International Equine Veterinarian Hall of Fame member Dr. Robert Hunt of Lexington, Ky., passed away Oct. 9, 2025, after battling cancer.

Hunt, a practicing surgeon at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky., since 1992, long had a keen interest in the equine foot. He treated some of the top racehorses and stallions over his career, including Arrogate, Gone West, Unbridled and Uncle Mo.

Hunt has done considerable research and speaking on foal care, palmar foot pain, laminitis and a number of other hoof-related problems. His practice at Hagyard included soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, lameness and performance evaluations, nuclear imaging, assessment and conformational deviation corrections.  He is an author of several research papers and numerous articles published in a wide range of equine magazines, including American Farriers Journal.

He was dedicated to his work as a veterinarian, continuing work through the week leading up to his passing.

“He has his place in the pantheon of equine veterinarians,” Dr. Luke Fallon, a fellow Hagyard veterinarian, told Blood Horse. “He was an amazing man, loved his horses and his clients, loved his racing, loved to ride. As my parents would have called him, he was a classic ‘hardboot’ in every sense of the word and in all the good ways.”

Dr. Robert Hunt authored many re­search papers and articles that appeared in a wide range of equine magazines, including American Farriers Journal. American Farriers Journal

Hunt graduated from the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1984. He served at…