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Five Minutes With... Equine Vet - Julian Willmore BVSc

Published on Sunday, June 26, 2011 in Five Minutes With Horsezone

Julian Willmore was the Foreign Vet Delegate at the Asia Games

- Guangzhou China, 2010

Julian Willmore has worked as a horse vet in South East Queensland, both in private practice and for a short time on staff at the Queensland University. He has been a FEI vet involved in dressage, eventing and showjumping disciplines, travelled to many of the World Equestrian Games, Olympics and recently worked with the FEI, in conjunction with the Singapore Government, to vet horses sourced from Australia for the first ever equestrian Youth Olympic Games held in Singapore in 2010.

"The performance of Australian horses and riders has, of recent years, shown the rest of the world that we are a very competitive nation thanks to all concerned in the sport," says Julian.

Horsezone caught up with Julian to find out more about life as an equine vet.

What prompted your decision to become a horse vet?

My parents introduced me to horses at a young age, my mother was a rider and grandfather, who was a headmaster in country Victoria, went to school in a horse and buggy, so I was surrounded by animals from a young age

Have you ever competed with horses of your own?

Like most young riders, I started in Pony Club at nine years old with my sister and brother and did all the pony club events. I will always remember the teams of four riders that competed in the finals at the Brisbane Royal Show main arena. Our family became involved in just about all aspects of competition, dressage, showjumping, hacking, and sports such as polocrosse, and tent pegging.

What do you enjoy most about the job?

Ive spent over 30 years vetting horses and am still working with them and still enjoying the experience. Over the years there have been many exciting advances in equine medicine and surgery that have enabled better veterinary care and this has flowed on through to owners and riders and provided me a great deal of satisfaction.

Is there a downside to being a horse vet?

Often  the work hours are long and sometimes the work is continuous.

What are the worst sort of cases to be called out to?

The worst cases are the ones you know ahead of time are often likely to be life threatening, such as a nasty leg fracture or a persistently colicky horse, because no one wants to hear that their horse cant be saved and has to be put down.

Strangest case you've ever treated?

Strangest cases are the horses that fall into swimming pools and can't find an easy way out, horses that wander into houses (often Shetlands) and becomes colicky eating  the groceries in the kitchen!  I will always remember the horse with the red manure that had everyone worried but had only eaten a large bag of red beetroot.

Am sure there are many, but can you think of the most rewarding case?

Rewarding cases are always those that go well and achieve the outcome of a return to health, but often the most rewarding is the horse that wins a race or a showjumping round, after it has recovered from a bad injury or lameness.  That's when you feel that all the work has proved worth the time and effort by everyone concerned.

Is there a breed you find easiest to handle from a vet's point of view?

There are  bad apples in every barrel, but obviously some breeds are hotter than others and size doesn't seem to matter.

You've done a lot of work here and overseas as an official FEI vet, can you tell us about those events and what it was like working in such roles?

I've had many vetting roles at National events here in Australia but very memorable opportunities were being part of the FEI vet commission at the Sydney Olympics and at the 2008 Olympics.  When the horses were in Hong Kong, I was part of the treating vet team, so I have seen completion from both sides. Last year as Foreign Vet delegate for the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China I not only had to work with horses but often non-english speaking foreigners. Highs have been seeing all horses safely completing cross country courses at major events and lows are finding horses lame or retired from competition when ridden by very young junior riders that are dejected with disappointment.

Most famous horse you've ever treated/vetted at an event?

There have been quite a few in racing, dressage and  showjumping. Its probably unfair to separate them, some have won group races and others gold medals.

What are the next FEI events you'll be involved with?

At this stage, its back to a local World Cup Showjumping round here in Queensland.

You work regularly with exporting horses from Australia to Asia - what type of horses are mainly exported and what does your role involve?

The majority of horses going to Asia are racing Thoroughbreds. Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines and Korea are regular destinations. Working on these horses involves identification certificates for the Australian Stud Book as well as health checks and blood tests for infectious diseases during their quarantine.

Tips for anyone who wants to become a vet?

Both small and large animal ownership seems to be on the increase, especially horses, so there will be plenty of work, plenty of challenges and certainly plenty of events here and overseas that need vets. It's a rewarding occupation so if you're a young student or a mature age student, I would encourage you to work hard with determination and you will reach your goal.

What would you be doing if you weren't a vet?

I was always interested in electronics, something quite different from horses I know and would have entered that field, if horses hadn't been so prominent in my early days, but whatever I was doing I'm sure there would be a horse somewhere nearby.

How do you relax?

I breed some Brahman cattle, time off on the farm riding around them without the phone works for me!

Thank you so much for your time, Julian, and for sharing details of life as a horse vet!


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