If I become an Equine vet will i have enough time for my own horses and showing?

None of the equine vets I know have time to ride, let alone train to be able to show. They have to show as professionals since they make their living with horses...

I take that back, I do know one vet who rides and shows, but she has her main show horse with a trainer all the time, and rides once a week, and arrives at the show to do her thing and leave. I think she's only a part time vet now too....

It is hard enough having any job and having horses without the job been a vet.

All the vets at the practice we use have their own horses but they also have good partners to help them. I would think keeping your horse in show condition and going out on visits wouldn't work, unless you have someone else exercising them. Our vets do more of the breeding side.

Not necessarily.

You would probably need some help keeping your horse going - i.e putting them on full time livery to guarantee that they get taken care of properly.

And some weekends you may find that you wouldn't be able to go out.

But even vets have days off, and they still have hobbies - so there would be potential.

But if you want to be a vet - you're going to have to be dedicated. A friend of mine's off to uni to be a vet this september - she's pretty much given up horses in her life right now because she can't revise enough to be able to ride, and she probably won't be able to in uni either.

You will need to priorities - especially in the studying years.

If you work as a solo vet you may be very pinched for time. My vet is the co-head of two recently merged clinics and together he and his partner are in charge of about six full fledged vets and a dozen or so vet assistants. All the vets, since they share clients, hours, and are not on-call 24/7 have time for their own horses.

Once you graduate and get a license you will have some time to ride and show until you get better known, but a lot of vets do show some rodeo during and after vet school.

I'm not sure. I do know that if you specialize in something (like do colic surgeries or just eyes or soemthing like that) you tend to have more regular hours and would almost definently be able to own horses and do your thing, since you don't get called out to the stable in the middle of your day off ect. Just general practitioner, maybe but it would be more difficult.

It could go either way... I was a groom for a vet who did the higher end 3 day eventing - And she was quite successful at both - You just have to manage your time!

Just think what is more important to you... Work or pleasure .... Sometimes you can not have both :)

Good Luck

My vet has time to care for her horses & she competes in show jumping every weekend, but she only has 2 horses and they are both on full livery.

no... plain and simple... it will take up 98% of your time if you want to be a successful equine veterinarian... and the other 2% would be used for sleeping..

if you want to be an equine vet it kinda becomes your WHOLE life. you still have time for other things i suppose but you don't have time for that much else.

hope this helps!! =)