
Unwrap joy and spread the holiday cheer with our c Unwrap joy and spread the holiday cheer with our curated gift guide! From tasty horse treats to tech wonders, find the perfect presents for everyone on your list. 'Tis the season for giving, and we've got you covered! 🎁🎄 ✨Link in bio!✨
Give your brand a leg up! With Grace Creative (wi Give your brand a leg up! With Grace Creative (with.grace.creative) is an equestrian-focused marketing agency serving riders and brands. From standout branding to sleek web design, top-tier press placements, and savvy sponsorship management, they’re all about making equestrian brands a force to be reckoned with. Curious about what they can do for your brand or riding career? Shoot them a message and dive into the possibilities. ✨ Featured Riders: corneliadorrfletcher, leahtenney_dressage, driverdressage Featured Brands: lemieuxproductsofficial, veltrisport, naturalequineessentialss with.grace.creative #WithGraceCreative #EquestrianMarketing #RideWithUs
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Stallion Gallery

.

Visit Stallion Gallery

From Our Classifieds Ads

  • Kristie Scholten - Portrait Photography
    www.kristiescholten.com

    [Read more]

  • CASTLEWOOD FARM, INC.
    Training/Showing/Sales Alan Korotkin 561-262-2231 Kirsty Korotkin 561-723-9521 Wellington, FL Castlewoodfarmsales.com

    [Read more]

Sidelines Articles by Email

Subscribe to Sidelines Magazine Articles by Email

RSS Sidelines Blogs: What’s Happenin’

  • “Jump for the Children” Benefit Horse Show Celebrates 40 Years & Over $3 Million to Duke Children’s
  • Woodside Recognizes the Best in the West
  • Get More for Your Money with an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage

RSS Sidelines Blogs: Show World

  • Conor Swail Was the Best Bet in $15,000 CSI2* Markel Insurance Welcome at San Juan Capistrano International
  • Lillie Keenan Leads in CHF68,000 South Coast Plaza Welcome Speed at San Juan Capistrano International CSIO5*
  • McLain Ward Wins CSIO5* Longines Grand Prix at San Juan Capistrano International

Category

Recent Posts

  • December 2023 – Table of Contents

    Subscribe for just $9.95 or Order Individual Is...
  • Unbridled With Tony Sgarlata

    By Britney Grover  It’s hard to get Tony Sgarla...
  • The Secrets of Whorls in Horses

    By Margie Sugarman What do Marie Claire, Anne H...
  • An International Dressage Discussion

    By George Williams Recently, I attended the IDT...
  • Managing the Journey That Is the Equestrian Industry

    By Rob Jacobs As competitive equestrians, we ma...

Copyright © 1987 - 2021 Sidelines Magazine
Privacy Policy · Returns & Refunds Policy · Hosting by Lucian Web Service
· Login

TOP
Get the Sidelines Scoop — your weekly look behind the scenes.Sign me up!