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About Heritage Equine
Dr. Chelsea Luedke, Veterinarian, Partner
Dr. Chelsea Luedke grew up in Parker, Colorado and her love of horses was encouraged from an early age. She was lucky enough to ride and compete to the top levels of both FEI Eventing and United States Pony Club. She attended Colorado State University for her Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine Degrees. During her time at CSU, she was actively involved in equine studies at the Orthopaedic Research Center which led to her interest in equine sports medicine. She then completed a 1 year internship at The Piedmont Equine Practice in The Plains, VA. She learned a vast array of equine clinical medicine during her internship, while building a strong foundation in her equine lameness diagnostics and therapeutics.
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Dr. Chelsea and her husband Dr. Bret then moved to southeastern Wisconsin to work for Elkhorn Veterinary Clinic where they learned a variety of equine medicine and furthered their clinical skills considerably. Dr. Chelsea continues to add to her knowledge of equine performance horses with advanced imaging courses and continuing education. They moved back to Colorado to be close to family, and have been enjoying being back in the area for the last 2 years. Dr. Chelsea is Acupuncture certified and loves treating a range of patients through holistic approaches. Dr. Chelsea spends her free time with her kids Brayden, Mason, and Adalyn, and eventing with her horses Larimar and Gosh.
Dr. Bret Luedke, Veterinarian, Partner
Dr. Bret Luedke grew up in Glenwood Springs, CO where he was exposed to veterinary medicine at a young age. Bret’s father, Dr. Dennis Luedke is a partner at Glenwood Veterinary Clinic, a multi-doctor equine surgical facility and his grandfather Dr. Albert Luedke was a research veterinarian. The experiences of growing up in a veterinary clinic drove Bret’s love of animals and led him to follow in their footsteps earning Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degrees at Colorado State University.
After graduating vet school he moved to Nampa, ID and completed a 1-year internship at Idaho Equine Hospital where he further developed his passion for equine lameness and medicine. Bret was able to apply and further expand his skills while working in Wisconsin for a few years before the mountains called him home. Bret and Chelsea spent a few years in Parker and then set up Heritage Equine in the Northern Front Range where they are happily settled to call home.
In his free time Bret enjoys spending time with his kids Brayden, Mason, and Adalyn and golfing, doing Cross Fit, hockey, and packing horses through the mountains.
Dr. Tom Pryor, Veterinarian
Dr. Tom Pryor was born and raised in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming on a working cow/calf ranch. From a young age he found joy in working with the various animals on the ranch, and the variety of horses his cowboy father and eventing mother brought home. He knew early on a career in veterinary medicine was the path for him.
After a meandering undergraduate career culminated in a degree in History, Tom moved to Colorado and received mentorship from Dr. Mark Fitch of Boulder, CO, while finishing his prerequisite coursework for veterinary school. Tom attended Colorado State University achieving both a Masters of Agriculture, and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees.
Following graduation, Tom joined Dr Fitch at Quality Equine Veterinary Services, working as an associate mobile equine veterinarian for 7 years. During that time he gained a plethora of experience in emergency medicine, equine behavior, and sports medicine. He is particularly interested in helping horse owners with difficult horses and providing compassionate and patient care for those needing a more nuanced approach.
In the summer of 2023, Tom began offering relief veterinary services to other equine veterinarians and travelled nationally. This venture took him from coast to coast treating horses across the country in every imaginable setting. He found fulfillment in helping other veterinarians and broadening his knowledge of equine medicine.
After a year of travel, Tom is excited to be back in the Front Range, joining the Heritage Equine team, and continuing to offer exemplary equine care to the clients and patients they serve. He is particularly excited to “work in the culture of passionate excellence Drs. Chelsea and Bret Luedke provide.”
When not “horsing around”, Tom is a devoted father of two and can be found pursuing the great outdoor experiences the Rocky Mountains provide, often outpaced on the trail by his kids. He enjoys working out, manicuring his lawn and trying to outdrive Dr. Bret on the golf course. He doesn’t dare challenge Dr. Chelsea’s golf acumen.
Elizabeth Livermore, Veterinary Assistant
Liz joined the Heritage Equine team in 2021 and loves learning and assisting Drs. Bret & Chelsea with various procedures! Liz graduated from the Rocky Mountain School of Animal Acupressure and Massage in 2019 with her Certification in Equine Massage and is currently pursuing her Masterson Method certification in equine bodywork. In her free time, she enjoys trail riding with her Appaloosa, Chip and her golden retriever, Aurora!
Dr. Lauren Luedke, Consulting Equine Surgeon
Dr. Lauren Luedke grew up in Glenwood Springs, Colorado where she spent much of her childhood riding in the mountains and competing in the quarter horse and reining circuits. She was immersed in veterinary medicine from the very beginning at her father’s practice, Glenwood Veterinary Clinic. She followed in her father’s and brother’s footsteps, attending Colorado State University for both her undergraduate degree and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine.
From Colorado, she moved west to Oakdale, California, completing an equine internship at Pioneer Equine Hospital; a practice with an intensive lameness and surgery caseload. Following her internship, she joined Cornell by way of Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists located on the backstretch of the Belmont Racetrack for a second internship, giving her a complete introduction to the Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing industries.
She was fortunate enough to stay with Cornell at their upstate location in Ithaca as a resident in large animal surgery. There she was involved in several research projects pertaining to upper airway disease and breakdown injuries in racehorses. Upon completing her surgical training at Cornell, she was very excited to stay on the East Coast as a surgeon with a special interest in sports medicine at Manor Equine Hospital for 2 years . After that, she accepted an Associate Professor Position at Colorado State University and was grateful to come back home to Colorado. She is delighted to be able to provide consultations for Heritage Equine's patients.
Testimonials
Dr. Chelsea and Dr. Bret are both warm, friendly and extremely knowledgeable and they take excellent care of each horse they are dealing with. They work to answer any and all questions and come up with the best plan of care for each horse they see.
- Shannon Maloney
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Dr. Bret is awesome. We are new to horses and he has been great about walking us through everything. We have a small animal clinic and we will be modeling our customer service after Heritage Equine. Absolutely amazing, will be recommending to everyone! Thanks again for the great service.
- Marvin Younger
Chelsea was my Vet in Illinois. It was ALWAYS my perception and experience that she practiced medicine with a deep unselfish love of her patients and immeasurable humility. That is how she cared for my horse. His long term happiness, comfort and wellbeing was her priority. And Bret displays the same character. Any horse in their care is blessed. - Muriel Pick
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