Dedicated to the health and well being of the horse
608-845-6006
Irongate Equine Clinic
Pat Griffin, DVM, PhD, DACT • Howard Ketover, DVM • Lisa Nesson, DVM
About Us
Pat Griffin, DVM, PhD, DACT Veterinarian/Partner
Dr. Pat Griffin is a native Coloradoan and earned his bachelor and veterinary degrees from Colorado State University. Subsequently, he received his Master’s degree and PhD in reproductive physiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During his graduate work, Dr. Griffin’s research focused on the interactions between the maternal environment and the embryo and fetus and he has published numerous scientific papers on this and other subjects. He gained board certification from the American College of Theriogenologists (Equine Reproduction) in 1993 and is an active member of numerous professional organizations involved in equine veterinary and reproductive medicine. Dr. Griffin has been in private practice for the last 20 years, specializing in equine reproduction, first in the Central Valley of California for 5 years and, subsequently, in Madison, Wisconsin for the last 15 years. Dr. Griffin’s professional and research interests are wide-ranging and include the assessment and management of the high-risk broodmare, as well as the development of objective methods for evaluation of stallion fertility. He has extensive experience in management of the problem broodmare, management of the mare for artificial insemination using cooled or frozen semen, embryo transfer, and the cryopreservation of stallion semen. In addition, he maintains a strong interest in lameness evaluation and therapy.
Howard Ketover, DVM
Veterinarian/Partner
Howard Ketover, DVM became involved in the horse industry in 1985. His passion for veterinary medicine followed shortly after when he first volunteered in the equine veterinary industry in 1993. Between then and his graduation from veterinary school in 2002, he volunteered and worked for six different veterinary hospitals and clinics throughout the nation, learning and functioning in various capacities of veterinary medicine and clinic development. Dr. Ketover received his Bachelors of Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. He has been practicing equine medicine in the south central portion of Wisconsin since 2002. In 2008, Dr. Ketover established Irongate Equine Clinic, an equine ambulatory veterinary service caring for the greater Madison area horse community. His professional interests include general equine care, lameness diagnosis and treatment, medical management of distance riding and driving horses and emergency rescue, care, and management for individual horses as well as multiple animal emergencies. Combining his passion for education and horses, he has been a volunteer speaker at 4H, FFA, and Wisconsin State Horse Council educational events. He has served as a veterinary control judge at Endurance rides and Combined Driving events, and served on regional and national Endurance committees. Dr. Ketover participated on the Wisconsin State Horse Council Board of Directors and served as Vice President in 2007. He is a member of the executive board of the Wisconsin Equine Practitioners Association from 2004 to 2009, and was honored to function as the association president in 2008. Dr. Ketover is also a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association.
Lisa Nesson, DVMVeterinarian/Partner
Dr. Nesson completed her veterinary training in Madison, graduating from the University of Wisconsin - School of Veterinary Medicine in 1994. Following graduation, she completed an internship in Equine Medicine and Surgery at Auburn University and a residency program in Large Animal Internal Medicine at the New York College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. Dr. Nesson has been practicing equine medicine in south central Wisconsin and northern Illinois for the past nine years prior to starting her practice, Crest Haven Equine Services, in the fall of 2008. Her professional interests include general equine care and client education, diagnosis and treatment of internal medicine disorders, dentistry, ophthalmology, reproduction and foal care. Dr. Nesson has also been involved in training equine veterinary technicians both in Oregon and Wisconsin. She has spoken to veterinarians, horse owner/breed groups and lectured at the Midwest Horse Fair. She was a member of the executive board of the Wisconsin Equine Practitioners Association from 2006 to 2009, and was honored to function as the association president in 2008. In her free time, she enjoys raising and showing American Saddlebred horses with her family throughout the upper Midwest.
Sarah Baumgartner
Office Manager
Sarah was raised on a dairy farm near New Glarus, WI. She received an Associate Degree in Ag-Business in 2003 from Southwest WI Technical College, and has since worked in a multiple areas of the agricultural industry. She began working in the equine veterinary administration field in 2008. Sarah has always had a love for horses and is thrilled to be able to partner her passion for horses with her work as a part of Irongate Equine Clinic Sarah is a member of the Wisconsin Veterinary Practice Manager Association.
Rita Tigert, CVT
Certified Veterinary Techinician
Rita was born and raised on a fifth generation dairy farm near Black Earth, WI. She enjoyed working on the family farm, but her true love was working with horses. Rita has owned horses since 1986. She received an Associate Degree in Equine Management in 1996 from Lakeshore Technical College. After school Rita worked at various horse farms and veterinary clinics in Wisconsin. In 2009 she received her certification to be a veterinary technician. Rita has worked in the veterinary field since 2000 and is a member of the American Association of Equine Veterinary Technicians.
Receptionist
Audi was raised in Cambridge, WI on a large horse farm. She has been actively involved in the horse industry since she was very young. She enjoys every aspect that horses bring into her life. She has been working in the veterinary field for over three years and plans to continue her education in the field of radiology. In her spare time, Audi enjoys spending time with her family, showing her Paint horses, and playing with her two dogs. She is very excited to be a part of Irongate Equine Clinic