Horse owners are facing a shortage of equine veterinarians if they live any distance from horses living in a dense population. The biggest reasons are the cost of veterinary education and the poor return on the student’s investment compared to their small animal colleagues. So, while you think the vet’s bill for work on your horses is high, the group practices pay the new vet little. And if they are women, they are paid less than men with the same credentials.

There are more reasons, including the workload and the lack of a balanced personal life. Finally, I discuss why few good horse vets are coming out of vet school and settling in your area.

The podcast is based on information presented at the 2021 AAEP annual meeting, which discussed the 50% attrition rate of new graduates leaving the AAEP organization after five years—and becoming small animal vets or just completely leaving the profession.

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