Some people call Dr. Larry Horstman ‘Doc’ because he is a veterinarian. Others call him Doc because he is a teacher. For others, it is a term of endearment.

“Doc Horstman is our veterinarian, but he is more than that,” says Steve Nichols, Delphi, Ind. “He mentored many of the large-animal veterinarians practicing now in Indiana. His specialty is reproduction, but we look to him for advice on a wide range of topics. More than that, he is a friend.”

Horstman, West Lafayette, Ind., prefers staying low key, keeping with his humble roots.

“I grew up near St. Leon, and when I was 10, we were having a bad day,” Horstman recalls. “We had a cow in trouble, and I watched our veterinarian intently. That started my interest in becoming a veterinarian.”

Horstman finished Purdue vet school in 1974. He and his wife, Jane, moved to Jennings County, Ind., and he joined an established practice.

“That was one of the best things I could have done,” Horstman recalls. “Bob Rigney and the late Max Joseph were good veterinarians, but they were even better mentors. Everyone needs a place to begin.

“It was a mixed practice, with large animals and small animals,” he explains. “Working with cattle appealed to me the most.”

Teaching time

In 1978, Horstman joined the faculty at Purdue. “Clients of the Purdue Vet Clinic included some of the best livestock people around,” he says. “I traveled the countryside, working on excellent animals and teaching students at the same time.

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“Some of the best teaching was in the truck coming home,” he reflects. “I quizzed students and made sure they understood why we did what we did.”

While at Purdue, Horstman taught courses on animal reproduction. The best part, he says, was applying concepts on real farms with future veterinarians.

“I had great mentors at the Purdue vet school,” he says. “It was my pleasure to take that knowledge and work with students.”

Next chapter

Horstman stepped away from Purdue in 2014. But he didn’t step away from teaching or veterinary medicine. Most of the crew working with cattle on the farm he and his son Joe operate are young people. “It’s great when they come here, work and learn,” he explains.

Horstman implants embryos in his own cattle and for clients.

“July 1, 2024, marks 50 years in practice,” he says, smiling. “That is an achievement I look forward to reaching.”

FAMOUS CALENDAR: Dr. Larry Horstman was the reason why Purdue’s 25th anniversary vet school calendar featured himself and students working with a beef calf.

Sticking up for cattle

“I received a save-the-date postcard for the 25th anniversary celebration of the [Purdue] vet school,” Horstman says. “There was a picture of pigs, dogs, sheep, llamas, but no cows.

“Jack Stockton was dean, and I let him know that seemed peculiar. He didn’t say much. Soon, I got a note asking me to go to one of the Purdue farms at a set time with a couple of students.

“I didn’t know what was up, but I took a couple of students, Randy Bush and Nancy Guenther, along with me. That’s how our picture ended up on the 25th anniversary calendar working with a calf!”