Careers in equine practice

Michelle Abraham, a young equine veterinarian, shows the path to a career treating horses

What sorts of jobs are available for an equine vet?

Michelle Abraham

There are careers in equine private practice, mixed veterinary practice, specialist referral centres, academia, research, and many others. Whether you are a new graduate or have been in practice for a number of years, there are opportunities for further specialist training in particular fields, including medicine and surgery, through internship and residency programs.

A veterinary degree is all you need to become an equine vet. However, undertaking supplementary education and training increases your knowledge and skills in specific topics, broadens your career opportunities and helps to define your particular areas of interest. Gaining as much experience as possible in equine veterinary practice during veterinary training is important, as is undertaking continuing education programs as a qualified veterinarian in order to maintain your knowledge and skills in a constantly developing profession.

What type of person do you need to be to be successful?

Michelle Abraham

As with many other professions, the job of equine veterinarian requires a broad range of skills. It helps to enjoy interacting with both people and horses. Good communication skills are important as your clients rely on you to help them keep their horse in the best of health. A desire to help animals is important as with this comes a sense of satisfaction when your patients thrive under your care and make a full recovery from illness or injury. Success also lies in enthusiasm, getting involved and keeeping up to date with current knowledge in the profession.

What’s it like being an equine vet? What does your job entail?

A description of life as an equine vet would include the words exciting, challenging, dynamic, rewarding and inspiring. Each patient has their individual needs and as veterinarians, it lies in our hands to work through each case, understand it and manage it. We deal with horses from a range of disciplines including racing, showjumping, eventing, endurance riding, polo, pleasure horses, kids ponies and family pets which adds diversity to our jobs.

Equine vets can also specialise in different avenues of work. I have taken many opportunities to travel during my veterinary training and work in specialist practices overseas to follow my passion and interest in medicine, foal intensive care and reproduction. I am now based at Scone in the Hunter Valley, NSW....which is better known as the 'horse capital' of Australia. In my job, we mainly service the equine breeding industry but also cater for a variety of other horses and owners. During the breeding season much of our work is devoted to getting mares in foal, monitoring and supporting mares with difficult pregnancies, and assisting to deliver foals. I am based in the medicine and intensive care unit which caters for seriously ill adults and foals. I thrive on working with our young patients in particular, and it is very satisfying to see them recover from serious illness.

How do you make the first step in a career as an equine vet?

Michelle Abraham

Identify an area of practice that you enjoy by exploring your opportunities.... How? Get involved in the profession and take that first step even before you graduate from veterinary school. I identified a career path which for me is stimulating, fulfilling and enjoyable by getting involved with a wider community of equine veterinarians through Equine Veterinarians Australia where I was able to identify, explore and discuss with other members the opportunities available to me as a student and a young veterinarian. Networking with equine vets and talking to them about their own careers and actively getting involved in furthering my knowledge as an equine vet by participating in seminars and workshops has enabled me to make informed decisions about my career.

If you like treating all types of horses with all types of conditions, working in general practice may be an option for you. Or if you prefer to specialise in a particular part of veterinary medicine such as surgery, then you should consider gaining as much experience in that area as possible to develop specific skills you will need. You can supplement this experience with specialist continuing education of your subject of choice. By combining work experience and ongoing education you will develop a skill set in your chosen field.

As you take the step of exploring different careers and identifying your areas of interest, new doors open and opportunities develop. Many young vets travel overseas to gain valuable experience and broaden horizons and knowledge while working in different enviornments, on different types of horses and while dealing with different diseases. There are specialist training programs such as internships and residencies which assist veterinarians develop knowledge and skills to the highest level and play an instrumental role in the continued development of the profession.

Join the special interest group for equine vets, Equine Veterinarians Australia