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Step 1
Attend college and focus your studies on a pre-veterinary major or biology. Take classes like math, social sciences, biology, humanities, physics and chemistry.
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Step 2
Take admission exams to be considered for equine veterinarian programs. Students can take the VCAT (Veterinary College Admission Test), GRE (Graduate Record Examination) or MCAT (Medical College Admission Test).
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Step 3
Find out which exams the college of your choice requires. There are 35 vet colleges in the U.S. and Canada. Schools include Hickey College, Fox College and Sanford-Brown College.
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Step 4
Take courses in two areas, preclinical and clinical. Preclinical studies include a focus on microbiology, physiology, pathology, anatomy and pharmacology. You learn in a lab and classroom. Clinical study involves hands-on training in real situations. In total, you'll spend about 4,000 hours learning the trade over four years.
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Step 5
Use the American Association of Equine Practitioners to find internships and additional training. You don't need to do a residency following graduation, but you can intern at an established practice for more real-life experience.
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Step 6
Become a licensed horse vet by passing state-required exams. Once licensed, you can start working in a private or public practice, for a vet school or other government-run agency.
