PHOTO : sarah burke
food animal vets , but that ’ s what keeps your food safe . Equine is becoming the same way … fewer vets are going into it , and not many are staying in it . It ’ s easy to get hurt .”
She says most practitioners today go into small animal medicine or the FDA so they have a set schedule , don ’ t do emergencies , and have fewer risks of injury . American Veterinary Medical Association ( AVMA ) statistics support this — as of 2022 , 67.2 % of all United States ( U . S .) veterinarian clinical practices are designated for companion animals , while just 4.1 % are dedicated equine practices , and only 3.9 % are for food animals . The numbers are practically non-existent for wildlife ( 0.1 %) and lab animals ( 0 %).
Even though there are very real challenges to being an equine vet , it ’ s clear this is a calling for Dr . Newcomb . After having a successful farrier business , also with Dr . Broaddus , they both realized doing “ vet stuff ” was the most fun so they transitioned into that and haven ’ t looked back .
After practicing in several areas , Dr . Newcomb says she appreciates practicing equine medicine in Loudoun County because , “ people can take care of [ horses ] well … The clients that we have , the horses
and animals are really their family . When someone gets a horse around here , it ’ s a lifetime commitment , which is cool because we take care of them from the time they ’ re young and we ’ re still seeing them at 35 .” She briefly mentions how drastically different this can be in other areas , but throughout our conversation ( and I suspect life in general ), Dr . Newcomb tends to focus on the positive rather than dwell on the negative .
She talks fondly of her days with Dr . Broaddus in vet school at Virginia Tech (“ Everyone said they could ride horses . She was the only one who actually could !”), but maintains that before vet school , she didn ’ t care much for school in general . She spent the early part of her life in Washington , D . C . but her father , a government employee , enjoyed bringing his family around the world with him when he travelled . He always found ways of connecting their travels back to farming in some way , and during the 1960s , her family purchased land in Vienna to establish Potomac Vegetable Farms . The Purcellville location — a favorite of my family — was added as a joint venture with friends in the early 1970s .
From then on , she was more interested in helping out with the farm than attending traditional school . After her father ’ s passing , the family made a concerted effort to switch from standard fertilizers and herbicides to all organic . Their main strategy was and continues to be planting a diversified crop so there ’ s always something to feed people with , even if the weather is fickle .
When the doctors were first starting out , they received some wise words from a mentor : “ In equine medicine , I don ’ t have competitors , I have colleagues . Everyone has their territory and helps everyone else .” Since moving to this area , I ’ ve actually observed this philosophy in action throughout Loudoun County : the beautifully supportive relationships between farmers market vendors , neighbors helping neighbors , etc .
Something Dr . Newcomb says makes me realize that the generally supportive culture of this area has much to do with people having genuine enjoyment and appreciation in their lives : “ We ’ re very lucky because we love doing everything that we do . Of course , we love being equine veterinarians , but we also really enjoy raising chickens and running the store and the customers and neighbors that support us .” She and Dr . Broaddus have no plans to retire any time soon , “ because why would you stop doing what makes you happy , and makes other people happy as well ?”
The Bluemont General Store is open daily from 6:30 AM to 7:00 PM ( winter hours are shorter : 7:00 AM to 6:30 PM ). Broad Run Veterinary Service , Inc . can be reached at 703-554-2004 or via email . Potomac Vegetable Farms opens at both locations ( Vienna and Purcellville ) on May 28 , but it ’ s best to check the website to confirm exact availability .
Sarah Burke lives with her husband , son , and dog in Purcellville . A graduate of Virginia Tech and current government employee , she is passionate about the environment , history , and communications . When not working or trying to keep up with her young son , she can be found in the garden .
48 wander I spring • summer 2023