How our veterinary nurse’s dedication transformed the lives of horses, their owners, and the vet she works alongside.

Mel McKernan
RVN
Espinar Equine Veterinary Services

The context

I run an independent equine ambulatory practice, and Mel has been with me since the first day I started. Most of our work happens out on yards; we’re often with owners who are worried, facing a difficult diagnosis, or saying goodbye to a horse they love. We work with many horses who are nervous or in pain. They all need time, kindness and someone compassionate to help support them through things, which can be very challenging with long hours, bad weather and lots of driving. But if I’m honest, I’m also nominating Mel because of me. Running your own small business while being the sole working vet and director brings a kind of pressure that’s hard to describe, and it’s easy to stop looking after yourself. The person who needed compassion hasn’t always been a client or their horse – sometimes it was me.

The action

Mel started as my practice manager. She didn’t need to become a vet nurse, but she wanted to be of more help to the horses we saw, so she put herself through training. I find that level of dedication remarkable. She answers phones, takes X-rays, orders stock, packs the car, takes blood samples, does our social media, book-keeping and website, helps with surgeries, and somehow remembers every client and horse by name. She’ll give a nervous horse extra time, treat licks, and show owners how to use clicker training so small procedures aren’t such a big deal. If an owner’s worried, she’ll research and read up on things in her own time so she can explain things in detail. She makes sure I stop for a coffee, and she’ll tell me honestly when I need to face something difficult or give myself a break.

The ripple effect

Owners feel looked after, and they actually understand what’s going on with their horse, which makes a huge difference. Some horses that used to be really difficult for procedures are much calmer now, and that’s down to Mel’s patience. She even built the Knowledge Hub on our website so owners have access to good information when we’re not there. There have been days when I’ve had a lot on my plate, and Mel has been the one staying positive, looking for ways to help and finding solutions. She’s always thinking about how we can do things better (for clients, their horses, for our practice and for me), including getting a better balance between work and home life. She is a genuine friend, not just a colleague, and I really don’t think I’d still be enjoying this job the way I do without her.

Voting opens 13 November.