If you’ve been around the Western performance horse world or the barrel racing circuit over the last decade, you’ve definitely heard the name. Dr Josh Harvey DVM was the guy. The vet who didn’t just treat horses but seemed to understand the mechanics of a high-level athlete better than almost anyone else in the industry. His clinic, Outlaw Equine Hospital and Rehab Center in Decatur, Texas, became a kind of Mecca for people with six-figure horses that needed to stay sound.
But then, things got messy. Really messy.
Honestly, the shift from "industry innovator" to "cautionary tale" happened fast, though looking back at the legal records, the red flags were popping up long before the headlines hit. If you’re looking for the simple version of why his name is all over the news in 2025 and 2026, it’s not just one thing. It’s a perfect storm of a massive disease outbreak, serious board violations, and personal legal trouble that fundamentally changed how a lot of people view veterinary oversight.
The Rise of Outlaw Equine
Josh Harvey didn’t start at the top. Originally from Florida, he got his degree from Auburn University and started practicing around 2006. By 2007, he’d established Outlaw Equine (OE). He wasn’t just a "country vet." He was building a brand. He launched the #OETour, taking mobile veterinary services across the country. He was licensed in over a dozen states, from Arizona to North Carolina.
The appeal was simple. He offered high-tech rehab—underwater treadmills, cold salt-water spas, and advanced sports medicine. For a while, he was the hero of the rodeo world.
The EIA Outbreak That Changed Everything
Everything started to unravel because of something called Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA). You might know it as "swamp fever." It’s a blood-borne disease with no cure and no vaccine. In the horse world, an EIA-positive test is basically a death sentence because of the strict quarantine or euthanasia requirements.
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Between May and August 2024, a nightmare scenario unfolded. Horses that had been patients at Outlaw Equine started testing positive for EIA.
Investigations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners (TBVME) eventually linked the outbreak back to the clinic. The findings were pretty gut-wrenching for the owners involved: 21 horses ended up being euthanized. The source? The board’s investigation pointed to basic biosecurity failures, specifically the reuse of syringes and the contamination of heparinized saline bottles in the clinic’s Intensive Care Unit.
When you’re paying for elite care, you assume the needles are fresh. The board's findings suggested otherwise.
The Five-Year Suspension and Legal Fallout
By July 1, 2025, the TBVME had seen enough. They issued a temporary suspension of Harvey’s license, calling his continued practice an "imminent threat to the public welfare." But the EIA outbreak was just the tip of the iceberg.
The board’s report, which grew to include over 28 separate violations, painted a picture of a practice that had gone off the rails. Here’s a look at what was actually in those documents:
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- Drug Mismanagement: Huge variances in controlled substance logs and the alleged use of fraudulent prescriptions for Stanozolol (an anabolic steroid) to treat horses other than those named on the scripts.
- Unlicensed Practice: Allowing an unlicensed individual to perform surgeries and sign off on official documents while Harvey listed himself as the attending vet.
- Safety Lapses: A 2025 incident where a horse was mistakenly given an intravenous injection of penicillin, causing immediate seizures.
- Criminal Allegations: Reports of physical and sexual assault involving former employees, including an on-site arrest in May 2025.
In late 2025, the board finally landed on a decision. It wasn’t a permanent ban, which actually upset some board members who felt the punishment was too light. In a 5-4 vote, they handed down a five-year suspension.
It’s a "probated" suspension for the most part, but with a very heavy catch. He is barred from practicing or even supervising anyone until February 15, 2026. After that, if he wants to work, he’s under a microscope: weekly reports, "immediate" supervision for the first few months, and his practice is restricted solely to the Decatur clinic for a set period. He was also hit with a $150,000 administrative penalty.
Why People Are Still Divided
You’d think after 21 dead horses and a mountain of drug violations, the support would vanish. It didn’t.
If you go on social media, you’ll see two very different versions of Dr Josh Harvey DVM. One side sees a man who worked 20-hour days, saved horses no one else could, and became a victim of a "witch hunt" because he was too successful. They argue that in the high-stakes world of performance horses, every vet bends rules to get animals back in the pen.
The other side—mostly the owners of the euthanized horses and former employees—sees a pattern of "gross malpractice" and "dishonest practices." They point to his prior disciplinary history in Kansas and Arkansas as proof that this wasn't just one bad mistake, but a lifestyle of cutting corners.
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What This Means for You (and Your Horse)
Regardless of where you stand on Harvey himself, this case has been a massive wake-up call for the industry. It’s forced a lot of owners to ask harder questions of their veterinarians.
Watch the "VCPR": A Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship isn't just a legal term. If a vet is prescribing meds without seeing your horse or keeping a real file, that’s a red flag. The Harvey case showed how easily drug logs can be manipulated when this relationship is ignored.
Verify Licenses: It sounds crazy, but you can actually check if your vet (or the associate they hired) is licensed in your state. Most state boards have a public search tool. In the Outlaw Equine case, an unlicensed individual was reportedly performing surgeries.
Biosecurity is Boring but Vital: We focus on the fancy lasers and the treadmills, but the most important thing a clinic does is keep things clean. If you see "double-dipping" or messy workspaces in an ICU, it doesn't matter how good the surgeon is.
The Next Steps:
If you have a horse currently in training or needing medical care, your best move is to be your own advocate. Don't be afraid to ask to see the facility's biosecurity protocols. Check the TBVME (or your local equivalent) website for any "Agreed Orders" or past disciplinary actions against a clinic before you drop off a high-value animal.
As for Dr Josh Harvey, his enforced suspension is wrapping up in early 2026, but the five-year "probated" period means the state of Texas will be watching every move he makes at Outlaw Equine for a long time. The clinic remains open with other staff, but the "Outlaw" brand has a much more literal meaning than it used to.