Last Updated on July 26, 2022
Whether you’re considering a career as a vet, or you find your vets bills are very high, you’ll want to know how much do equine vets make. Do equine vets make a lot of money, or are they really badly paid? And what are the good points and bad points to being an equine vet? Let’s find out!
What Is An Equine Vet?
A veterinarian, or veterinary surgeon, is someone who is trained and qualified to provide medical care to animals. This includes sick and injured animals, as well as providing preventative healthcare and assisting with reproductive processes. The process of becoming a veterinarian involves a long period of training, as well as ongoing study to maintain their professional skills.
While veterinarians are trained to care for all common domesticated species of animals, some veterinarians choose to specialize in a specific area of medicine or focus on just one species of animal. One example of this is the equine veterinarian, who provides medical care to all equines – horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules.
An equine vet will normally work either in a specialist veterinary hospital, or in a local veterinary clinic. Practitioners in these smaller clinics are often called ambulatory vets, as they carry out treatments at the horse owners premises rather than at a hospital.
Some equine vets specialize further still, and only treat horses with disorders of specific body systems. For example, an orthopaedic equine vet will look at disorders of the musculoskeletal system, while an equine ophthalmic specialist will treat horses with eye problems. Some equine vets work only with high-performance sports horses, while others will treat any type of horse or pony.
To enable your veterinarian to practice, they must be fully qualified and registered with the appropriate authorities. This then enables them to access veterinary medications that are not available to the public.
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How Much Do Equine Vets Make?
The question of how much do equine vets make depends on the type of vet and the establishment that they work in. A specialist veterinarian working in a referral hospital will be paid a far higher salary than an ambulatory vet working in a small local veterinary clinic.
In the US, the average salary for an equine vet is reported to be around $88,000, with annual bonuses of around $1,500. This equates to a take-home salary of around $6,000 per month.
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Whilst this might seem like a good salary, it takes several years to train as an equine veterinarian and the college fees can be very expensive. The salary during the first few years after qualification can be quite low, and it takes time to build up to a decent annual wage.
As most equine vets will tell you, they are in the job because they love it, not for the money! You might think that vets are paid a lot because your vet bills can be quite expensive, but most of these fees go towards covering the costs of equipment and other overheads. The salary of a vet makes up only a small proportion of the costs of running a veterinary practice.
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Being An Equine Vet – Good Points And Bad Points
So, if equine vets don’t earn a fortune, why do people want to enter this profession?
In short, it is because they love animals and want to help them. Most equine vets have a clear passion for horses, and enjoy working with these animals on a daily basis. A high level of intelligence is required to be an equine vet, as working out what is wrong with a horse can be quite a puzzle sometimes!
There are some downsides to being an equine vet, which should be considered by anyone thinking of applying for veterinary college.
Being an equine vet often involves long working hours that are physically demanding and stressful. They may also need to be ‘on call’ for long periods of time, such as over the weekend or through the night. This can lead to many nights of broken sleep and no rest time or social life.
Veterinarians must also do regular training to keep their skills up to date, so the learning does not stop when you leave college. Ongoing continued veterinary development is mandatory in some regions to maintain professional registration as a veterinary surgeon.
Summary – How Much Do Equine Vets Make?
So, as we have learned, the question of how much do equine vets make depends on the type of vet and the establishment that they work in. A specialist veterinarian working in a referral hospital will be paid a far higher salary than an ambulatory vet working in a small local veterinary clinic. Being an equine vet often involves long working hours that are physically demanding and stressful, and veterinarians must also do regular training to keep their skills up to date.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on how much do equine vets make! Do you think your veterinarian is a lifesaver who is definitely worth their weight in gold? Or perhaps you struggle to understand why your vets bills are always so expensive? Leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you!
FAQ’s
Can You Be Rich As A Veterinarian?
Although veterinary bills can seem very expensive, little of this actually goes to the salary of a veterinarian. This is a tough and demanding job; the salary might be higher than some other professions but the working hours are long, stressful, and physically demanding.
How Much Do Equine Vets Make In The UK?
The salary for an equine vet early in their career in the UK is around 32,000 GBP. A more experienced equine vet can earn a higher amount, averaging around 41,000 GBP after 5 or more years in the profession.
How Much Does An Equine Vet Make In Australia?
The average salary for an equine veterinarian in Australia is AU$83,000.
What Is The Highest Paying Vet Job?
Most veterinarians generally receive a salary that is higher than average, but certain aspects of veterinary work attract a higher salary than others. This includes specialist vets working in referral hospitals, and veterinarians working in pharmaceutical sales and universities.
Kate Chalmers is a qualified veterinary nurse who has specialized in horse care for the vast majority of her career. She has been around horses since she was a child, starting out riding ponies and helping out at the local stables before going on to college to study Horse Care & Management. She has backed and trained many horses during her lifetime and competed in various equestrian sports at different levels.
After Kate qualified as a veterinary nurse, she provided nursing care to the patients of a large equine veterinary hospital for many years. She then went on to teach horse care and veterinary nursing at one of the top colleges in the country. This has led to an in-depth knowledge of the care needs of horses and their various medical ailments, as well as a life-long passion for educating horse owners on how to provide the best possible care for their four-legged friends.
Kate Chalmers BSc (Hons) CVN, Dip AVN (Equine) Dip HE CVN EVN VN A1 PGCE
