Social media moves deeper into equine client communication

Social media is getting more formal recognition as a client communication tool in equine practice. In coverage published March 13, 2026, EquiManagement highlighted a presentation by Mike Pownall, DVM, MBA, on how veterinary teams can use social platforms to build client loyalty and strengthen brand identity. The topic was part of the 2025 AAEP Convention program, where Pownall presented “The Effective Use of Social Media for Client Communication in Equine Veterinary Practice” on December 9, 2025. (equimanagement.com)

The idea itself isn’t new for equine medicine, but the framing has matured. Pownall has been speaking publicly on social media and equine practice management for years, and earlier coverage from dvm360 described his long-running message that social platforms can improve visibility, trust, and profitability when used strategically. More recent AAHA guidance has broadened that view across companion animal practice, arguing that social media now supports not only promotion, but also relationship-building, recruitment, education, and client retention. (vlearn.vet)

That broader context helps explain why this topic is landing in a misinformation news category. Veterinary teams are no longer using social media simply to announce hours or share photos. They’re also correcting misunderstandings, answering questions shaped by online forums, and reinforcing professional recommendations in public-facing spaces. AAHA has described social media as a key part of fostering trust and staying connected with clients, while AAEP’s telehealth position underscores that digital communication can support owner communication but does not replace the need for a valid veterinary-client-patient relationship. (aaha.org)

EquiManagement’s social media coverage suggests this is becoming a sustained editorial and operational theme, not a one-off conference takeaway. Its social media archive shows a steady drumbeat of practice-management content, including “AAEP Business Coverage: The Growing Role of Social Media in Veterinary Practice” in 2024, “Social Media Use for Client Communication” in March 2026, and “Tips to Help Equine Veterinary Practices Manage Online Reputations” later that same month. Taken together, that points to an industry conversation that is shifting from whether practices should be active online to how they should do it well. That’s an inference based on EquiManagement’s publication pattern and the parallel guidance from AAHA. (equimanagement.com)

Expert commentary elsewhere in veterinary media reinforces the same operational concerns. AAHA has advised practices to treat social strategy as intentional, measurable work, including tracking referral sources and using internal tools to coordinate content. It has also published guidance on handling online negativity, with experts arguing that the answer is not retreat from social media, but clearer processes for monitoring comments, responding to legitimate complaints, and addressing false or abusive content. Those recommendations matter because social channels increasingly shape how pet parents judge credibility before they ever call the clinic. (aaha.org)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this story is really about communication infrastructure. A practice’s Facebook page, Instagram account, or other public-facing channel can now influence compliance, client expectations, and reputation as much as traditional front-desk interactions do. In equine practice especially, where logistics, follow-up, and client education can be complex, consistent digital messaging may help reinforce trust and reduce confusion, but only if teams define who posts, what belongs online, and when a conversation needs to move offline into a proper clinical channel. AAEP’s telehealth guidance is a useful guardrail here: digital communication can support care, but it can’t establish a VCPR by itself. (aaep.org)

What to watch: The next phase is likely to be less about platform choice and more about governance, including written social media policies, staff training, escalation pathways for misinformation or complaints, and clearer separation between educational content and case-specific medical advice. If that happens, social media will look less like marketing on the side and more like a managed extension of client service. That forward-looking view is an inference drawn from current AAHA and EquiManagement practice-management coverage. (aaha.org)