Dr. Daniels was born in December of 1967 in Medicine Lodge, Kansas. He was raised in Beloit, a small farming community in north central Kansas, by a family with a strong background in Thoroughbred racing. His father is the manager of an agricultural finance service and his mother is a high school teacher of 30+ years. In 1987, Dr. Daniels began his undergraduate education at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. Prior to completing his undergraduate degree in animal science, he was granted early admission into the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn; he eagerly accepted and enrolled in 1990. During his four-year tenure as a veterinary student, Doug received numerous scholarships and awards for his academic and diagnostic excellence in equine medicine. He became a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1993 when he graduated Cum Laude from his alma mater. Manor Equine Hospital in Monkton, Maryland selected Dr. Daniels in 1993 for an internship in equine surgery and medicine. He resided there for a year before moving to Manakin-Sabot, Virginia, where he was hired by Virginia Equine Clinic as an associate veterinarian specializing in equine sports medicine and lameness. He eventually purchased the practice in 1997.

Among his numerous credentials, Dr. Daniels is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the North American Association of Racetrack Veterinarians, the American Association of Equine Practitioners, and the Virginia Association of Equine Practitioners. He is also an official veterinarian for the National Steeplechase Association. In addition to his prior work as an advisor on the development of medication regulations for the Virginia Horse Racing Commission, he is currently an officer for the Virginia HBPA and has served since 2021 as President and Chairman of the Board for the National HBPA. Most recently, he has joined the Horsemen’s Advisory Group, providing feedback to the congressionally established Horseracing Safety and Integrity Authority’s executive team and standing committees (HISA) on critical issues related to the implementation and evolution of its Racetrack Safety and Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) regulations.