Practice Management

Equine Veterinarians Often Downplay Serious Injuries

By Adam Marcus

More than 90% of veterinarians who work with equids and other large animals reported an on-the-job injury, mostly thanks to errant (or not so errant) hooves, gnashing teeth or being crushed by heavy body parts, according to a study published in Preventive Veterinary Medicine.

But few seek treatment for their wounds, reflecting a culture of stoicism—or perhaps mulishness—that puts themselves and their colleagues at increased risk for more injuries, the researchers said.

The findings come from a survey of 144 U.K. surgeons, nurses and other staff working in large-animal veterinary settings, including in clinics and in production facilities. John S. P. Tulloch, BVetMed, DRN, MSc, PhD, of the University of Liverpool, who led the research, said the study was the first to his knowledge to explore the behavioral responses to workplace injuries among large-animal veterinarians, although others have looked at the types of injuries these clinicians tend to experience.

“The main surprise was the huge discordance between time off work after an injury and the severity of injury,” Dr. Tulloch told The Modern Equine Vet. “So many individuals carried on working regardless and thus put themselves, their colleagues and clients at greater risk of injury.”

Half of the respondents said they had experienced an injury within the past year, of which 1 in 6 involved a head wound. And at least 25% of the injuries reported in the survey required a trip to the hospital.

“Thankfully, only a small proportion [<10%] were working solo at the point of injury, and so immediate first aid/responders is possible. These results highlight that veterinarians need ‘spotters’ to observe for a horse’s pain response and to warn veterinarians that a kick, stamp or rear could be about to occur,” Dr. Tulloch and his colleagues wrote.

Some of the respondents expressed a pragmatism, even fatalism, closer to what one might expect to hear from a coal miner than a colt tender. One common theme was the fear that taking sick leave posed a financial risk. “This veterinarian received a shoulder strain from lifting a heavy animal and stated: ‘Although incredibly painful and I struggled to work—I do expect to get more injuries at work in the future due to the nature of being a mixed vet and working on farms with poor equipment, with horses, cattle, sheep, dogs, cats, etc., that are unpredictable or dangerous, driving so many miles each day, etc. I know I am at increased risk of injury and I, therefore, want to minimize the amount of sick pay I use. We only get 10 days cumulative each year, and I have already used 3 when I had flu recently.’”

Another stated: “‘Lots of minor injuries happen within the equine world as it comes with working alongside dangerous half-ton animals. The type of person who works with such creatures knows the risk and are hardy people for which a bite or being trodden on is a daily occurrence not phasing them.’”

As the researchers noted, “Some did not want to ‘let the team down,’ and a few stated that they would ‘feel guilty’ about taking time off.”

One veterinarian who sustained a severely bruised leg after a crushing injury said, “The show goes on. It wasn’t work-limiting, and [I] didn’t want to put pressure on remaining staff.”

Cultural Differences
“One of the heads of health and safety of [a major corporate practice] said on record about the veterinary industry that ‘There appears to be some similarities with how the construction industry operated 30 years ago,’” Dr. Tulloch said.

Safety regulations and workplace habits differ from country to country, so the results of the new study may not be entirely generalizable, said Dr. Tulloch, whose training included a stint at Michigan State University, in East Lansing. “The type of horses that are worked with differ, and it appears that the safety equipment culture may be different,” he added. “My understanding is that hard-hat wearing is a lot more common in the equestrian community in the UK than it is in the USA.”

His group is now conducting a survey of safety cultures within equine hospital settings. The survey is open to veterinarians and other employees, with the goal of understanding where key improvements to professional safety can be made. To take the survey, click here. MeV

For more information:
Tulloch JSP, Schofield I, Jackson R, et al. ‘It’s only a flesh wound’ – Understanding the safety culture in equine, production animal and mixed veterinary practices. Prev Vet Med. 2025;241:106541 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167587725001266