Mare and Foal Sanctuary's video: How to prepare your horse for the vet

It’s really important that our horses feel confident during veterinary procedures, not only to ensure we can effectively meet their healthcare needs, but for the safety of our vets and handlers too. Preparing horses for veterinary interventions provides them with essential life skills and enables us to effectively administer any basic or emergency veterinary treatment they may need. Simple procedures to prepare them include taking their heart rate, preparing them for both intramuscular and intravenous injections, preparing them for having eye drops, having their feet and legs touched and having bandages put on. Research has found that being an equine vet in the UK appears to carry the highest risk of injury of any civilian occupation in the UK. They play an essential role in our horse’s lives and we have a responsibility to take appropriate steps to keep them as safe as possible. A confident, well prepared horse who has been trained using kind and positive training methods presents a much lower risk to the safety of our vets and helps ensure that we are able to meet the needs of our horse. By providing appropriate training and preparation for veterinary procedures we can improve the welfare of our horses through lowering their stress levels and increasing their confidence around vets. For more information, advice and support, visit www.mareandfoal.org