This article originally appeared in the Fall 2025 issue of EquiManagement. Sign up herefor a FREE subscription to EquiManagement’s quarterly digital or print magazine and any special issues.Rural practitioners often travel long distances between farm appointments, which eats up time. | Shelley Paulson
In 2024, equine practitioners represented 3,979 of the 86,251 U.S. veterinarians in private practice, according to AVMA demographic figures. An additional 5,282 practitioners identified as mixed animal. The 2025 AVMA Report on the Economic State of the Veterinary Profession revealed that 29% of U.S. veterinarians live in rural areas and 21% work in rural areas.
While most rural practitioners work with a mix of species, the AVMA/AAEP Report on the Economic State of the Equine Veterinary Profession showed that equine practitioners in the U.S. are few and far between in 23 of the 50 states, with each of these mostly rural states having fewer than 60 equine veterinarians. In contrast, the three states with the highest number of horses—Texas, California, and Florida—are each home to between 243 and 438 equine doctors.
Life as a Rural Equine Vet
Dr. Kelsey DeLand makes a point to keep up with new advances in multiple species through CE opportunities.
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