Our Veterinarians
Practice Owner
DR. CHAD HEWLETT
Practice Owner & Veterinarian
There would be no Energy Equine without Dr. Chad Hewlett. Dr. Hewlett was born and raised in Iowa and graduated from Iowa's Wesleyan College with a Bachelor of Science with Honours and then followed with his DVM in Iowa State University. His post-graduate internship was spent at the Ontario Veterinary College where he specialized in Equine Surgery Medicine. His next move was to Calgary, Alberta, where he worked for Moore Equine Veterinary Centre. At Moore’s he gained an incredible knowledge of the equine athlete, and began to focus on lameness. Chad's interest brought him to famous lameness veterinarian, David McCarrol, at Interstate Equine in Goldsby, Oklahoma. Once again returning to Calgary in 2006, and after the successful completion of a post-doctorate IVAS certification in Veterinary Acupuncture, Chad started his own ambulatory practice, Energy Equine. Dr. Hewlett has a special interest in performance horse soundness and locomotion and is known for treating some of the top performance horses in the country.
Equine Surgery Specialist
DR. JASE SKELTON
Veterinarian & Surgeon
Dr. Jase Skelton is a board certified large animal surgeon. He was born and raised in southern Alberta and graduated with distinction from the University of Calgary in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science degree followed by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Upon graduation he completed an internship at Pioneer Equine Hospital in Oakdale, California followed by a three-year residency and master’s degree in large animal surgery at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine in Indiana. After Indiana he then moved to Texas where he completed a one-year sports medicine fellowship with Equine Athlete Veterinary Services before working as an associate surgeon for two years. His work carried him across the USA working on performance horses at regional and national horse shows. During his time in Texas he would travel to Michigan to perform surgeries for Michigan Equine Surgical Associates. In 2021 Dr. Skelton became board certified in large animal surgery and is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. His professional interests lie in orthopedic surgery, arthroscopy, lameness and diagnostic imaging. He is excited to be back home in Canada and is looking forward to expanding the surgical services offered at Energy Equine Veterinary Services.
Associate Veterinarians
DR. BECKY TEES
Veterinarian
Dr. Becky Tees joined Energy Equine as an associate veterinarian in July of 2019. Originally raised on her family’s cattle ranch near Cranbrook, BC, she obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Calgary in 2018. Following graduation, she completed a one-year internship at Pioneer Equine Hospital in Oakdale, California. Dr. Tees’ professional interests include lameness, surgery, and diagnostic imaging. Dr. Tees currently sits on the Performance Horse Committee for the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and is on the Equine Advisory Committee for the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (AbVMA). Outside of work, Becky and her husband, Steve, have a working ranch and hay sales operation near Cochrane, AB and have a little boy named Thane.
DR. TRAVIS KELTER
Veterinarian
Dr. Travis Kelter was born and raised in Cochrane, Alberta and comes from a family of animal-lovers and outdoorsmen. He graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2017 and joined the Energy Equine team shortly thereafter. Dr. Kelter has an infectious enthusiasm and is known for his deep level of attention to both his clients, and the horses he cares for. He has his certification in chiropractics through the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association and has a special interest in lameness, digestive health and a whole-horse approach to the equine athlete.
DR. ANDREA SMITH
Veterinarian
Dr. Andrea Smith grew up in Saskatoon and was drawn to veterinary medicine because she truly enjoys working with people and their animals. Dr. Smith enjoys riding and barrel racing in her spare time, so it makes perfect sense that she would choose to pursue equine medicine. She first starting working for Energy Equine as a summer student over five years ago and we are exceptionally proud to be a part of her journey to become a veterinarian. She graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020 and joined us as a veterinarian shortly thereafter. She was drawn to Energy Equine because of the great team atmosphere and team approach mentality.
DR. AMANDA GACIOCH
Veterinarian
Dr. Amanda Gacioch grew up in Belvidere, Illinois, and studied at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, for undergrad and vet school. Following graduation Amanda moved to the Great White North and worked as a mixed animal veterinarian in Saskatchewan. However, her passion for horses drove her to focus on a career in the equine field, bringing her to Energy Equine in January of 2022. She spent a year in a mentorship program with Dr. Chad Hewlett honing her skills before being released into the wild, now practicing on her own. Within the veterinary industry her interests include lameness, helping high performance horses reach their potential with maintenance and preventative medicine, and reproduction. Personally, she loves to ride and has been involved in reined cow horse, though recently she caught the team roping bug. On the weekends you can find her adventuring in the mountains, traveling back to the US to visit friends and family, and/or hanging out with her dogs. She asked that we be sure to include that her dog, Lucca, is the most perfect dog being in the universe having traveled all over the USA and Canada as her trusty sidekick since 2016. In the future, Amanda hopes to continue developing her skillset in sports medicine, eventually branching out into more reproduction and neonatal care.
DR. BAILEY SMITH
Veterinarian
Dr. Bailey Smith grew up in the area of what is now the Synergy Equine location. Her family raised Quarter Horses and Hanoverians. She has been involved in equine competition from hunter jumpers to polo to cutting, however she has been most active in barrel racing, competing in high school, collegiate and amateur rodeos and jackpots. Dr. Smith graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at the University of Alberta and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Calgary. She completed a one-year internship in equine medicine and surgery at Moore Equine followed by a two-year sports medicine fellowship with Equine Athlete Veterinary Services in Michigan. She stayed on as an associate for another 4 years, moving to the Texas division and continued to travel to barns and horse shows across the country servicing client horses and preparing them for competition. Her professional interests include lameness, sports medicine, and rehabilitation. She is thrilled to be back home in Alberta and cannot wait to get back into the local horse community. When not working, Dr. Smith enjoys riding and competing with her own horses and Dr. Skelton enjoys spending time outdoors, both enjoy spending time with their family.
Intern Veterinarian
DR. CAROLINE BUDZIAK
Intern Veterinarian
Dr. Caroline Budziak comes from Ontario where she received her Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Guelph and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Ontario Veterinary College. She first crossed paths with Energy Equine as a summer student and it was during this time she realized her desire to contribute to the teams driven and collaborative dynamic. Dr. Budziak has special interests in diagnostic imaging and lameness and draws inspiration from her professional background in dance to foster her passion for athletes - helping both horses and their people perform at their best. She does, however, truly love the all-encompassing role of a general practitioner and providing care to a diverse range of cases! Caroline is excited to strengthen her practice alongside the remarkable veterinarians and staff at Energy this year. When not working, you can find her playing volleyball, riding, and travelling at any opportunity she gets.