Our Story
Why did we keep the name "Miamitown Equine", even after moving north of Miamitown?
The name is part of who we are, and how we got started!
Miamitown Pet Hospital was founded in 1985 by Dr. Michael Frederick as a general mixed practice treating both large and small animals. Dr. Frederick was Dr. Hood's own horse vet growing up, and Dr. Hood got her first experiences with equine veterinary medicine while riding along in Dr. Frederick's vet truck. Dr. Frederick would joke with her that she should go to vet school and come back to her hometown to take over the equine practice after graduation. So that's exactly what she did!
After joining Dr. Frederick in 2016 (and answering his frequent question "Are you sure you want to do this for a living?" with a determined YES!), Dr. Hood started Miamitown Equine Veterinary Services in 2017, splitting off the equine practice from Miamitown Pet Hospital to provide specialized care for horses. Dr. Frederick has stepped away from primary practice in recent years, but remains a trusted consultant.
Our team has continued to grow, and in 2024, we expanded to a new location with an outpatient haul-in clinic.
Meet The Miamitown Equine Team
Anna Hood, DVM, CVMMP - Practice Owner & Equine Veterinarian
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Dr. Hood enjoys providing dedicated care for her equine patients including chiropractic services, high quality dentistry, podiatry, lameness evaluation, and general medical and wellness care. Dr. Hood loves building relationships with her patients and clients, caring for them year after year, through their riding years and into retirement. Dr. Hood especially enjoys caring for senior horses and keeping them as healthy as possible in their golden years. Born and raised in Cincinnati, she is a lifelong Bengals fan (Who Dey!) and horsewoman. In her free time, Dr. Hood enjoys riding and showing her horse Jiggs, a sassy Connemara/Thoroughbred cross mare, and spending time with her husband, daughter, dog, and cat.
Dr. Hood is a graduate from Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine after also completing her B.S. degree in Animal Science at Purdue. Dr. Hood also attended the Integrative Veterinary Medical Institute and is certified in Equine Veterinary Medical Manipulation (equine chiropractic). Dr. Hood is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), and serves on the Practice Culture Subcommittee for the AAEP Equine Veterinary Sustainability Initiative.
Jamie Nickels, DVM - Equine Veterinarian
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Dr. Nickels has a special interest in sports medicine and lameness evaluation, but enjoys all aspects of general practice! She enjoys using diagnostic tools to get to the bottom of lameness cases, helping her patients return to comfort and soundness. Dr. Nickels grew up in the Cincinnati area, riding hunter/jumpers and in the Quarter Horse circuit, and has made her way back to her hometown. In her free time she likes to spend time with her family, garden, golf, and ride her two horses.
Dr. Nickels attended Ohio State for both her undergraduate degree and veterinary school. After veterinary school, she completed a year long internship at Woodside Equine Clinic in Virginia. There she gained additional knowledge and skills, spending half of her time learning about high quality general practice and the other half about hospitalized/referral surgical and medical cases. Following her internship, Dr. Nickels practiced in Eastern Ohio, where she worked with a variety of horses, including pleasure, performance, and working horses before joining our team here at Miamitown Equine. She is a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA).
Abby Wilgenbusch, RVT - Registered Veterinary Technician
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Abby is Dr. Hood's right hand woman! Not only does she streamline appointments and assist with medical procedures and surgeries, but she keeps the veterinarians safe while working on 1000+ lb. animals. If you've ever seen Abby in action, you understand why this place wouldn't run without her!
Abby grew up near St. Leon Indiana and graduated from UC Blue Ash as a Veterinary Technician in May of 2019. Growing up with farm animals and horses, she has always been passionate about caring for animals of all sizes. Abby started her career with Miamitown Equine in 2018 as a Registered Veterinary Technician and is a member of the American Association of Equine Veterinary Technicians & Assistants (AAEVT). In her free time, she enjoys trail riding, reading books, and spending time with family.
Jade Krimmer - Veterinary Assistant
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Jade works closely with the doctors on farm calls and in the clinic. She juggles lots of tasks with keeping everything organized, handling patients, and assisting with procedures - we are so glad to have her on our team! Jade is also a member of the American Association of Equine Veterinary Technicians and Assistants (AAEVT).
Jade instantly fell in love with horses once becoming involved in the horse world at age 18. She started out trail riding for fun, and is now also involved in showing. Working and training with Esser Valley Arabians grew her fascination with the competition side of the horse industry, and she is having a blast showing her half-Arabian Clara as well as trail riding with her other horses.
Lara Owens - Office Manager
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Lara keeps everything running smoothly! She makes sure our medical care team is organized and able to best care for our patients. She will also take care of anything you may need when you call or email us. Rest assured that you have a horse person who "gets it" on the other end of the phone line!
Lara grew up in Butler county, where she was an active member in 4-H and FFA, taking a special interest in equine care and management. She attended Morehead State University and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Agri-Business in 2019. While earning her degree, Lara competed on the IHSA collegiate horse show circuit and mentored fellow riders. In her free time, Lara enjoys hiking, sharing her love of horses with others, and spending time with her family and pets.