50 Years of Quality Service
Equine Veterinary Associates, Inc., is a multiple equine veterinarian ambulatory practice located in Orange County, California. The practice was established in 1978 and has been operating continuously for nearly five decades.
The current senior partner owned horses as a minor in the early days of EVA and was a client of the practice. Previously, EVA operated a full-service equine hospital in Yorba Linda, CA, and now focuses exclusively on field practice.
The veterinarians at Equine Veterinary Associates have the talent, expertise, and equipment to manage your equine health issues on site. We also offer several referral options to send your horse to one of the world-class hospitals in the area if needed.
EVA IN ACTION
RAVINE RESCUE OF THE SHEA CENTER HORSE, Chaco
On July 5th, 2021, Dr. Jacqueline Johnson (EVA Partner) and Dr. Danielle Keating (EVA Emergency Veterinarian) were at San Juan Capistrano Equestrian Center to ride their own horses when they received word of a horse who had spooked and gotten loose on a nearby trail. The horse had fallen on its back and had become dangerously wedged between the hillside and concrete slabs down in a ravine.
While neither veterinarian was on call at the time, the EVA doctors immediately responded to the emergency situation. Working quickly, they assessed Chaco, and begin to develop a plan with the Orange County Fire Department Heavy Rescue Team to free him from the ravine. Drs. Johnson and Keating closely monitored the horse while the fire crews removed debris and anesthetized him prior to securing the horse in a harness to be air-lifted out of the ravine by a skilled helicopter crew.
Once out of the ravine, the EVA veterinarians thoroughly assessed Chaco for injuries and monitored his recovery process from anesthesia. After Drs. Johnson and Keating recovered the horse from anesthesia, they were able to lead him to a trailer where he was transported to be further assessed at San Luis Rey Equine Hospital.
Miraculously, Chaco sustained only minor superficial injuries and was released from the hospital back to his home at The Shea Center – a therapeutic riding center in San Juan Capistrano. Thanks to the skilled and coordinated efforts between Dr. Johnson, Dr. Keating, the Orange County Fire Department, and the San Luis Rey Equine Hospital, Chaco returned to his job as a therapy horse for another year before retiring from his role.
OCFA TRAINING AT THE SHEA CENTER
In March 2025, Dr. Jacqueline Johnson and Dr. Danielle Keating took part in the 4th annual Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) large animal training, which is hosted by the Shea Center in San Juan Capistrano. Following the rescue of their horse, Chaco, in 2021, the Shea Center and OCFA recognized a need for more comprehensive training for the firefighters and first responders that take part in equine rescue.
The curriculum that has been developed includes a veterinary station that Drs. Johnson and Keating lead.
Firefighters learn not only how to interact with horses, but about navigating them through obstacles, trailers, how to utilize harnesses to lift horses via helicopter, and skills such as assessing a horse for vital parameters, bandaging, and how to keep both themselves and the horses safe during rescue operations.
EVA is grateful to help first responders with knowledge that keeps them safe as well as the horses we love and care for, and we consider it a privilege to share information about horses in emergency settings through this hands-on training at the Shea Center. The experiences we have had with OCFA continues to motivate us to participate in this training, and to share vital information with first responders.
