From farm equipment to horse smiles:

On any given weekday, somewhere in North Texas, Josh Wallace is peeking into the mouth of a horse with a dental float in hand. 

For more than 20 years, the Whitesboro resident has made a living as an equine dentist, working on some of the most prestigious horses in the performance horse industry. But Wallace’s path to the profession didn’t begin in Texas. It started generations ago on a farm in Tennessee. 

Wallace grew up outside Gallatin, Tennessee, on land that has been in his family since 1776. Growing up there meant work started early.

“We were just all farm kids who worked hard every day,” Wallace said.

The lessons he learned on that farm would follow him through college and into his career. After graduating from high school, Wallace attended Western Kentucky University before transferring to Middle Tennessee State. There, he earned both a business and an education degree. 

After college, Wallace set his sights west. He headed to Oklahoma with the goal of working for Express Ranches, one of the largest ranch operations in the country. 

He didn’t know anyone and there was no job waiting for him. What he did have was confidence and a willingness to outwork everyone. 

During his interview with the ranch president, Jarold Callahan, Wallace made a promise that would change his life. 

“Callahan was upfront with me from the beginning and said he didn’t have any work that fit my qualifications. I told him that if you have a job on this ranch that needs to be done today, I’ll do it and outwork everyone that you got,” Wallace said. 

Callahan decided to test that claim. 

He led Wallace to the cattle barn filled with inches of deep manure and told him to clean it. 

“Callahan fully expected me to leave and quit,” he said. 

Wallace grabbed a shovel and went to work. Hours later, Callahan returned and the barn was spotless. 

Just like that, Wallace had his start as a ranch hand. 

While working on the ranch in Oklahoma, Wallace was surrounded by some of the greatest cowboys. The way they handled the cattle and their horse was unlike anything he had ever experienced. 

The more he learned, the more he understood how much knowledge he lacked when it came to training good horses and running a corporate ranch. 

“I truly found out how unqualified I was for this position,” he said. “The rest of the guys tolerated me because I was willing to work at it.” 

While working at Express Ranch, Wallace began noticing something many horse owners overlook. Dental problems could dramatically affect a horse’s performance. 

He started learning more about equine dentistry after working with a fellow horseman, Bobby Griswold, who specialized in the field. 

“I saw what he did and how it helped my horses,” he said. “I knew after a week, this was the deal.”

The more he learned, the more interested he became. 

Eventually, Wallace decided to attend equine dentistry school in Weatherford. This decision didn’t come without sacrifice. 

“I had to sell two of my best horses, my two trailers, my truck and even traded one of my saddles to help pay for school,” Wallace said. 

Even after scraping together enough to enroll, Wallace still couldn’t afford a place to stay during school. 

“I threw my bedroll out behind the barn,” he said. “When the weather got really bad, I’d stay in my trailer.” 

Other students in the program were doing the same, cooking meals over a campfire. They endured freezing winters and scorching summers, yet they were dedicated to learning the trade. 

After graduating, Wallace stayed connected to the school, using his education degree to help teach classes for new students while he began building his clientele.

During this time, he started traveling across the country working on horses. 

Eventually, Wallace realized he was spending so much time on the road that he was neglecting the growing clientele closer to home. 

Around the same time, he began working frequently in North Texas and decided to move to Whitesboro in 2006. 

Along with starting a business, Wallace also met his wife during this part of his career. Amy is a cardiac nurse who grew up near Anna. 

The couple married in 2009 and now have two children, Sydney and Levi.

Today, Wallace’s work schedule keeps him traveling across Texas to ranches and training facilities, where he typically works on eight to ten horses a day. 

Some of his clients are well-known trainers. Others are everyday horse owners, but Wallace says every horse deserves the same care. 

“My job doesn’t change depending on how much that horse is worth,” Wallace said. “To me, they are all the same.”

Whenever possible, Wallace brings his children along to experience the work firsthand. 

The family now uses their flexible school schedule to learn skills outside the classroom. 

“We try to get them around as many professionals as we can,” Wallace said. 

More than two decades after taking a chance on equine dentistry, Wallace says the relationships he has built mean the most. 

Some of his clients have been with him since the beginning. 

“It’s truly a blessing,” he said. 

Despite his success, Wallace’s value for hard work stays the same. 

“Number one, they have to work hard,” he said. “Hard work will make up for a lack of talent.” 

These lessons are rooted in his own upbringing on a Tennessee farm. Wallace believes that the same work ethic is the foundation for success, whether his kids pursue college, a trade or a business of their own. 

While Wallace spends most of his day working inside the barn, his influence reaches far beyond the ranch. 

Over the years, he has helped shape legislation policies dealing with equine dentistry in several states, including Texas and Oklahoma. 

Wallace has also traveled to Washington, D.C., where he testified before Congress and represented his profession on Capitol Hill. 

After two decades in the business, Wallace has worked on thousands of horses, many being world champions. Early in his career, those accomplishments felt like milestones. 

But over time, the excitement faded. 

“I got to the point where I wasn’t excited about work,” he said. 

During that time, Wallace turned to prayer, asking God for guidance. 

“God showed me that he gave me the talents, and I added the sweat to turn those talents into skills,” Wallace said. “Now I have the opportunity to use those skills to help His creation in the process.” 

From generations of farm kids to a ranch life in Oklahoma and finally a thriving business in North Texas, Wallace’s story has been shaped through determination and sacrifice. 

For many horse owners in the community, the man behind the dental float has become a hero and friend to all who encounter him.