The planet's coolest jobs: horse vet
Here at Lonely Planet Kids we’re celebrating our friends in the animal kingdom with the publication of our Animal Atlas this month. So we thought it would be a great opportunity to talk to someone who helps animals every day for our series on the planet’s coolest jobs. We caught up with Jess White, who works as a horse vet based in Newmarket, England, to find out what her job entails, why she wanted to do it - and why some horses regularly travel the world.
Describe your job in five words!
Rewarding, outdoors, sociable, varied, practical
What does your job involve?
Vets can look after many different animals but I specifically focus on horses and I work at Newmarket Equine Hospital which, as the name suggests, is a hospital just for horses. Newmarket is a big centre in the UK for horse-racing so much of our work involves looking after racehorses and helping to breed and safely deliver foals who will go on to become racehorses. We also look after ponies, leisure horses and anything else in the horse family, although we don’t have many zebras on our books!
We’ve never even heard of an equine hospital before! Tell us about it.
It has specialist vets, surgeons, operating theatres, x-ray rooms and an intensive care unit, all so we can provide our horses with the specific care and attention that they need.
What does a typical day look like for Jess?
That’s one of the best things about being a vet: no single day looks the same as another and the job changes with the seasons. A lot of my days are spent out and about in my car seeing patients and clients, but in the spring when most foals are being born I spend more time with them either on stud farms or in the hospital. Each day brings something new and different, and you never know what the next phone call will bring. There’s plenty to keep us busy!
Do you get to travel with your job?
Yes! Most of our practice’s patients are within an hour or two of Newmarket, but we often get asked to see patients further away in the UK, Europe or further afield. We also get to fly with horses that are being transported around the world either for racing or breeding reasons. Being in a plane with up to 70 horses is a fascinating experience. We fly with them to keep an eye on them both in the air and when they arrive at their destination. The horses travel remarkably well, especially when they travel in groups, and thankfully we have few problems onboard.
What’s the best thing about your job?
Apart from the hugely rewarding task of helping sick animals get better, one of the best things about my job is that as a UK-qualified vet I can work in many different countries. Vets are needed all over the world, working with many species in different roles, from caring for pets to zoo vets, research and charity work. This flexibility gives us a vast number of exciting opportunities and the job can take you nearly anywhere you want to go!
One of the words you used to describe your job was sociable. Isn’t it just about looking after the horses?
Yes you might think that but every animal has a human owner so working well with people is a key part of being a vet. You need to listen properly to understand what is going on, explain things clearly so that the correct care can be given and reassure the owners that their loved animal is in good hands.
Have you always loved horses?
Yes, I’ve been lucky enough to have horses in my life since I was a little girl. They are remarkable animals because of the trust and relationship they can build with us. Humans first domesticated horses about 5000 years ago and since then we have used them as work animals, they have fought with us in battle and in more recent times we have trained them to jump, race, ‘dance’ (when doing dressage) or simply be affectionate companions. Every single day at work something will remind me of just how trusting, intelligent and unique horses and ponies are.
What advice would you give someone who wants to become a vet?
If you love animals and caring for them, and you think you might like to be a vet then the best thing you can do is get lots of hands-on experience with animals. Lots of people want to be vets, and the more experience you have the better your chances of getting into a university. Help your local dog-walker, volunteer at your nearby farm, or maybe get involved in mucking out horses at the weekend, anything! Speak to your local vet too if you have one. We all started our journey to becoming a vet when we were young, and so can have lots of useful advice to help you along your way.
