The American Association of Equine Practitioners unreservedly denounces the racism and violence committed against Asian Americans. We steadfastly stand with the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and commit to supporting our members, who deserve to feel safe and respected. The AAEP is guided by its recognition of the inherent values of diversity, equity and inclusion, and created a task force to lead our efforts to promote mutual respect for all within the equine veterinary community, while recognizing the importance of embracing and valuing different backgrounds, attributes and lived experiences of those from diverse communities.

The AAEP’s Position on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Equine Practice states:

The AAEP recognizes the historical lack of diversity within the equine veterinary profession and the importance of representation, inclusion and mutual respect for our members and stakeholders to thrive. The AAEP commits to creating permanent structural change by providing education, resources and mechanisms for continual evolution of our leadership and membership to accurately reflect the society in which we live. The AAEP will lead the industry in facilitating improvements in representation, safety, respect, inclusion and equity to best serve equine industry communities of all backgrounds, identities and lived experience.

For more information about the AAEP's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force, visit https://aaep.org/about-aaep/diversity-equity-inclusion.

About AAEP

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its over 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.