Parenting as an Equine Practitioner

Equine veterinarians pulling double-duty as moms and dads share their experiences—good and bad—practicing as parents.
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2024 issue of EquiManagement. Sign up here for a FREE subscription to EquiManagement’s quarterly digital or print magazine and any special issues.
An equine veterinarian parent looking at a horse with child in arms.
As an equine veterinarian and a parent, try to have the strongest support system possible. | Adobe Stock
For equine veterinarians, with their long work hours and after-hour emergency responsibilities, caring for children can be challenging. One concern older practice owners expressed when discussing the marked gender shift in equine practice over the last decade is that new mothers sometimes do not return to work at the end of their maternity leaves. Some early-career female horse doctors find the demands of parenting an infant or toddler to be incompatible with their work life, and they regretfully accept a position in companion animal practice.   In a recent discussion about maternity leave and parenting on the Facebook group “Women in Equine Practice,” all but two of the 99 veterinarians commenting are still in equine practice. They relayed a broad range of experiences, with veterinarians who gave birth in decades past reporting significantly less positive ones.  
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