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.
The practice is closed to new clients. Existing clients can schedule through the appointment page.
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 became the first veterinarian to acquire a computerized saddle-fitting device and is currently using the Pliance unit. This equipment gives a color scan of the pressure points under as saddle while the horse is being ridden at all gaits.
She has “written the book” on saddle fitting, with two volumes, The Horse’s Pain Free Back and Saddle Fit Book for western and English horses. She also has a booklet to help introduce people to homeopathy for horses, The First Aid Guide to Homeopathy for Horses. Her goal is to help educate the equine industry about natural, holistic and integrative medicine.
She writes extensively in both the lay and professional magazines and also speaks to both groups frequently. She has published over sixty articles in professional journals and more than that in lay magazines. A number of equine magazines have also featured her work and she is a regular contributor to “ask the vet” on http://equisearch.com/resources/expert/. She was president of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association in 1998 and 1999, the president of the Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association from 2006-2008.
In what little spare time can be found, she has a Connemara-Thoroughbred mare that she rides, drives and enjoys. She is also a nature photographer and her work can be found at www.harmanyinnature.com