Why One Veterinarian Says There May Soon Be A Shortage Of Equine Practitioners — And How You Can Help

It's no secret that employers across all industries are hard-pressed for help right now. Dr. Debbie Spike-Pierce, president and CEO of Rood + Riddle Equine Hospital, worries that soon equine veterinarians won't just have a tough time finding people to work for them – their clients may have a tough time finding someone to treat their horse.

Spike-Pierce presented some unsettling statistics at the clinic's annual client education seminar last month and shared her thoughts on why equine practice is in particular trouble. She cited a study by the American Veterinary Medical Association that found only about 1 percent of veterinary students are planning to go into equine practice – down from 4 percent in the mid-2000s. In the population of existing veterinarians, equine vets make up 5.6 percent of the total. Spike-Pierce also said that within five years post-graduate, 50 percent of equine veterinarians will leave equine practice.

There are lots of reasons for this, but they all boil down to burnout. Spike-Pierce said that veterinarians surveyed by the American Association for Equine Practitioners (AAEP) report their physical health as pretty good – impressive, considering how physical their jobs often are. They self-reported their mental health as much less favorable, with 18% of male equine veterinarians classifying their mental health as fair to poor, and 25% of female equine veterinarians saying the same.

The Paulick Report ran an open letter from Dr. Rebecca Mears about the mental health of veterinarians earlier this year, specifically focusing on the “Not One More Vet” or NOMV movement aimed at preventing veterinary suicide.

(You can read that letter here.)

As Mears explained, recent veterinary school graduates begin their careers under a mountain of debt, often taking low-paying jobs in their first years out of school as they work to get established. Those who go into mobile practice for themselves (like many equine veterinarians) have even greater start-up debt.

Veterinary practices of all sorts have taken to social media in recent months, expressing that they are dealing with shorter tempers than normal from clients, combined with smaller staffs to help manage nursing care and caseloads. Social media has also enabled a dissatisfied client to put a practice on blast, whether or not their criticisms feel true or fair to the veterinarian. After a long day dealing with sick animals and angst-ridden clients, finding a negative review on social media can often feel like the last straw.

Equine practice can be even more demanding, since as Spike-Pierce points out, it doesn't have set hours the way a dog or cat clinic would.

“We are seeing these same issues in equine practice as we are seeing in general veterinary practice, but we're also seeing people leave equine practice and go to small animal practice,” said Spike-Pierce.

Oftentimes, she said she hears people dismiss these issues by saying that equine practice is “a lifestyle” – which she agrees is true.

“It is a lifestyle,” she said. “Actually it's one I pretty much enjoyed. What I loved about equine practice was feeling like I could take my kids with me. I went on calls with my dad growing up. The equine industry as a whole is very open to having kids be there. Oftentimes I think the reason we're working with horses is because we were there when our parents were.”

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But not everyone wants to buy into having that round-the-clock lifestyle for most of their lives, and telling young veterinarians that they should work seven days a week or get out of the business seems to result in many choosing the latter. Spike-Pierce said the culture around horses is your job is 24/7 because horses need care 24/7 – but that care doesn't always have to come from the same person.

One reason equine veterinarians may make the switch to small animal practice is that dog and cat clinics often share emergency duty, or allow clinicians to work a smaller number of longer days each week so they get some predictable off time. Spike-Pierce said there's some degree of client education involved in a set-up like that for horse veterinarians — clients need to know who's on duty for after-hours calls on a particular night, or they need to be ok with having their call forwarded to a different doctor sometimes. She has seen some smaller practices experiment with this, with some success.

“Our younger veterinarians are asking for time,” she said. “They want to have time away from work, but they're able and willing to work extra hard when they are working. They want that separation.”

Splitting up duties, especially emergency duties, by geographic region can be a game changer for veterinarians' stress levels, too —  and it can reduce the wait for a client who's dealing with an animal in distress.

“If you all have ideas, that's welcome,” Spike-Pierce told the audience. “It's something we're going to need to address in the future to be able to continue to serve animals.

“If you look at the numbers, it just doesn't work if it continues on the same trend. So please, thank your veterinarian, and please work with them to give them the time they need.”

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Equine Veterinarian Dr. Kevin Brophy, 66, Passes

Kevin Lewis Brophy, 66, passed away on March 1, 2021, in West Palm Beach, Fla.

The son of the late John A. Brophy and Gladys (Lewis) Brophy, Dr. Brophy was a distinguished doctor of equine veterinarian medicine for more than three decades and considered preeminent in the field of equine lameness.  He achieved an undergraduate degree at Pennsylvania State University and then continued his education at the University of Florida-Gainesville obtaining both Master's and Doctoral degrees there.  His practice spanned many states including Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland.

In addition to his veterinarian practice, as an entrepreneur Dr. Brophy developed and owned a successful distribution company, ABBA Vet Supply, for many years.  He was a nature enthusiast and had a lifetime passion for learning. His kind and giving heart was central to how he treated his clients, both human and four legged, as well as those that he considered family and friends.  Despite the competitiveness in the field of performance horse equine medicine Dr. Brophy kept the horses' well-being his first priority.

Dr. Brophy is survived by his two children, John G. Brophy and Ella R. Brophy, and three siblings: Robert P. Brophy of Hershey, Pa., Nancy B. Oberreit of Yardley, Pa., and Karen B. Ebert of Egg Harbor Township, N.J., his twin; as well as four nephews and five nieces, seven grandnieces and nephews and many dear friends.  He was predeceased by his brother Ronald A. Brophy.

Cremation occurred, and a Celebration of Life will be scheduled for a later date.

As Kevin was a true lover of all animals, donations to Funny Farm Rescue and Sanctuary, 6908 Railroad Blvd., Mays Landing, NJ 08330 would be appropriate and appreciated by his family or another charity of one's choice.

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Hall Of Fame Veterinarian Swanstrom Dies At 80

Veterinarian Dr. Oscar Swanstrom has died at the age of 80 after a lifetime devoted to veterinary medicine. Swanstrom grew up on a family farm in Arrowsith, Ill., and attended veterinary school at the University of Illinois.

Swanstrom enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he was commissioned a captain and served as base veterinarian at Moody Air Force Base. He then received a master's degree in veterinary medicine with a focus on radiology and orthopedic surgery before practicing in Illinois, largely at Chicago area Thoroughbred tracks. He eventually moved to Kentucky, where he became a well-known practitioner at Churchill Downs and surrounding facilities.

Swanstrom is the author of several academic studies and is known for his work studying therapeutic swimming, as well as intra-articular therapies.

Swanstrom was inducted into the International Veterinary Hall of Fame in 2005 at Churchill Downs.

He is survived by his wife Theresa, son Justin, daughter Kasi Cox (Jeremy) of Westport; his grandsons, Colton S. Cox and Ryan L. Cox of Westport; his granddaughter, Ruby Elizabeth Swanstrom of Simpsonville and several nieces and nephews.

Read a complete obituary here.

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