Equine vets view getting kicked as an “everyday norm”, as new research suggests the number of injuries occurring in veterinary practice could be higher than reported.
The University of Liverpool and CVS have conducted the “largest ever” study on veterinary workplace injuries, with the aim of improving safety. In the first stage of the project 740 respondents, including large and small animal vets, nurses, and veterinary office staff, took part in a survey on how individuals define injuries, and when these should be reported.
The findings, published in scientific journal Occupational Medicine, revealed that of the vets who took part, the highest injury prevalence occurred in equine practice. When asked to describe a work-related injury that did not need reporting, a large proportion of the study’s respondents said that they would report all injuries – but this was lowest among equine vets. Injuries that were not reported included horse kicks, and one example was “being knocked into a wall by [a] horse causing pain initially but no visible bruises”.
The researchers discussed that many veterinary professionals will “only report a severe injury, and therefore, reporting statistics will underestimate the true prevalence”.
“Equine and production animal vets have a high threshold before acknowledging an incident is a work-related injury,” said the researchers, adding that this needs to be accounted for when interpreting injury reporting figures.
John Tulloch, lecturer and European specialist in veterinary public health at the University of Liverpool, led the research and told H&H that many equine vets said they would not define something as being an injury unless they could not work as a result.
“If you asked a member of the public if being kicked by a horse was an injury, they would immediately say ‘yes’. But for many working with horses, there’s an element of ‘a kick is an expected thing to occur’. It’s then what do you do about it if you have been kicked, and these are some of things we want to understand from a behavioural side, and how they approach these situations in the future,” said Dr Tulloch, adding that the next part of the project, due to be published early this year, will be equine vet-specific.
“The results also imply that people are getting straight back to work and carrying on, when sometimes there might be a need to get checked out, or take some time off.”
CVS director of clinical research Imogen Schofield said the results from this stage of the research have been “both startling and complex”.
“They highlight a profession in drastic need of cultural change and personal attitudes, with respect to injury prevention and mitigation,” she said.
In 2018 the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) launched the “Don’t Break Your Vet” campaign to help reduce the risk of injuries to vets– and in 2024 launched an online course “Hold Your Horses” for vets and nurses on applying equine learning theory in their everyday work.
BEVA veterinary projects officer Lucy Grieve told H&H the new research “represents some interesting information” – and suggests that equine vets have “a higher threshold” when it comes to injury reporting.
“This may be because injuries are somewhat ‘normalised’ by vets, and it even goes on to state that kicks and being crushed by horses is less likely to prompt concerns and further action. While this would imply that equine vets are understanding of the higher risk they face, it also indicates that those individuals are possibly putting themselves at risk unnecessarily,” she said.
“We have an enormously improved understanding of equine behaviour nowadays, which enables vets, owners and anyone working or involved with horses to approach horse training, management and interventions in ways which are appropriate to equine learning theory. By doing so the risk of injury to all is massively reduced, as is the mental distress or potential psychological harm, to the vet and the horse.”
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