25/03/2025
Hi- Equine vet here. I’m back with another equine veterinary medicine soapbox plea. If you have a horse, or know someone with horses, feel free to share.
Equine veterinary medicine is at a critical point. There are so few of us left, the ones who remain are struggling to stay afloat in the current state of things. I for one feel like I’ve become a punching bag to some clients for some of these issues and I cannot continue to be this for my own health and happiness. It’s hard for me to express myself in those moments, so I have organized my thoughts here.
Equine medicine is not currently structured the same as small animal medicine. Small animal medicine not only has a model where clients bring the patients to the doctor, it is also split in a way more similar to human medicine with separate GP and ER clinics present so that both needs can be addressed by different doctors. GP doctors can go home at the end of the day and know that they have colleagues that just clocked in for their overnight shift to handle emergencies. Equine medicine does not have this. Yes, there are referral centers but even so- most of these hospitals have doctors that share call and likely worked during the day before their overnight on call ER shift. That equine ambulatory vet that came out to see your colicking horse at midnight probably has to get up at 6am and work tomorrow too. For those who have never been on call, imagine not being able to make plans with your spouse because you might get a call. Imagine being confined to a certain radius like you’re on house arrest in case you get a call. Imagine always being in fight or flight, not knowing if you’re going to sleep that night before having to work the next day too. I know some work is being done to try to move equine medicine closer to the small animal medicine model- but this is a long, long way off before any realistic change will occur. And frankly, I’m not sure we have enough equine doctors for this to ever be feasible.
The reality of the situation is that you always have to be prepared to haul your horse to a hospital/referral center after hours. There are very few true emergencies that cannot be hauled in (yes, colicking horses CAN be hauled and in fact this sometimes even helps them!) Even if your regular vet is on call, they may be at another call, 2 hours away, etc. Ambulatory equine medicine has for so long been viewed as an expectation, but it is a privilege, not a right. Ultimately, you as the animal owner have a responsibility to seek care for your animal, at all hours, even if this means hauling the animal to a hospital. If your vet can come to you after hours, that is amazing. If they can’t, instead of blaming them for a perceived shortcoming on their part, realize that it is YOUR responsibility to have a plan in place for your animal, not theirs. If you don’t have a truck and trailer, you need to have a friend or hauling service lined up in the case of an emergency. Once again, if a practice does not have an ambulatory vet available in your area when you call, this does NOT mean you are being turned away- it means that this time, the responsibility falls on you as the owner to do the driving to get your horse seen at the hospital.
I’ve heard every comment under the sun about how we don’t care about animals if we take a day off, or get sick, or take a vacation. “It’s the job you signed up for” - referring to the expectation that we should allow 24/7/365 access to us and if we aren’t available in the drop of a hat, we don’t care. This thinking seems to apply tenfold to large animal vets. Sometimes we are at another call. Sometimes we are just simply not working. No one should be expected to work every single day. No one. Including you. Including us.
We do care. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t stay in a profession where we are constantly told we don’t, while we continue to care for your horses in the heat, rain, wind, mud, while they try and kick, bite, and slam us into walls. The reality is there aren’t enough of us, and the more unkind you are to us, the more of us will leave the profession altogether, and this will put even more horses in peril.
So please, please, please be kind. We are doing the very best we can. Have a transport plan in place for your horse in case of emergencies. And remember, no one has the right to expect 24/7 access to another human being.
Sincerely,
A very sad equine vet who kindly requests not to be a punching bag for your frustrations anymore
