US Perspective

With inflation, the war in Ukraine, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, continuing supply chain issues, and the financial burdens of extreme weather events caused by global warming, a recession in the next few years seems inevitable. This will cool the strong growth in equine practice, but because the top 1% of income earners became markedly more wealthy during the last decade, they will continue to enjoy equine sports despite the downturn. Equine veterinarians will have fewer middle-income clients, but the wealthy clients will continue to need a high level of services. Those practices closer to urban areas will thrive, especially those near established equine competition venues. Rural areas will increasingly use paraprofessionals, similar to physician assistants in the human medical field, due to lack of equine veterinarians. The total US horse population will continue to decline as many horse-owners are priced out of the market. Racing will continue to struggle to retain social licence.

While most hospital practices will be corporately owned, small private practices will dominate in many markets. These small practices will continue to be numerous as veterinarians choose to chart their own course, make their own rules, and earn more income as practice owners than they would as associates. Emergency cooperatives will be the norm, with many practices referring after-hours cases to the corporate hospitals after a certain time in the evening. Many practices will require emergencies to haul in to their small clinics and will charge high fees to see horses on the farm. Some practices in areas with high numbers of horses will offer emergency services only, serving to provide multiple regional practices with urgent care for their clients. Ambulatory emergency care will become much more expensive. Veterinary technicians will be utilised for more services, especially as some earn more advanced degrees. Fees for services will rise sharply. Compensation will be comparable to that in companion animal practices.

The physicality and injury risks of equine practice will still dissuade some from pursuing a lifelong career in equine medicine, but a new culture of practice will accept making safety of practitioners the norm rather than the exception. Horse- owners, due to the relative scarcity of equine practitioners, will have more respect for doctors. As horses become increasingly expensive, preventive health care will be more highly valued, and veterinary treatment will be sought early and often for sick or injured equines. As medical advances continue to develop, clients will increasingly demand the highest level of care, creating opportunities for practices to partner in offering new diagnostic modalities and work collaboratively.

Equine practice will continue to be a wonderful career but will be improved by a new culture that values a full life outside work, shorter work hours, better boundaries, and higher compensation for the professional horse doctor.

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