Practice Management

UK Equine Firm to Make Helmets Mandatory in Clinical Settings

By Adam Marcus

Many equine veterinarians in the United Kingdom may soon be required to wear safety helmets on the job thanks to a new policy by one of the country’s largest groups of clinicians who work with horses.

The move by CVS Equine comes on the heels of a study showing an alarming number of head injuries, many serious, among equine veterinarians in the United Kingdom.

CVS Equine, which operates 22 sites in England and Northern Ireland, previously recommended helmets but stopped short of requiring them. The new rules will apply in all settings of direct contact with horses, except when the animals are under general anesthesia.

The policy shift comes on the heels of a recent study by John Tulloch, BVetMed, DRN, MSc, PhD, of the University of Liverpool, England, and his colleagues, which found a remarkable degree of stoicism—and perhaps rashness—when it comes to workplace injuries among equine veterinarians and other animal practitioners in the United Kingdom.

A hoof to the head can be devastating. The force can be as much as about 10,000 Newtons—roughly the equivalent of being hit by a small car moving 20-30 mph—and leads to traumatic brain injury in roughly half of cases. But many head wounds result indirectly from kicks that propel the recipient into hard surfaces.

Even so, previous data showed that fewer than 8% of those who work with horses reported wearing helmets when unmounted. As Dr. Tulloch’s group reported, “Multiple studies have shown that head injuries are equally as likely when an individual is mounted or unmounted. This, combined with the knowledge that those wearing helmets are at significantly lower risk of a severe brain injury when receiving head trauma than those who are not, means that it is hard to justify the lack of helmet usage when working with horses.”

Dr. Tulloch said he agreed with the mandatory nature of the helmet stance. “I do think that this is the right policy. If there are any exceptions or loopholes in a policy, it is unlikely to be adhered to,” he told The Modern Equine Vet. “This policy only affects those employed by CVS, and we currently do not know how it will impact other practices and whether others will follow suit,” he added.

Sophie Ignarski, equine director UK for CVS, said the group had been considering acting on helmets, but the new data on workplace injuries “helped facilitate the change in approach and was quite timely.”
“I’ve always been of the view that an evidence-based approach to this topic is critically important, and that we use the most up-to-date information to inform decision making,” Ms. Ignarski added.

Ms. Ignarski said that although feedback from CVS colleagues “has been generally positive, there has been the recognition that change takes a while to fully embed, and we do still have some challenges to overcome to ensure full adoption, particularly around helmet design. Clients have been overwhelmingly supportive, which has been really encouraging to everyone.”

CVS is now working with the German company Uvex to test helmets in equine settings. CVS scheduled a meeting to discuss initial impressions on designs, she said.

Grace Barrier, a spokesperson for the American Association of Equine Practitioners, said the group, which does not have a workplace safety committee, was unaware of similar proposals in the United States.

But Amy Grice, VMD, MBA, a veterinary business consultant in Virginia City, Montana, said she recommends helmets in practice. “I think of heads as being similar to a cantaloupe: You don’t want to drop them on concrete or smack them with a hammer,” Dr. Grice said. “The use of helmets, however hot and uncomfortable, could protect equine veterinarians from harm.”

She added, “In my own decades of clinical work, I have had several minor blows to my head from reactive patients. More traumatic was the death of an experienced colleague from head trauma in the work setting.” 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. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106541.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167587725001266