Great Lakes Equine is an exclusively equine veterinary clinic providing routine and emergency care for approximately 2,000 horses within a 150 mile radius. An 11,000 square foot clinic and hospital with surgical suite provides an exceptional atmosphere for more advance procedures and overnight medical cases. We are a progressive practice offering dentistry, sport horse medicine, lameness and performance evaluations, high-quality internal medicine, reproductive services, wellness care, and alternative medicine.
At Great Lakes Equine, our staff is dedicated to providing excellent customer service and compassionate equine care. They love what they do. They step in when and where they are needed. We are proud of who they are and the excellence they stand for.
Rob Blohowiak DVM, CVSMT is the owner of Great Lakes Equine. His special interests include veterinary chiropractic and acupuncture, performance enhancement, prepurchase examinations and wellness care. Dr. Rob raises and trains barrel racing horses and competes nationally. He and his wife, Mary, have three sons – Noah 16, Jonah 13 and Fin 9. The whole family enjoys an annual summer camping trip, swimming in their new pool and can often be heard belting out tunes from the latest broadway musical or stopping all activity for a family dance break. Dr. Rob looks forward providing the best in compassionate equine care for Northeastern Wisconsin.
Dr. Diederich joined Great Lakes Equine in January of 2012. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Following graduation, she was the first American to be accepted into the equine internship program at the École Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort (ENVA) in Paris France. While in France Dr. Diederich became proficient at musculoskeletal ultrasonography, learning from the most distinguished specialist in the world, Pr Jean-Marie Denoix. With her experience, Dr. Kate has advanced GLE’s lameness and diagnostic imaging. Dr. Kate and her husband, Ross, have 2 children. In her spare time, she and Ross enjoy spending time at the family cottage.
Dr. Adam is a 2007 graduate of The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine. He completed a surgical internship at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, KY, where he worked closely with top surgeons and internists. He continued to a sport horse/racetrack practice near Columbus, Ohio where he worked with farriers and veterinarians on foot-specific ailments. Thus, his focus on equine podiatry was born. Dr. Adam joined Great Lakes Equine in 2012 and continues to specialize in podiatry and lameness as well as general practice. In his free time, he enjoys fixing up his 1800’s farm with his wife and two young boys, with the assistance of their two dogs, four horses, and one cat.
Heather Thorn is our Practice Manager; she has been with Great Lakes Equine for 11 years. Heather graduated from UW River Falls with Bachelor of Science degrees in Animal Science (equine emphasis) and Broad Area Agriculture, she also has her Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree in Psychology (business emphasis) from UW River Falls. When Heather is not at work, she enjoys working on projects around their property in Iola, travelling the countryside and trout fishing with her husband Rob. Heather and Rob have a cat named Digger and a horse named Solveig. Solveig is a 22-year-old Norwegian Fjord.
Beth started at GLE in January of 2013. Beth is a 2012 graduate of Madison Area Technical College where she obtained her Associates in Applied Science Degree in Veterinary Technician and went on to pass her Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) to become a Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT). She has always had a love for horses and enjoys the work she is able to do with them at GLE. While not working with horses, she enjoys riding her own two horses Fidget (18) and Puma, her 7-year-old appendix quarter horse that she enjoys taking to speed shows and barrel racing. Other interests of hers are reading, snuggling with her cat Dipsy, watching movies and spending time with family and friends.
Kayla is a 2014 graduate of Madison Area Technical College where she obtained her Associates in Applied Science Degree in Veterinary Technician and went on and passed her Veterinary Technician BioNational Exam (VTNE). She is now a Certified Veterinary Technician. Kayla started at GLE in March 2014 after a summer internship. Kayla currently owns a Percheron/Friesian cross named Joe who she loves to take horse camping and go on trail rides with. Kayla also loves to sing and spend time with her 3-year-old Bassador, Sebastian.
Beth joins the GLE team as Administrative Assistant in June of 2017. She is a graduate of Concordia University with a Management and Communications Degree. With a passion for customer service, Beth looks forward to meeting clients and working close with the GLE doctors and team. Beth has been involved with horses for over 42 years and is actively involved with a local dog rescue. When Beth is not at work or busy with the rescue, she enjoys tending to her furry children at home: a 32-year-old TB, a 30-year-old QH, 2 sassy minis, 5 barn cats, 2 dogs, 2 foster dogs and 2 house cats.
Dr. Valerie is a 2017 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She grew up on a hobby farm in Northeast Wisconsin, and is excited to start her career in equine medicine with Great Lakes Equine Wellness Center. Her interests include equine dentistry, lameness, preventative medicine, and equitarian work. She has completed two equitarian trips to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and will be traveling to Costa Rica in 2018. In her free time Dr. Valerie enjoys spending time with her husband, horse, 2 dogs, and 3 cats.
