VET CLINIC
Being an equine vet is the riskiest civilian profession in the UK, but we can all help reduce that risk. John Tulloch MRCVS and Tim Mair FRCVS explain how
A HOOF has just flown past your chest or head, and you think, “That was close!” Many of us have been there; but one group of equestrians may experience this more than others – namely, your equine vet.
Sadly, many interactions between your vet and your horse will be stressful or painful for the horse. It is not surprising therefore that horses are frequently wary of vets, and vets are commonly at the receiving end of a horse’s natural response to avoid the situation.
The statistics about horse-related injuries to vets are shocking. The veterinary profession has been shown to be the most hazardous civilian profession in the UK, with equine vets at a higher risk of injury than if they worked in the construction industry, prison service or the fire service.
In 2019, a British Veterinary Association survey found that 65% of horse vets had reported receiving injuries in the preceding year; the majority of these were directly linked to horses. It has been estimated that broken bones are 10 times more frequent in large animal vets than in small animal vets.
An equine vet may expect to sustain between seven and eight work-related injuries that impede them from practising during a 30-year working life. A recent study of UK vet schools’ accident books found that one in six people injured by a horse required hospital treatment.
The vast majority of these injuries will occur during a clinical examination or procedure and will be the result of a kick. At least one in seven of these injuries will involve the vet’s head.
The most common injuries include kicks to legs, crushed feet, butts to the head and kicks to the head. These can lead to bruising, fractures and lacerations.
Concerningly, around 7% result in loss of consciousness, and therefore are classified as traumatic brain injuries.
Many of these head injuries will not be directly due to the hoof contacting the head, but rather will be due to the injured person’s head hitting a concrete wall or floor as they are knocked to the ground.
IT’S COMMON SENSE
GIVEN all this, don’t be surprised if your vet wears a helmet when treating your horse. Just as wearing a hard hat and body protector are considered normal when riding, it’s common sense that wearing personal protective equipment, such as a helmet, is appropriate for an equine vet.
We should not be surprised that injuries among horse vets are so common. Horses are “fight and flight” creatures, whose natural response to painful or stressful situations may be to run, kick or rear, thereby exp
