Opinions regarding equine veterinarian attire and attributes: results of a horse owner survey.

Summary

• This study surveyed horse owners to understand how the attire of equine veterinarians influences their perceptions of the veterinarians’ traits such as competence, trustworthiness, and compassion.
• Findings revealed that while most clients prioritize knowledge and trustworthiness, veterinarians wearing scrubs or coveralls were viewed more favorably than those dressed casually.

Introduction and Objectives

• The study aimed to investigate how horse owners perceive equine veterinarians based on their clothing choices.
• Specifically, it sought to determine whether attire affects clients’ confidence in veterinarians and how different outfits correlate with key veterinarian attributes.

Methods

• A survey was conducted between August and October 2022, mainly distributed through equestrian social media pages.
• A total of 765 respondents who were horse owners or lessees completed the survey; 763 responses were included in analysis after filtering.
• Participants were shown images of a male and a female veterinarian wearing seven different outfits, ranging from casual to business attire.
• Respondents rated each image on seven traits: easygoing attitude, friendliness, compassion, trustworthiness, professionalism, competence, and perceived cost of services.
• The survey also asked which traits were most valued and their acceptance of veterinarians having tattoos, piercings, or non-natural hair colors.

Demographics

• Respondents were predominantly female (97.4%).
• Most (64.6%) lived in rural areas, reflecting a typical horse owner demographic.

Key Findings

• Only 37.1% of respondents agreed that what a veterinarian wears influences their confidence level.
• The most highly valued traits in an equine veterinarian were:
  • Knowledge/competency (highest ranked)
  • Trustworthiness
  • Compassion
• Attire perceptions:
  • Coveralls and scrubs were most strongly associated with knowledge/competency and trustworthiness.
  • For compassion, the preferred attire was a polo shirt and jeans.
  • T-shirts and jeans were generally ranked lowest in association with positive traits, except compassion, where polo shirt/black pants scored lowest.

Interpretation of Results

• Clients generally prioritize veterinarian expertise and trust over appearance.
• However, attire can subtly influence perceptions of professionalism and competence.
• Scrubs and coveralls, which imply a clinical and practical approach, boost perceived competency and trustworthiness among clients.
• More casual clothing like T-shirts may undermine these perceptions despite being comfortable or non-threatening in other contexts.
• Compassion is less influenced by clinical attire and is seen as compatible with more casual, approachable clothing.

Additional Insights on Appearance

• The study also surveyed opinions on tattoos, piercings, and non-organic hair colors, but detailed results on these aspects were not provided in the abstract.
• This likely reflects ongoing debates about professional appearance standards in veterinary practice.

Conclusions and Practical Implications

• Equine veterinarians’ choice of attire does influence some client perceptions, particularly for competence and trustworthiness.
• Wearing scrubs or coveralls may help vets present a more professional and trustworthy image to horse owners.
• For traits like compassion, a balance between professionalism and approachability in attire (such as polo shirts and jeans) may be optimal.
• Veterinarians should consider these client perceptions when choosing their work attire, especially in contexts where building client confidence is critical.