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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

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Tagged under: dr michelle hollis, isabel j. kurek, tafra donberger

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Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

#dressage #equestrian #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #dressagehorse #equestrianlife #showjumping #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #instahorse #dressur #horselove #eventing #equestrianstyle #cheval #dressagerider #horselife #horselover #pferde #love #riding #jumping #pferdeliebe #horseofinstagram #horsebackriding #paard #dressurpferd
We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on o We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on our socials where we share some of the lovely stallions, and their breeders featured in each month's magazine. Our first feature on this #STUDSunday is...

 ✨ALVESTA OWAIN✨
Thistledown Arctic Lore x Alvesta Fairy Lustre
13.1hh, Welsh section B
Stud Fee $750 (plus collection)
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Fairfield, VA

Contact Cheryl Maye at (703) 431-9096 for more information
https://www.mayeshowponies.com/more-info/stallions

You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

📸  SAS Equestrian
‼️ROB JACOBS COLUMN‼️ The purpose of this ‼️ROB JACOBS COLUMN‼️

The purpose of this month’s column is to help the young equestrians of our sport develop and maintain healthy friendships within the industry. Cultivating healthy relationships with other members within the industry is not as easy as one may think. As a young equestrian, it may be difficult navigating friendships at the barn and at horse shows. Typically, kids have friendships within the barn they ride at but also friendships with others from different barns in their area. 

Initially, it may seem as though making other friends in the sport would be easy and ideal; after all, there is the common interest of horses. However, because of the natural therapeutic benefits of horses, the sport has a history of attracting all types of people, with a wide range of personalities. This can be both an advantage and a drawback. We are now in an era that acknowledges the growing need to discuss and manage one’s mental health. 

One thing I have learned is that we are likely to notice mental health challenges at an age younger than most people may think. Some of the friendship dynamics I have observed over the years have caused me to pause and really think about the future of our sport. Without looking for a source to blame for the cause of this, i.e. social media, parents, school, teachers, etc., I think if all adults involved worked to encourage, affirm, love, and respect our youth, the likelihood of them developing authentic friendships with their peers may increase.

Both humans and horses were designed to have connected relationships. These relationships allow a greater sense of security when one experiences challenges in life. Cultivating the quality and authenticity of these relationships requires intentional work. 

Thank you Rob for providing your helpful insight on developing healthy relationships. Check out his tips in his column you can find in the link in our bio.
Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine🦄 

Photo by Blenheim Equisports

#horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #equine #hunterjumper #equestrianlife #horselove #dressage #sidelinesmagzine
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