Why Veterinarians Get Kicked

It comes as no surprise that a Swiss study of kick injuries to veterinarians found that the risk of injury to veterinarians treating horses is highest when performing painful procedures on the horse. In the study, Sabina Jaeggin, assistant at th

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It comes as no surprise that a Swiss study of kick injuries to veterinarians found that the risk of injury to veterinarians treating horses is highest when performing painful procedures on the horse. In the study, Sabina Jaeggin, assistant at the Vetsuisse Fakulty in Zurich, described completed questionnaires from 216 Swiss veterinarians. The questionnaires reviewed the professional experience of the veterinarian, whether the veterinarian was a horse owner, and the percentage of equine patients in the veterinarian’s practice. Relative to kick injuries, the questionnaire surveyed the seasons during which the injuries occurred, the type of procedures underway, the treatment locations (stall or pasture), and chemical restraint of the patients.


According to the study researchers, horses in Switzerland tend to be stabled more often due to inclement weather, meaning the horses can have pent-up energy that might make them more likely to kick. Also, because of low temperatures, horses are often treated indoors where vets might not have much room to get out of the horse’s way. Kick injuries are more common in spring and summer, notably when more reproductive exams are performed.


The researchers described 216 kick injuries, but they say the prevalence of kick injuries among veterinarians was relatively low: 25% of the vets have never been kicked by a horse, 62% were kicked once or less than once per year, 10% were kicked two or three times a year, and 3% were kicked five to 10 times per year.


A surprising finding is that vets who own horses are kicked more often than those who don’t. Said Jaeggin, “A possible explanation for this is that their frequent exposure to horses lowers their attention and caution

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