Two new resources support equine veterinary practices

Equine veterinarians and veterinary teams can leverage new tools to improve client communication and inform business and career planning—thanks to a partnership between the AVMA and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP).

Released earlier this month in celebration of World Horse Day, both the Effective Equine Care Guide and the Economic State of the Equine Veterinary Profession Report were developed jointly by the AVMA and AAEP.

Prevent conflict; build healthy client partnerships

Healthy relationships and communication between veterinary teams and clients are essential to great patient care, as well as the personal wellbeing of veterinary care team members.

By setting out clear expectations on both sides, it can strengthen your practice’s partnership with horse owners, and ultimately help you provide the best possible patient care. 

The new Effective Equine Care Guide provides a framework for equine veterinarians to align expectations, support strong client communication, and prevent conflict. It’s a comprehensive, one-page resource that outlines matching expectations for both veterinary teams and clients. 

By setting out clear expectations on both sides, it can strengthen your practice’s partnership with horse owners, and ultimately help you provide the best possible patient care. 

You can download the guide for free at any time as part of the AVMA’s free toolkit of reputation resources. Along with the guide, you’ll find tips for introducing it to your team and clients and for responding to unmet expectations.

Get guide

The guide was inspired by the Positive Pet Care Guide, a similar tool for companion animal practices. 

New data to inform business and career decisions

The 2024 Economic State of the Equine Veterinary Profession Report provides a detailed look at the current economics of equine medicine, highlighting key trends related to labor markets, compensation, debt, satisfaction, practice characteristics, and more. Based on surveys conducted in both 2022 and 2023, it’s an indispensable resource for anyone interested in equine medicine. 

The Economic State of the Equine Veterinary Profession Report is available for free to AVMA members and can be purchased by all others in the AVMA Store. Get the report here.