Dr Dietrich Graf von Schweinitz
DVM BSc MRCVS
Certified Vet Acupuncturist (IVAS)

A University of Georgia DVM graduate in 1982, Dietrich first practiced in Maryland
and moved to the UK founding an equine practice in 1989. His acupuncture interest
began in the USA and he gained International Vet. Acupuncture Society (IVAS)
certificate in 1998. He’s a Past President of the Association of British Veterinary
Acupuncturists and its Education Director running courses training vets for 25 years.
He also is a contributor for the IVAS Course, and the Royal Vet College webinar
series in Equine Pain Management. His focus is in research / evidenced based
medical acupuncture. He also runs a referral acupuncture practice.
He published pioneering research into the thermographic monitoring of chronic back
pain cases and acupuncture responses, needle electromyographic recordings of
myofascial trigger points in horses ( Vet Clinics of NA, Equine Practice 1999 &
Acupuncture in Medicine 2006) and authored “Electro-acupuncture for nerve injury in
the horse” in EquVetEduc (EVE) 2014, and “Acupuncture for pain control” in
Robinson & Sprayberry’s Current Therapy in Equine Medicine, 7th ed. More recently
co-authored Acupuncture for the treatment of postoperative reflux in horses (Colic
Symposium proceedings 2024); Electroacupuncture for suspected trigeminal
mediated head-shaking (EVE 2025).
 
His topics of interest as a speaker on HP 13 include acupuncture in post op ileus,
trigeminal mediated head-shaking, acupuncture effects on the limbic system, pain
and in pain recognition in horses.
The bike interest was early as a university student with British Classics: a Triumph
Bonneville, then a Norton Commando and once the vet career and a family started
that party came to an end – only to be revived during the great mid life crisis! Dietrich
joined the tour for HP5 and has been addicted ever since to the HP camaraderie and
its causes.
Dietrich rides a ’71 Commando 850 in good weather and a BMW 1200RT in any
weather.