Equine vets have one of the highest injury risks of all civilian professions. To help address this serious issue The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) have shared new guidance for horse owners and yard owners to help understand the minimum safety requirements which should be in place whilst supervising or attending whilst veterinary procedures are being carried out.
From sharing information about the horse which may be useful, what tack and equipment is appropriate, who should be holding and assisting, and what they should wear to protect themselves, to how restraint should be approached, when to stop a procedure in the interest of safety.
Some veterinary procedures can be alarming to equines, particularly those that may be invasive such as scoping, dentistry or endoscopies, and this can often lead to a horse feeling frightened or overwhelmed. It is therefore sensible for those attending to be aware of the risks that this can pose. The guidance provided by BEVA is not only sensible for veterinary procedures, but also sound advice for those performing and present for any other procedures to equines such as clipping, farriery or other treatments.
BEVA also links to their series of short videos, featuring vet and equine behaviourist Gemma Pearson, to provide a quick and simple ways of teaching horses to be quiet, relaxed and safe for injections, clipping, worming, examinations and other veterinary procedures. The videos can be seen on the
‘don’t break your vet’ campaign playlist.
Practices may send owners a copy of this guidance pre-emptively, to help them understand what is required in advance of a veterinary procedure taking place, although it is useful to familiarise yourself with such expectation to provide the best possible experience for yourself, your vet and the equine/s involved.
We also have a copy available on the Service Providers section of the Yard Owner Hub to help yard owners better understand suitable precautions that can be taken to protect all involved.
