Dr. John B. Martin, Jr., is a retired country doctor from South Carolina. He grew up on the family’s cattle farm with four sisters and two brothers then went to the Medical University of South Carolina. He worked as an Army doctor, stationed in Japan. When he returned to the US, he moved back to the family farm.

In his practice, he made house calls, always wore cowboy boots and carried a black doctor’s bag. He converted the family cattle farm to a horse ranch breeding and showing quarter horses. An entire room in his home was filled with hundreds of trophies and ribbons. Martin had as many as 60 horses when he retired after 24 years in medicine. Now at age 88 Martin is in hospice care.

On March 25, Martin received two special visitors when two horses from Smiling Horse Farm made their own house call. Amy Nichols brought her two horses to Providence Care Hospice as part of its Best Day Program. Martin’s birthday is April 5, so their visit served as an early birthday present. Unable to carry on long conversations, Martin hummed Amazing Grace and fed the horses carrots.

Happy Birthday Dr. Martin!