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Style Magazine

Get to Know...Jerry Pocan

Feb 26, 2010 03:52AM ● By Wendy Sipple

Photo by Dante Fontana

When Jerry Pocan decided to take on a retirement career at the age of 60, he decided to go whole hog – or rather, whole horse.

When one of his horses needed the services of an equine dentist, he became fascinated with the practice. He went to one of only three equine dental schools in the world to study, and he has been making horse mouths more comfortable for the past 10 years.
Because horses’ teeth grow constantly (like rabbits), and due to the way the domesticated horse is fed in contrast to living in the wild, their teeth need to be filed down once a year – the practice is called floating – to keep them comfortable and healthy. Sometimes, more involved procedures like root canals are required. If a horse is unable to chew properly, they can develop digestive problems and lose drastic amounts of weight or even die.

“It’s an interesting field, and one that’s not well known,” Pocan says. In fact, there are very few equine dentists. “It’s a great job,” he adds. Pocan enjoys helping horses, as well as traveling throughout California to educate owners on proper care of their horses. He works alongside horse trainers and veterinarians to ensure the best care for his patients. Pocan also collaborates with and donates to local equine organizations like Ride & Shine, and the Middle California Region of United States Pony Clubs, not only to ensure area horses are healthy but also to stay connected with horse owners.


For more about Jerry Pocan, and other local happenings and information, be sure to pick up this month's copy of Style – El Dorado County Foothills edition. Click on the Get Your Copy link on this Web site for some of our newsstand locations; click on the Subscribe link on this Web site to become a regular subscriber, or to order a copy of this issue or one of our back issues, please email  [email protected], or call 916-988-9888.