Horse emergency? Be ready to haul

Large animal veterinarians are already in short supply, and for horse owners in our region, that crunch just got a little tighter.

If you rely on Equine Field Services through Virginia Tech, there’s an important update to how after-hours emergencies will be handled. Most after-hours equine emergencies will now require hauling your horse to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

What’s changing?

To improve response time and care, all emergency calls after 4 p.m., as well as weekends and holidays, will be handled at the hospital rather than on the farm.

That means if your horse has an emergency, you’ll be asked to bring them directly to the VTH, where a full team and hospital resources are immediately available.

The emergency fee for hauling in will be $80 for Equine Field Services clients.

Why the shift?

This change is coming from a few realities many of us in the horse world are already feeling:

Fewer field service veterinarians available.
A growing number of emergency calls.
The need to get horses seen and treated as quickly as possible.

By centralizing after-hours care at the hospital, the goal is to:

Reduce wait times in critical situations.
Provide faster access to diagnostics and treatment.
Support the sustainability and well-being of the veterinary team.

What if you can’t haul?

They understand that hauling isn’t always possible.

If a veterinarian determines that your horse cannot be safely transported, on-farm emergency care will still be available. However, there is an increased cost:

On-farm ER fee: $175
(This is in addition to standard emergency and trip fees)

What this means for horse owners

This is one of those changes that may take a little adjustment, especially if you’re used to farm calls for emergencies. But in many cases, getting your horse to a hospital setting faster can make a real difference in outcomes.

It’s also a good reminder to: