Improving Inclusivity in the Curriculum via the Introduction of an Equine Industry-Specific Language eGlossary

The equine veterinary profession is frequently considered inaccessible to veterinary students who have had limited exposure to the equine industry. One of the perceived reasons for this inaccessibility is the use of what is often coined “horsey” language within the industry. If a student has limited experience of the equine industry, there is a potential language barrier to teaching, which may result in poor engagement with equine teaching and placements. The aim of this Teaching Tip is to describe the development and evaluation of a new teaching resource designed to demystify equine industry-specific language. An online anonymous survey based on the Twenty Statements Test was shared via social media and used to generate a list of terms that equine veterinary surgeons, horse owners, and paraprofessionals believed essential for a new graduate veterinary surgeon to understand in the equine industry. The list of terms and their definitions was then developed into an e-book glossary resource that students could download and access offline, ensuring they could access it during placement in remote locations. The eGlossary was presented to fourth-year veterinary students at the University of Surrey. Students were surveyed on their perceptions of the resource in terms of usefulness and whether it improved their confidence in using and understanding equine industry-specific language. This Teaching Tip provides evidence that language can be a barrier to learning and that with the development of an easily navigable eGlossary resource, this barrier can be mitigated. By increasing student engagement and enabling students to feel less like outsiders during clinical placements, this teaching resource could have a direct effect on the proportion of graduates considering a career in equine practice, thereby helping address the current recruitment and retention crisis within the field of equine veterinary medicine.