Welcome to

Denali Equine

A Functional Medicine Practice

Looking Beyond the Limbs to Understand the Whole Horse.

equestrian competition

Unsoundness, body lameness, behavioral and performance issues rarely start where they show up. They are often the result of deeper imbalances within the body—such as compensation patterns, neurological input, soft-tissue dysfunction, or systemic stress. Our job is to find the why, not just treat the where.

At Denali Equine, we take a Functional, whole-body approach to equine care. By combining advanced diagnostics with a comprehensive evaluation of movement, posture, and internal health, we identify the root causes of dysfunction and address them before they become limiting.

In addition to our multi-skilled veterinarians, our team includes farriers and rehabilitation professionals, allowing us to offer you a comprehensive team. Through proactive care and early intervention, we help horses stay comfortable, perform consistently, and sustain longer, healthier careers.

Functional Medicine

Meet The Team

Body Soundness

Body Rehabilitation

Podiatry

Why Clients Love Us

Don’t just take our word for it – hear from our happy clients.

“Dr Workman has been such a breath of fresh air for not only our clients horses, but our industry as a whole. We love her approach of thinking outside of the box, and not just doing the things that have always been done in our industry for the sake of doing them. The idea of treating these show horses as the athletes we expect them to be is so refreshing, and has been so great for our horses. Not only is Dr Workman fantastic with treating our horses, she is also great at explaining to us and our clients the biomechanics behind what she is doing. We owe so much of our horse’s success to Dr Workman- and truly can’t say enough great things about her.”
Miller Quarter Horses Keith & Sydney MillerAQHA & NSBA High Point Rider, Judge Quarter Million Dollar Club Rider

“Dr. Kate Workman and the entire staff at Denali are wonderful! My sport horse had an injury that I believe no one else would have been able to diagnose or even notice since he wasn’t “lame”. They took wonderful care of him and developed a full rehab plan for us. He is back out competing feeling better than ever! I’m so appreciative of Denali Equine!!!”
Lisa ChanEventer

“Dr Kate Workman has been a huge part of my program for the last four years. I have a small boutique import business and I compete in the upper levels of Show Jumping and Eventing. Dr Workman has an incredible eye to be able to see the entire picture of body mechanics. Every one of my horses see Dr Kate as soon as they arrive to talk about their strengths and weaknesses so that I’m able to train them to the best of their abilities. Dr Kate is also a rider and is able to communicate what I can fix under saddle and where she can help me help them. Denali Equine, Dr Kate and the rehab facility, is a huge part of my program and I would not have the success I have without them.”
Maya StuddamundProfessional Equestrian Sales and Training

Woman with a horse

Located in Vass, NC, we work with clients near and far, offering both in-house and on-site services.

Our patients and owners are often those who don’t fit the traditional mold. Whether your horse is already struggling or you’re working to prevent issues before they start, the goal is the same:

To understand the horse as a complete system and support true, lasting soundness.

The Horse That Doesn’t Fit a Box

These are the horses that are not clearly lame, yet are not performing, behaving, or feeling as they should.

They may be:

Inconsistent under saddle
Resistant, reactive, or unpredictable
Labeled as “difficult” or “just quirky”
Dealing with ongoing or shifting issues without clear answers

Often, these horses have been evaluated multiple times, but the root cause has not been identified. They require a deeper, more comprehensive approach to truly understand what is going on.

The Owner/Trainer Focused on Prevention

We also work with riders and owners who want to stay ahead of problems—not chase them.

These clients are focused on:

Maintaining long-term soundness
Optimizing performance
Identifying subtle imbalances before they become injuries
Supporting their horse’s body through training, competition, and aging

By taking a proactive, whole-horse approach, we can often identify and address dysfunction early—before it becomes limiting or career-ending.