Speaker Series: Dr. Abbie Haffner, DVM
Dr. Abbie Haffner, DVM, joined us on October 10th, to discuss the life of an equine veterinarian. Abbie grew up with horses and was involved with thoroughbreds and quarter horses since she was a child. Her father was a trainer, so she decided that she wanted a career with horses from an early age. Seeing the roller coaster ride of being a trainer, due to mostly things out of one’s control, she knew that being a trainer was not really an option for her because of the inconsistency and luck associated with the profession. However, she knew she wanted to work with horses.
Being a veterinarian offered a consistent lifestyle. Dr. Haffner graduated from Purdue with the in- state tuition being a major factor to go to school there. She served as both an attending vet and a regulatory vet at racetracks in Ohio. She transitioned to a private practice in Kentucky and Ohio, and it grateful to her clients. She warned students about stress and burnout that can be association with veterinarians and the importance of taking care of one’s mental health.
“The newer generation of equine veterinarians feel comfortable telling trainers ‘No’ when that is the right answer for that horse. We can practice better medicine with that confidence that they won’t get a different answer by going to another vet down the road.”