Veterinary Husbandry Placements & Equine Working Holidays
Fulfill your pre-clinical veterinary husbandry hours on an active Sports horse yard.
African Hoofbeatz offers veterinary students the opportunity to gain sustained, hands-on experience with horses in a working yard environment just outside Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
Rather than spending your placement observing from the sidelines, you will become involved in the daily health management of an active group of Thoroughbreds, young horses and competition horses.
You will usually be allocated a string of two to three horses to care for and work with throughout your stay. This gives you the opportunity to learn what is normal for each horse, recognise subtle changes and follow its health, condition, behaviour and training progress over several weeks.
The yard generally has between 8 and 12 horses, with new off-the-track Thoroughbreds arriving as retrained horses move into their next homes. Placements are limited to four participants, creating a personal learning environment with direct support from horse trainer Andy Taylor and his experienced team.
Real Equine Health Management, Not Just Observation
The specialist equine veterinary practitioner used by the yard is based in Harare. Because they are not permanently based on the property, a considerable amount of routine monitoring, follow-up nursing and ongoing horse care is managed on the yard according to veterinary advice and prescribed treatment plans.
This creates a valuable learning environment for veterinary students.
You may see how equine cases are managed beyond the initial veterinary examination: how wounds are monitored each day, how prescribed medication is administered, how rehabilitation plans are followed and how the team decides whether a horse is improving or requires further veterinary attention.
You will not simply see a horse once and move on. You may be able to follow its progress throughout your placement.
Learn to recognise what is normal, identify what has changed and understand when a horse needs further veterinary intervention.
A Placement Trusted by Veterinary Students
African Hoofbeatz has hosted veterinary students from universities across the UK, including the University of Liverpool, the Royal Veterinary College, Bristol and Nottingham.
Students join us to build confidence in horse handling, equine husbandry, wound management, rehabilitation and the everyday care of working and performance horses. With a maximum of four participants at a time, the experience remains practical, personal and closely connected to life on the yard.
Hear From a Past Veterinary Student
Watch our interview with a past veterinary student as she shares what she learned, the practical experience she gained and what it was like combining an equine placement with riding, polocrosse and life in Zimbabwe.