A recent review article, “Equine vets – a dying ‘breed’? Recruitment and retention challenges in equine practice”, examined the state of our profession: recruitment pressures, attrition and the urgent need for cultural change. It concluded that equine practice stands at a crossroads, with demand rising, supply lagging and morale often stretched thin.
The authors called for “actionable solutions”: a more inclusive culture, stronger mentorship and early experiences that encourage belonging. I agree. But as I read, I kept coming back to the same thought – that our biggest challenges aren’t only logistical or financial. They’re human.
The hardest part isn’t the horses
Equine work has always demanded stamina, adaptability and composure. Long days, unpredictable emergencies and physical strain come with the territory. Most of us accept that.
What’s harder to navigate are the human pressures: anxious or frustrated clients, professional disagreements, the fear of complaints and the emotional weight that comes with caring deeply about outcomes we can’t always control.
Our biggest challenges aren’t only logistical or financial. They’re human
Horses, in many ways, are the easy part. They don’t question our motives or second-guess our decisions. People are more complicated. Balancing empathy with boundaries, and medical judgement with client expectation, is a daily skill that few of us were ever taught formally – yet it’s what defines whether a day feels fulfilling or demoralising.
The quiet pressure of fear
According to preliminary results from the most recent BEVA Workforce Review, around 60 percent of equine vets say they feel anxious about being reported to the RCVS. That’s an extraordinary figure, but it reflects what many quietly admit.
The possibility of a complaint, however rare, sits in the background. It changes behaviour. We become cautious where we once were confident, defensive instead of open. Record-keeping and risk management take priority over dialogue and trust.
Around 60 percent of equine vets say they feel anxious about being reported to the RCVS
Accountability matters. But we’ve reached a point where fear has replaced reflection. Most of us already hold ourselves to punishingly high standards. We replay conversations in the car, wondering if a word or action might be misinterpreted, and carry the weight of outcomes that didn’t go to plan. What we need isn’t protection from scrutiny, but recognition that veterinary practice is complex, uncertain work, carried out by human beings doing their best in emotional and pressured situations. A fair process, with faster triage and clearer thresholds, matters. So does empathy.
Respect, bias and belonging
The same BEVA report found that 1 in 10 equine vets have experienced discrimination based on gender, age, nationality, background or body type. That statistic should give us pause.
Equine practice is proud of its professionalism and resilience, but it’s not immune to bias. Disrespect, dismissive attitudes or subtle exclusion from teams or client circles all take their toll. They chip away at confidence and belonging.
Our profession should model inclusion and respect. It’s that simple. Every vet, regardless of background, deserves to feel valued. We can’t afford to lose good people because they don’t fit an outdated picture of what an “equine vet” looks like.
We can’t afford to lose good people because they don’t fit an outdated picture of what an ‘equine vet’ looks like
Why we join – and why some leave
The reasons people join the profession rarely change: a love of animals, a fascination with science and a desire to help.
What has changed is the environment around us – client expectations, rising costs, social media scrutiny and, at times, a thinning of empathy for the people behind the profession. These pressures can make it hard to stay connected to the purpose that brought us here.
Transparency and collaboration
Transparency has become one of the most important issues in modern veterinary practice. It touches every part of how we work – communication with clients, internal decision-making and how we treat one another.
For clients, transparency builds trust. Honest conversations about prognosis, costs and uncertainty don’t undermine confidence; they strengthen it. Most conflict arises when people feel excluded from decisions or surprised by outcomes. Clear, early communication prevents that.
I would argue that collaboration must then replace competition as our professional default
Within teams, transparency around workload, pay and expectations removes much of the quiet resentment that drives people away. When information is shared, people feel respected and involved.
I would argue that collaboration must then replace competition as our professional default. Sharing expertise, equipment and out-of-hours cover makes the work safer and more sustainable. Within teams, collaboration means listening to different voices – from new graduates to nurses to senior partners – and recognising that everyone contributes to welfare and client care. Across the wider profession, it means BEVA, practices and the RCVS working together rather than in parallel.
Mentorship and coaching
If there’s one theme that keeps emerging in every discussion about retention, it’s mentorship. Done well, it’s transformative. Done poorly, it’s irrelevant.
True mentorship isn’t about hierarchy or formality. It’s about presence – someone you can call after a difficult case or debrief with when you’re questioning your judgement. It’s a safety net that turns isolation into learning.
Career coaching also has a fundamental role. It helps vets at all stages align their values and boundaries with the realities of the job. It’s not indulgent; it’s strategic – one of the simplest ways to build confidence, perspective and longevity in practice.
Focusing on the human side
Equine practice remains one of the most rewarding, challenging and vital branches of veterinary medicine. But the way it looks in the future depends on how we look after the people who do the work.
During my presidential year, I’ll be focusing on the human side of equine practice – building transparency, collaboration and understanding across the profession. We already have passionate, skilled and committed people who care deeply about what they do.
When we work with each other – not against each other – everything improves: retention, recruitment, morale and the quality of care we provide. The horses will always be our focus. But it’s the people who make the profession what it is.
