Summary This study used a questionnaire to evaluate the working situation, associated injuries and diseases of equine practitioners in the Netherlands. Equine veterinary work is physically demanding, strenuous and predisposes to diseases and injuries. Despite this, male and female equine practitioners alike appreciate their jobs and hardly ever take sick leave. There was no cynical attitude towards their own profession, but there was awareness of the risks and physical consequences, which are more or less taken for granted by the contemporary equine veterinarians. The profession still appeals to new generations of young practitioners, at least in most European countries, but there is no guarantee that this will remain so. It is the task of the profession itself to anticipate the impending changes, by improving conditions for pregnancy and childcare, for example, and to put more effort in educating (future) equine veterinary professionals about their personal health situation and work‐associated risks. The objectives will be to attract well‐prepared professionals and veterinary entrepreneurs.

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Summary The aim of this study was to evaluate systematically the quality of equine veterinary top sports medicine in The Netherlands and the degree to which the expectations in the field are met. Focus was on structure, process and outcome of care. The structure of care is generally satisfactory but there is insufficient transfer of applicable scientific knowledge to the equine community and a lack of regular checks by team vets. The process of care is hampered by the failure in communication between the veterinary and paraveterinary members of a team. For continuation of the excellent international results of Dutch riders and drivers a more collaborative approach, abandoning the often secretive character of equine medicine in relation to sport horses, is necessary.

Summary Quality control and client satisfaction are topics of considerable current interest in both human and veterinary healthcare. Crucial to this discussion is a proper definition of ‘quality of care’. This study applied, to (equine) veterinary care, a conceptual framework designed for assessing the quality of human healthcare and featuring structural deficiency, procedural inadequacy and disappointing outcome as key elements. This was done using court cases against equine practitioners as a yardstick for client dissatisfaction. Applying a system for evaluating the quality of healthcare may be a good way of monitoring and improving (equine) veterinary services, particularly once reliable indices for client satisfaction have been validated.

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