Becoming an equine veterinary technician requires specialized training in equine studies and passing a certification exam. Duties include assisting veterinarians with exams, administering medication, and communicating with horse owners. Strong research skills and a love for horses are important. Job opportunities include veterinarian offices, horse farms, and sporting facilities.
If you love horses and have a passion for medicine, you could become an equine veterinary technician. This job requires you to help horses recover from a variety of illnesses by helping a veterinarian. You will need a few years of specialized training to perform the many duties of a veterinary technician. However, you will be able to practice this trade in many veterinary settings.
To become an equine veterinary technician, you will need to take veterinary technician classes and specialize in equine studies. Veterinary technician training consists of a two-year associate’s program at an accredited institution. To focus on horses, you must earn this degree and complete a one- to two-year certificate program that specifically teaches you about the health and lives of horses. Upon completion of this education, you must take a veterinary technician exam and apply for certification.
Your primary duty as an equine veterinary technician will be to prepare horses for examinations and assist the chief veterinarian. Some common tasks include properly brushing a horse’s teeth, dispensing medication to a horse, instructing owners on how to use medications, and drawing blood for lab tests. Helping the vet can include calming a horse during checkups, delivering equipment to the vet, providing a second opinion, and performing X-rays. Another great aspect of the job is discussing the horse’s health with its owner, communicating the animal’s problems in terms that can be understood by people who are not veterinarians.
To perform the duties of an equine veterinary technician, you will need to strengthen a few key skills. Your research skills will be important because horses are unique animals that clinicians are always trying to learn more about. Reading medical journals and studying the latest procedures in equine health will allow you to become the best tech you can be. Most importantly, you must love horses who encourage you not just to examine a sick animal, but to take advantage of the opportunity to help them have a better life.
The career of an equine veterinary technician can take many paths. The most common place to work is a veterinarian’s office that specializes in horses or at least focuses attention on larger animals. You can also find work on many horse farms with your training and knowledge. Additionally, horse-related sporting facilities such as horse racing and steeplechase courses often hire veterinary technicians and veterinarians to work on staff in case of injuries.
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