Dr. Stephanie Freese’s mobile veterinary clinic, Polaris Equine, provides on-site care, emergency response and community-centered equine services across eight central North Carolina counties
By Morgan Cartier Weston | Photography by John Michael Simpson
Long before she pulled on muddy boots and answered midnight emergency calls, Dr. Stephanie Freese was an animal-loving kid in Chapel Hill trying to decide what she wanted to be when she grew up.
“I was torn between a veterinarian, human doctor or jockey,” she laughs. “Turns out I wasn’t a very bold rider, so that last one didn’t pan out.”
She followed her aptitude for science instead. Stephanie earned her undergraduate degree from Colby College in Maine, then went on to veterinary school at Michigan State University before completing postdoctoral work in Illinois. Her career carried her around the globe, from practicing veterinary medicine in Australia to providing disaster relief across the Caribbean and Africa. But the pull of home eventually called her back. She returned to North Carolina in 2017 and launched Polaris Equine, her Pittsboro-based mobile veterinary practice, in January 2018.
She chose the name Polaris – the North Star – with intention. “It’s about guidance,” Stephanie says. “Being there for people and their animals when they need you most.” She lives that mission daily, whether she’s pulling a horse out of a riverbank, treating a routine lameness issue or reassuring a worried owner late at night.
What began as a one-doctor operation has evolved into a growing practice that now includes three doctors and 10 full-time employees. Stephanie works alongside Drs. Ashley Mercier and Grace Carpenter to deliver comprehensive equine care across eight counties. “We’re fully mobile,” Stephanie explains. “That’s the whole point. Horses don’t come to us – we go to them.”
That flexibility is essential in a field where patients can’t simply be loaded into a car and driven to a clinic. “Not every horse owner has a truck and trailer,” Stephanie says, “and even if they do, a sick or injured animal may not be willing – or able – to get on one. Bringing care to them instead, and quickly, is critical.” Polaris Equine provides everything from routine wellness checks to 24-hour emergency services, traveling as far as Sanford, Southern Pines, Asheboro, Fayetteville and beyond.
Large animal ambulatory medicine is not for the faint of heart. It’s physically demanding, unpredictable work, often performed in rain, mud and other less-than-ideal conditions. “It’s the industry with the highest burnout,” Stephanie admits. “Longer hours, less pay, difficult environments. But I love the challenge.”
And the challenges can be extraordinary: A horse stuck in the Deep River, requiring a coordinated rescue effort with multiple fire departments; a cow with its head wedged into the base of a tree; a cancer-stricken horse trapped chest-deep in mud, its tracheostomy site dangerously close to water as emergency crews worked to free it. “These are situations you can’t take to a hospital,” she says. “You have to go to the problem and solve it real time.”
Those dramatic cases are part of why Stephanie passionately advocates for the future of mobile equine medicine – especially as the profession faces shortages nationwide.
“More and more vets are choosing to practice on small animals,” she explains. “Primary care ambulatory vets are becoming harder to find. We’re one of the few practices still providing emergency services, even to non-clients.”
That commitment to her community is personal for Stephanie, whose roots in Chatham County run deep. Her parents, Pam Freese and Bob Freese, settled on a farm in Pittsboro after their retirement. Over the years, they became an unofficial support team for Polaris Equine.
“When I first started out and forgot something important on a farm call, I’d sneak around the corner and call my dad for help,” she says.
The practice also benefits from community partnerships with businesses like Pittsboro Feed, where clients can conveniently pick up medication refills if they’d rather stop by the store instead of opting for home delivery. “We’re incredibly lucky to have that kind of [support from] them,” Stephanie says.
When she’s not racing from farm to farm, Stephanie finds adventure elsewhere. An avid runner and endurance athlete, she competes in Spartan trifectas and practices bareback archery on horseback. Yes, archery. On horseback. “It fits my personality,” she says. “I like things that are a little challenging.”
At home, she shares life with her husband, Tyler Chaney, whom she married in October 2024, and her stepdaughter, Eden Chaney, 14. The family is preparing to welcome a baby girl this spring.
Stephanie also serves as chair of Chatham County’s Board of Health and is a vocal champion for the community. “Chatham has everything,” she says. “You can find culture and restaurants, or escape to Jordan Lake and wide-open country. There are people here who truly care about making this a special place to live.”
Stephanie says she never set out with the intention of owning a business; she simply wanted to be the best doctor she could and practice excellent care. But this experience has taught her that connections matter as much as technical skill. “What makes me a really good doctor isn’t just medicine,” she says. “It’s the relationships. We treat our clients like family.” Polaris Equine hosts an annual client appreciation party to celebrate those bonds – a reflection of the practice’s people-first philosophy.
She offers simple advice to young women considering a career in veterinary medicine or entrepreneurship: Don’t be afraid to try. “I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way,” she says. “But if something doesn’t go the way you planned, keep going. There’s always an opening on the other side.”
And as long as horses across Chatham County and beyond are in need, Dr. Stephanie and the Polaris Equine team will be on the road and ready to help.
