Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center

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Los Olivos, CA
Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center

For more than 50 years, one of the foremost equine veterinary referral clinics in the world.

08/26/2025

In celebration of Meet The Dogs of Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center — the beloved companions of our amazing team!

And yes… we might have one teammate who thinks her goat counts as a dog

08/11/2025

Our founders Dr. Doug and Sue Herthel built family into the foundation of Alamo Pintado from the earliest days. Over the years we have had Alamo Pintado team members who have spent 20, 30 and 40+ years with us serving our clients and their beloved horses and their fellow team members. Over the next few months, we will be introducing you to those Alamo Pintado team members. Today we would like to recognize two beloved Alamo Pintado staff veterinarians whom both just reached the 25-year mark as part of the Alamo Pintado family.

Dr. Lisa Teske joined Alamo Pintado as a staff veterinarian in the year 2000 after completion of her veterinary internship with us. Lisa, originally from Nebraska, completed her veterinary school training at Colorado State University. Lisa is loved by her clients. She has a special interest in sport horse medicine and acupuncture. Lisa is a passionate dressage enthusiast and can be found at the barn or in the show ring on her days off.

Dr. Erin Byrne joined our Alamo Pintado family in the year 2000 after completion of veterinary school at UC Davis and an internal medicine residency at Texas A&M University. Erin, who is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, enjoys swimming, Kayaking, and spending time with her dogs when she is not at the hospital. Erin is a tremendously talented and dedicated internal medicine specialist who will do everything in her power to return her patients to good health.

We love both of these amazing veterinarians and are so honored to have them on our team.

08/08/2025

Every year, Alamo Pintado welcomes a new class of veterinary interns—bright, motivated doctors beginning their careers in equine medicine. They come from diverse backgrounds and bring unique experiences, but they share a common drive to serve horses at the highest level. Our internship program is a long-standing tradition, and this year’s group continues that legacy with enthusiasm, talent, and a deep passion for equine care.

Dr. Cassidy Scatena grew up on her family’s cattle ranch in Nevada and earned her DVM from Texas A&M. With a background in breeding, foaling, and starting young horses, she’s excited to build on her hands-on experience and grow under the mentorship at Alamo.

Dr. Fred Holcomb, originally from Virginia, is a farrier and former c**t starter who attended Davidson College in North Carolina where he studied psychology and neuroscience before earning his DVM from Texas A&M. He has a special interest in podiatry and plans to pursue a surgical residency.

Dr. Alexis Diaz, a lifelong rider from Florida, holds a DVM and masters in Microbiology from the University of Florida. Her passion for equine sports medicine began after helping her own horse recover from injury—and return to the NBHA World Finals.

Dr. Park Phillips is a Texas native who earned his veterinary degree from Texas A&M. With a strong background in western performance horses, he’s especially interested in sports medicine and surgery.

Dr. Natalia Uson returns for a second year of the internship from Spain, where she earned her veterinary degree at the Complutense University of Madrid. Following in the footsteps of her father and aunt—both former Alamo interns. Her favorite equine disciplines are showjumping and Thoroughbred racing.

Dr. Florencia Saravia, from Argentina, grew up riding, showjumping, and playing polo. She earned her degree from the University of Buenos Aires and brings with her extensive experience in reproductive management and foal care from working at a top polo embryo transfer center.

We’re thrilled to welcome these exceptional young veterinarians to Alamo Pintado and look forward to a year of learning, mentorship, and excellent patient care.

07/24/2025

This morning our 2025/26 veterinary intern class and a couple of lucky externs toured the Platinum Performance headquarters as part of their Alamo Pintado introduction. Every year our intern class meets with Mark Herthel to hear about the history of Alamo Pintado from our founding out of the back of Dr. Doug and Sue Herthel's Chevy Vega in the early 1970s to the many innovations that have occurred at Alamo Pintado over the decades, including the advancement in abdominal surgery and orthopedic fracture repair, the beginning of veterinary regenerative medicine, and the development of Platinum Performance in 1996. We believe that it is important to constantly remember where we came from and why we do what we do. We have a wonderful and dedicated team and we are excited to welcome this year's intern class to Alamo Pintado. Be looking for a post in the coming days to officially introduce them.

07/21/2025

Dr. Erin Byrne recently treated a patient that presented with sudden right-sided facial nerve paralysis, difficulty eating, and facial asymmetry. After a thorough neurologic exam and endoscopy, we diagnosed Temporohyoid Osteoarthropathy (THO)— in this patient an enlarged stylohyoid bone was found on the right side, affecting the cranial nerves responsible for facial expression, balance, and swallowing.
THO can develop silently over time and then lead to sudden, serious symptoms, including facial nerve paralysis, vestibular signs (such as lack of balance and impaired spatial awareness), corneal ulcers, and dry eye. In this case, early recognition and intervention were key. Dr. Wade Walker performed surgery to relieve the underlying pressure on the nerves, and with a combination of medical therapy and surgical correction, this horse is now well on the road to recovery. This case is a great example of the collaboration between our Alamo Pintado doctors that occurs on a daily basis and is responsible for many successful outcomes.
If you ever notice facial drooping, a head tilt, or changes in coordination, don’t wait—early diagnostics can make all the difference.

