I would like to know the pros and cons of being an equine vet tech and where you went to school for it?
Former. The pay was not enough. I loved the job, but could not support myself on a single salary plus have a horse. I worked 2 additional jobs to support the horse and show once or twice a year.
I did not go to school for it, but the relied more on real life experiences.
I’m not equine… I am small animal. I get paid a little higher than the equine techs in my area. I wouldn’t recommend. I’m currently looking for a new job. It’s a lot of work, long hours, and very little money. Also, I broke my leg in October and have been out of work, because my crutches make me a liability around the clinic and animals. I didn’t go to school, and the poor girl that did had to be trained from the ground up.
Caveat - I did not go to school to be a vet tech. I am not licensed/certified. (yet ironically, I did end up working as an instructor for a vet tech program…) But I have been there, done that and have the t-shirt to prove it. Literally. I started in large animal and worked there for several years, then had another brief go-round in small animal at another time.
Pros: it’s always exciting. Never a dull moment. The work is highly fulfilling.
Cons: just about everything else.
The salary overwhelmingly sucks, especially given the level of risk and responsibility. It’s hard on you physically. It’s hard on you mentally, too, since there ain’t no drama like horse people drama. And bless their hearts, vets aren’t always known for their people skills-- I have worked for some WONDERFUL vets, then I’ve worked for others who were impossible to their techs. Fringe benefits like free/reduced animal care don’t make up for the fact that things like decent health insurance, retirement, or PTO are frequently non-existent unless you work for a major organization or university.
Before enrolling in a program, I recommend spending a good bit of time shadowing someone in the profession. Most vet hospitals are very supportive of education and will open their doors to those interested.
ditto from Canada - was a tech (registered) in a mixed animal practice. Lousy pay, lousy hours, no benefits and high stress physical and mentally. It was a great education for my own use, lousy long term career choice (I am now a farrier).
Former. Mixed practice, learned on the job. Terrible pay, some over nights required. I found the small animal side exceedingly boring. 95% of the patients were there for routine yearly vaccs, fecal, temp, blood draw, HW test or ear infections. Do 20 of those day in and day out and it gets old really fast. We only had a few equine clients and I was not impressed with the primary vets’ knowledge.
I appreciated the experience and training but quickly moved on.
Fringe benefits like free/reduced animal
youngest daughter still works part time as a vet tech (great vet who pays well and takes care of the employees), she has a degree in Animal Sciences which she used to propel her to a high school teaching certificate to teach science and math
but yes you get free animals by working as a vet tech, last one she got was an abandoned kitty… as the vet now says “the most handsome cat he has ever seen”
I’ve worked in vet med on and off for more than 20 years. I am not licensed. I started when I was 16 at a practice that I ultimately ended up managing–was there for 7 years. Then worked in a clinic overseas on a base. Worked for a couple after that including in NoVA. Know a lot of people who are licensed and they can barely make ends meet making 14-20/hour at the top end with no benefits in most cases.
While I VERY MUCH VALUE the licensed techs and what they can do, I can do nearly all of the same things without the expense of the schooling. And I don’t think that it’s a very good financial choice. It’s the kind of job that you’re best off doing when you’re young and have few expenses, have married well, or want to work PT and don’t really need to make much money.
I LOVE veterinary medicine. I love the work. But I know few people who can do the job long term without some kind of supplemental income or a spouse who is bringing home a decent pay check.
Be aware that in some states, licensure is required in order to perform certain tasks like anesthesia. In other states, licensure is not required. Salaries are often very low in states where licensure is not required and on the job training predominates.
Former.
Worked the horse side, and landed the job many years ago without any “formal” education or credentials, and did all the same things as a fully licensed tech, and made the same money too.
The pay was bad, hours worse. Many days I would be starting at 6 am, which meant 530 arrival at the clinic to load up for the day and prepare. Lots of nights spent not getting home until 9/10PM because of emergencies, euths, or a backlog of appointments because, invariably, you will always be late.
The work, as mentioned is physically demanding, not everyone’s horse has manners, and some owners think that’s ok. It’s mentally draining too, as some days you’re dodging kicks, and other days dealing with asshole owners, and some days you’re euthanizing someone’s best friend, or a little baby, and watching that kind of heartbreak is hard to do ore than once or twice.
It took a toll on my relationships, as I was rarely available. Days off were for sleeping or running errands I didn’t have time for during the week. I never had time to ride my own horse, and to be honest it really made me bitter and burned out.
Would I do it again? No. I would have gone to school instead, gotten a useful degree and started a less physically demanding career long ago. That’s not to say don’t do it, OP. Just think long and hard about having a career with low pay, and likely no benefits, and how long you can do that physically - and also weight the risks of getting seriously hurt (with no benefits)
Former equine/small animal tech. Pay was not good (like all salaries in vet med). It is a lot of physical labor- I worked in NICU and spent a lot of days rotating comatose foals, and wrangling the conscious ones. Also a dangerous job- not all horses have good manners, and you always have to be on your feet and aware of your self in space at all times. I worked 60 hours a week and could not move out of my parents home and have a horse. Small animal was better on the physical labor aspect, but still a lot of squatting, crouching, and bending. Pay was worse at the small animal practices I have worked in. I wasn’t licensed so that may have affected my pay/benefits.
I love veterinary medicine- love it to death, and in particular, love emergency medicine, but monetary benefits are limited, pay is not good even for a licensed technician, and there is unfortunately a timer on your career longevity based on your physical fitness. If I had to do it all over again, I would not do vet med- maybe human medicine.
Former small and equine vet tech, not licensed or “trained” though have a BS. Mine was from a lifetime of equine experience as well. Lots of small animal experience too.
Poor pay, long hours, hard physical work (equine especially) that can be dangerous. I handled the stallions for breeding, have a scar on my arm from one and got my lip busted by another stallion. Loved the work, especially the breeding side (stallions, foals, some broodmare, though some were tough to deal with). I prefer equine to small animal by far. High turnover often.
