The Midwest Equine Dental Academy instructors are skilled EqDT practitioners and veterinarians who welcome the opportunity to instruct our students.  Our hands-on environment and small instructor-to-student ratio provides individual attention.  Because of Dr. Hildebrand’s valuable relationship with horse owners in the area, our students are able to explore the dental requirements of several hundred live horses.  This gives students valuable experience while working alongside some of the best equine dentistry trainers available.

Ron Hildebrand, DVM

“Doc” is the founder of the Midwest Equine Dental Academy, which began in 2003.  After graduating from the University of Michigan as an undergrad, Doc joined the Peace Corps and worked as a Volunteer in Quito, Ecuador, in the early 1970’s.  After several years living with horses of all kinds, Doc’s interest in Veterinary Medicine led to him attending Virginia Tech to achieve his DVM.  As a practicing Veterinarian with special interest in Equine Medicine, Doc owned and operated the All Equine Clinic, the only practice in the area to specialize in horses only.  He soon saw the need for qualified Equine Dental Technicians in the Mid-Michigan area, where there are an estimated 35,000 horses.  As the Academy grew, the school began to attract horse-lovers wanting to pursue this career path from around the country and the world.  Watching this program grow over the years has been a source of satisfaction to Ron as he continues to provide a healthier life for horses everywhere.

Leah Reid, DVM

Once a student here at the Midwest Equine Dental Academy, and now a new addition to our team, Dr. Leah has come on board as an associate to Dr. Hildebrand.  A busy Veterinarian in a mixed animal medical center in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Leah comes to Mt. Pleasant twice a year to assist in teaching and apprenticeship work.  Leah grew up in the thumb of Michigan, where she developed her love for animals, particularly horses, very early in life.  She attended Northern Michigan University for undergraduate and graduate studies and received her DVM from Michigan State University in 2018.  Leah is passionate about all animal medicine but is most excited about prolonging horses’ lives through preventive dentistry.  The newest additions to Leah’s life are twins Marie Grace and Alice Rose, who will be accompanying her to future class sessions.

Starr Brown, EqDT

Starr was born and raised on her family farm in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, and graduated from Lamar Community College in Equine Business Management. She was on her college rodeo team, and in high school rodeoed in Michigan.  Then she competed in “National Little Britches Rodeo” in Kansas where she was a national qualifier.  A Lead Instructor here at the Midwest Equine Dental Academy, Starr always enjoys coming back to teach in the program.  A successful EqDT, she runs a busy practice called “Open Wide Equine Dentistry,” which is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and provides services throughout the Upper and Northern Lower Peninsulas of Michigan. Outside of dentistry she enjoys working with young horses.

Kendra Talley, EqDT

Kendra Talley was born and raised in Missouri, which is where she currently resides.  A Registered Nurse (RN) with Level III Certification for Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy for humans and animals, as well as a Certified Equine Sports Massage Therapist (CESMT) with a specialization in equine care, Kendra is also a Farrier AF-I and became an Equine Dental Technician (EqDT) at MEDA, Fall 2023.

Kendra’s business focuses primarily on donkeys at Peaceful Pastures Donkey Rescue, where she provides all farrier and dental technician services for 300 donkeys and for the general public.  As a life-long horse owner, Kendra is passionate about equine health and wellness, and she strives to provide top-notch care for all animals.  Kendra enjoys teaching and sharing her knowledge with students at the Midwest Equine Dental Academy.

Charlie Iddings, EqDT

While being raised with horses and other livestock on his grandparents’ farm, Charlie developed an interest in the horse industry; he has shown horses since 1983.  He enjoys helping others with their horses and educating people about the importance of equine dental care.   In addition to his practice as an EqDT, Charlie is a teacher’s aide working with mentally and physically challenged children, seeing valuable similarities with working with horses: patience, kindness, and learning all help to breach a language barrier and are necessary to form pathways to communication.  At age 61, Charlie came to the Midwest Equine Dental Academy and became an EqDT.  He now has a small client list and is adding to it every month.

Cody Smith, EqDT

A popular instructor, Cody takes a charming Southern approach to interactions with students and horse owners.  At home in Kentucky, Cody owns “C. S. Equine Dentistry,” a thriving one-person equine dentistry business.  He takes special interest in young horses, getting them started on a healthy course from a young age.  Cody’s knowledge about horses covers much more than dentistry, and he is always willing to point out and explain any aspects of horse ownership and care.

Brooklyn Bryson, EqDT

Born and raised in a small, rural town in Western Kentucky. Sam attended Oklahoma Horseshoeing school in 2019 with the idea of being able to shoe the horses my family owned. It grew into a business, and he pursued a full-time career as a blacksmith and farrier in 2022.  The area Sam lives in has very few farriers or dental technicians, so he decided to attend the Midwest Equine Dental Academy in May 2023 to further expand his business, “Iron Water Equine.”  Since attending the Academy, he has had the opportunity to work with many horses and clients, sharing the importance of proper dental health and hoof care.

Betsy Berriman, Administrative Assistant

Although not a horsewoman (yet), Betsy is the one who keeps the office part of the school up and running.  After being a professor at CMU for 30 years, she retired in 2020 to work with Doc at MEDA, where she is still able to help students become educated so they can achieve their goals.

.