07/14/2025

Over the years research and continuing education has been a cornerstone of practice at Alamo Pintado. Last year we initiated our inaugural Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program at Alamo Pintado. In addition to his busy sports medicine practice, Dr. Tyler Stevenson is in his second year of this three year residency. As part of this residency Dr. Stevenson is focusing on the comparison of high field MRI and PET imaging in our caseload at Alamo Pintado to better understand how these complimentary modalities can allow us to better diagnose and evaluate the efficacy of various treatments and rehabilitation protocols. After his successful completion of this residency Dr. Stevenson will become a diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. We are proud of Dr. Stevenson for pursuing this board certification for the benefit of the horse.

07/10/2025

Nail Injuries in Horses

Dr. Greg Parks recently treated a horse that stepped on a large fencing nail. Thanks to quick-thinking owners who noticed right away and called a veterinarian immediately, this horse is on the road to a full recovery.

If your horse steps on a nail, do not remove it before your vet arrives. Leaving the nail in place allows radiographs to determine the exact location and depth of the injury — especially if important structures like the coffin bone, navicular bursa, or tendon sheath are involved.

In this case, the nail narrowly missed vital structures. With bandaging, pain management, and close follow-up, the prognosis is excellent.

07/04/2025

This Fourth of July, we celebrate independence, community, and the bond between horse and rider.
From all of us at Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center, we wish you a safe and meaningful holiday.

$Jessie, a quarter horse mare was admitted to Alamo Pintado with a challenging fracture. Jessie sustained a comminuted, o...$

06/30/2025

Jessie, a quarter horse mare was admitted to Alamo Pintado with a challenging fracture. Jessie sustained a comminuted, open fracture of the left front proximal splint bone (MT2), sustained two weeks prior. She arrived with a strong grade 3/5 lameness and localized swelling.

Dr. Wade Walker performed a preoperative CT Scan on 11/20 which confirmed a complex frontal plane fracture. To repair the fracture, Dr. Walker acquired a 7-hole 3.5mm locking compression plate designed for small animals from Dr. Sarkisian from Santa Ynez Pet Hospital. This compression plate was perfect for the tiny splint bone.

We are happy to report that Jessie is doing great, and is back in training for cow horse competition!

06/29/2025

We stopped in to watch some of the action at today's Santa Ynez Valley Cutters show at the Santa Ynez Valley Equestrian Center. It warmed our hearts to see longtime clients and beloved valley residents Joe and Alice Olla in attendance. As many of you know Joe has been recovering from a very serious horse accident. On behalf of your fellow valley residents and friends we welcome you home Joe. Home feels more like home now that your back.

06/27/2025

At Alamo Pintado we are so proud to be part of the wonderful and diverse horse community in our beautiful Santa Ynez Valley. This past weekend we enjoyed attending the very successful sixth annual Old Santa Ynez Days Rodeo. It’s great to see this rodeo grow each year. And just over the hill in Santa Barbara the region 2 Arabian Horse Show was held this past weekend at Earl Warren Showgrounds. This weekend we can’t wait to attend the Santa Ynez Valley Cutters cutting and cow horse show at the Santa Ynez Valley Equestrian Center. What an amazing community of horse lovers we are lucky to live in. Region 2 Youth Arabian Horse Association

06/10/2025

Talk with Dr. Ben Sykes BSc BVMS MS MBA DipACVIM PhD FHEA
Understanding Equine Gastric Ulcers: What Every Horse Owner Needs to Know

Join internationally renowned equine veterinarian Dr. Ben Sykes for an in-depth, practical session on equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) — one of the most common and often overlooked conditions affecting horses today.

Date: Wednesday 6/11/2025
Time: 5:30pm
Location: California Horse Center at Flag Is Up Farms
901 E Hwy 246, Solvang CA 93463

Tickets: Contact Will Friday 310-804-6783 or by email [email protected]

What You’ll Learn:
- Prevention and treatment strategies
- Latest research and recommendations
- Live Q&A with Dr. Sykes

Whether you’re a horse owner, trainer, vet, or enthusiast — this talk will give you actionable insights to help horses thrive.

Reserve your spot now! Limited spaces available.

Address

2501 Santa Barbara Avenue
Los Olivos, CA
93463

Telephone

(805) 688-6510

Website

http://www.alamopintado.com/

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