
Equine veterinarians are in short supply. Identifying the factors that contribute to their job satisfaction could lead to solutions for improving retention. This was the aim of a recently published study—to explore the main causes of work dissatisfaction and burnout among equine veterinarians.
In the study, Whitaker et al. recruited 37 current (17) and former (20) veterinarians in equine practice from across the United States to answer questions about their work history, work-life balance, and perceptions of equine practice and participate in virtual focus groups. Of these veterinarians:
- 92% were female.
- 65% were married or partnered.
- 65% had student loans at some point.
- Practice types included private practice (57%), specialty medicine (16%), academia (14%), government work (3%), and research (3%).
- 11% owned their own practice.
Using the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the research team had study participants rank four types of resources:
- Condition resources, such as diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB); work environment; workload; work-life balance; supervisors and bosses; coworkers; clients; and social support.
- Object resources, such as new technology and equipment.
- Energy resources, such as compensation and benefits and student loans.
- Personal resources, such as being passionate about equine medicine, problem-solving skills, pride, and gratification helping others.
Study Results
The study participants most frequently cited condition resources as reasons for work dissatisfaction.
“Over three-quarters of participants reported discrimination due to gender, size, appearance, age, or disability, which strongly suggests that efforts toward advancing DEIB in the equine veterinary workplace—including superiors, coworkers, and clients—are critically needed,” the study authors wrote.
Unpredictable schedules, long hours, and relationships and boundaries with clients, colleagues, and supervisors had significant effects on job satisfaction. “Shared workload among multiple veterinarians in one geographic region could help to support veterinarians’ time off and after-hours on-call,” they noted.
Compensation and student loan debt were the top energy resources affecting veterinarians’ job satisfaction. According to the study authors, “As long as small animal general practice is paid at a rate consistently higher than equine general practice, retaining equine veterinarians in the field will continue to be difficult, and there will be a flow of veterinarians moving from equine practice into small animal practice.”
While the AAEP 2024 Economic Summary reported that starting salaries are rising, equine practitioners still earn less than other types of veterinarians.
The researchers found that risks for burnout included female gender, young age, lack of work-life balance, and having compensation tied to clinical productivity. Personal resources, such as problem-solving skills and personal fulfillment from patient care, led to greater work satisfaction. The participants rarely mentioned object resources, “suggesting that practicing equine veterinarians had sufficient equipment and supplies to complete their jobs or that this was not a common source of occupational stress,” said the study authors.
Take-Home Message
The main areas of work dissatisfaction Whitaker et al. identified in this study were long hours, insufficient wages, lack of work-life balance, and issues associated with DEIB. These factors can lead to burnout, lack of retention, and veterinarian shortages in equine medicine.
“Results from this study can be used to develop and employ interventions to support and increase the equine veterinary workforce, such as improved pay and rural workforce practice incentives,” the authors summarized. “A work culture change may be needed to support workload sharing among equine veterinarians, particularly for after-hours on-call work.”
Reference
Whitaker K, Burnette A, Tan J-Y, Graves M, Hunt J, Devine E, et al. Factors influencing equine veterinarians’ job satisfaction and retention: A focus group study. Equine Vet J. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14467
Related Reading
- Working With Different Personalities in Equine Practice
- How Vet Tech Development Enhances Your Equine Practice
- The Equine Practitioner’s Mid-Career Crunch
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