Meet PBEC Intern Allison Hart

Allison Hart
Photo courtesy of Allison Hart

Originally from Little Egg Harbor, NJ, Allison Hart earned her undergraduate degree in Animal Science, with a minor in Equine Science, from Pennsylvania State University, then completed a doctoral degree at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. She joined Palm Beach Equine Clinic (PBEC) as an intern at the start of summer 2026.

What is your favorite part of working at PBEC?

What I enjoy most about working at Palm Beach Equine Clinic so far is the opportunity to learn from so many experienced and skilled clinicians.

Have you always known you wanted to be an equine veterinarian?

I have almost always known I wanted to be an equine veterinarian. There was a brief stint, as a child, when I wanted to be a paleontologist. I quickly realized that all the dinosaurs were extinct, and I couldn’t actually care for them, so back to horses it was!

What has your journey been like getting to this point?

I spent most of my childhood riding with my local 4-H group, showing at local shows, and competing with my hunt seat IEA team. I enjoyed dressage and the hunter/jumpers but eventually transitioned to the Quarter Horse circuit. Throughout high school and college, I competed in a variety of disciplines including hunter under saddle, hunt seat equitation, western pleasure, western horsemanship, showmanship, and halter. I knew that I wanted to turn my love for all disciplines of horses into a career.

At Penn State, I worked at the university’s Quarter Horse breeding facility as a live-in foaling attendant and assisted with colt starting. It was an unforgettable experience that developed my skills as a horseman and deepened my interest in medicine. During my time at Auburn, I greatly enjoyed my clinical rotations in equine ambulatory and internal medicine. Moving to Florida has given me the perfect opportunity to learn from highly skilled clinicians and to work alongside equally talented equine athletes. Being from up north, the warm weather is also a bonus!

What’s something you hope to learn or accomplish by the end of your internship?

The goal for my internship year is to develop my clinical decision-making and technical-proficiency skills so I can become a confident, autonomous practitioner.

What do you find most rewarding about working as an equine vet?

As an equine veterinarian, nothing is more rewarding than guiding a patient through recovery and seeing them return to full health with their loving family or back in the competition ring in top form. It is a privilege to watch your hospitalized patients steadily improve day by day.gh, and my daughter still rides in hunter/jumper divisions.

What do you do in your free time?

In my free time I love reading books, watching movies, spending time with my cats Olive and Popeye, crocheting, riding my horse, Riggs, and spending time outdoors, especially fishing, with my family and my partner, Nick.

Photo courtesy of Allison Hart