08/19/2026
PSA:
There has been a lot of discussion on a veterinarian page about how do we handle the untouchables or the dangerous patients.
The truth is- we are not paid to train, we are not paid to catch horses, we are not paid nearly enough to risk our staff and our safety.
Younger me always tried to help, always tried to train things. However, I have noticed this has set the horses up for failure in the future.
Foals should be handled from day one, and halter broke ASAP. Foals like to hurt themselves, making sure they are prepared for emergency care is vital!
Full grown horses should be halter broke, easy to handle and worked on. If they are not they should be able to go through some type of chute system to be worked on without stressing.
If the above are not done, then a professional should be able to charge for their time if they chose to tackle medical care of these horses.
Finally, making sure an actual handler is present at time of appointments. Whether that is the owner or barn help, unless previously discussed. This makes for a smoother appointment and less time is needed to make sure the animal is taken care of fully.
The amount of time it takes to get ahold of the person who knows the horse best during business hours is hard and most of the time we play phone tag. So leaving the office with notes on history, issues, current problems, what is desired and permission to treat as necessary also helps if that person is not able to be present.
Our interest is in the best of care for our patients and owners!
This does not only for for vets, but your equine professionals!
