LEARNING THE ROPES

After finishing high school, Rob studied equine science at Colorado State University. He moved back to Texas to study with his future bride Laurie Jenschke at Texas A&M University where he entered veterinary school. During his undergraduate time, Rob met Keith Latson and they eventually became roommates and veterinary school colleagues. Rob and Keith spent their holidays and free time working for veterinarians at racetracks and developing a passion for the equine athlete. Rob and his wife Laurie moved to Ventura County, California to perform an internship at a private equine hospital. He was accepted into a residency program at the University of Florida, a school that is known as a pioneer in equine intensive care. Rob developed an interest in educating both veterinary students and animal enthusiasts during this period. The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine awarded Rob the status of Board Certified Specialist in large animal internal medicine in 2003. He went on to develop an intensive care unit at a well-known equine hospital in rural Victoria, Australia from 2003-2005 and traveled much of the country during this period. This time allowed for more enhanced world visions through cultural immersion. Rob treated many types of horses in Australia including Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds and the Australian Stockhorse. Rob and his wife moved back to practice in Ocala, Florida in 2005 where he was instrumental in establishing another new intensive care unit. His patients included Thoroughbreds, Paso Finos, and English sport horses. Rob became aware of nutritionally related problems with the horse that were not being addressed by commercial supplement companies. He also found that many companies were being market driven and not need driven, thus leaving their products to want for more credentials in the ingredients and design.

DOING GOOD

Rob and Keith connected again to begin to explore how they could develop compelling, medically sound animal supplements to treat their patients with a company that served not only the animals it was supplementing but, equally as important, the animals that required supplementation in dire circumstances. This led them to search for a way to share their veterinary education and expertise in a much more meaningful manner. Rob and Keith were able to begin using their first product, a probiotic digestive aid, in their own patients in 2010. The desire to do more for the horse through the initial successes of the company sent the two veterinarians to Mexico with the AAEP’s Equitarian Initiative, to perform much needed medical care on donkeys, horses and mules in very rural, impoverished villages through the Equitarian Initiative. They identified the core problem with these animals to be nutritional in nature. This trip inspired Rob and Keith beyond all of their other life experiences to engage in a crusade to meet the needs of the animals that meet the needs of their owners. Rob and Keith took their product and their desire to provide assistance to animals in need and started Animal Stewards International and with their marketing partner Rob Hendrickson, launched their first business, FullBucket Animal Nutritional Supplements. Dr. Rob and his partners continue to use this belief to focus FullBucket’s work in product development, customer service and patient care. Rob is married to his high school sweetheart, Laurie. They have two young girls, Bree and Colbie. Rob enjoys running, sailing, travel and church work to balance his life.

"As a board-certified equine specialist who has lived, practiced and traveled all over the world, I’ve developed a singular purpose in helping other people care for the animals that they depend on for physical labor, travel and companionship. Ethos is what drives FullBucket forward each day."  - Dr. Rob Franklin