Factors influencing UK veterinarians' decisions to leave equine clinical practice

Recruitment and retention of equine veterinarians presents an ongoing challenge for employers. Recent research has highlighted factors that contribute to attrition across the profession, but further understanding of the specific challenges faced in the equine sector is needed. This study builds on existing research by exploring the relative impact of different factors on veterinarians' decisions to leave equine clinical practice.

Veterinarians who had left equine clinical practice in the UK within the previous 10 years were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey. The participants were asked about the extent to which various factors influenced their decision to leave, and about the kind of job roles they were pursuing instead.

Both work-related and non-work-related (personal) factors had an important impact on the decision to leave equine clinical practice, and there was often interplay between the two. The three factors with the most significant impact were work related. These were 'excessive workload/unsustainable work schedules', 'the requirement for out-of-hours work' and 'lack of opportunity for professional growth'. The most important non-work-related factors were 'lack of personal time' and 'alternative professional interests'. In comparison to existing research from the entire veterinary profession, the requirement for out-of-hours work and a lack of opportunity for professional growth appeared to be particularly relevant for the equine sector.

The number of participants was relatively small (n = 33), and limited demographic data were collected; therefore, the results cannot be extrapolated to different demographic groups.

This information may help guide decision making to improve retention of a resilient equine veterinary workforce.