Equine Veterinary Surgeon

About Us 

We are looking for an equine vet to join our team at Eden Vets, an independent 13-vet mixed practice in beautiful Fife, just North of Edinburgh. We are a truly mixed practice with a 25% Equine, 35% large (mainly beef with some dairy and sheep) and 40% small animal. We have an excellent reputation for developing and looking after our team and offer a good work-life balance, so you have time to enjoy this amazing part of the UK.  

“We both joined Eden Vets as new graduates. It’s a great team with a mix of young and experienced staff. We enjoy a varied workload with a wide range of animals. There is a lot of freedom to explore our areas of interest and develop our skills, which is a real benefit of being an independent practice. We enjoy dog walks in the surrounding countryside at lunch and many other activities. Some of our recent events have included concerts, trips to the spa and local quiz nights. At the end of the day, there’s always someone to scrub in on an op, discuss a case with, have a pizza with, or rate your tray bake!” Jen MRCVS & Sophie MRCVS. Sophie started with us as a mixed vet and has now moved completely to become an Equine Vet. 

“Eden Vets is a bustling, truly mixed practice with a welcoming, friendly team. Biased, we know, but it’s true! The equine work is separate (we can’t pretend to be disappointed about that), but this doesn’t limit the range of species, flexibility in the work offered, or our ability to explore our interests. We are genuinely a really close-knit team who work well together, always willing to help and to wind each other up from time to time! Although a relatively small mixed team, we have a good range of experience, which leads to an excellent chance to work together on cases, and there’s always someone to call on for support. We all work hard, but we have a laugh, and the team can be a real highlight, especially on the more challenging days. Lastly, as an independent practice with an open boss who has affordability in mind, we get to work without strict protocols and with less pressure on decisions. Certainly, no financial targets to hit here.” Andrew MRCVS & Katie MRCVS

Ainslie graduated from Edinburgh in 1998 and worked in several mixed practices before returning to his hometown in 2003 to open Eden Vets. He started with just two part-time receptionists. Twenty years on, we are now a team of 25 using our experience and knowledge to provide the highest standards of care for all animals, great and small, in Cupar and across North-East Fife.  

Eden Vets started its first purely Equine Vet in 2018 and the team has now grown to 4 equine only vets, with their own receptionist. 

We are looking for an equine vet, ideally with some experience, to join our 4-vet equine team. We have a separate equine rota but can also offer the flexibility to play to your strengths and develop your skills. We care for Shetland ponies, thoroughbreds, and everything in between. The practice is mainly ambulatory, with stables at our clinic base equipped with stocks and hard standing for lameness workups and dental extractions. We have all the usual kit, including digital x-ray, ultrasound, dental rasps, and endoscopy. We also carry out a range of fertility work for our equine clients. 

Our vets have a wealth of experience; Ainslie and Pete graduated from Edinburgh in 1998. Ainslie is interested in stud work and foal care. Pete completed his advanced practitioner certification in equine dentistry, which is his passion when not dealing with all other equine ailments! Hannah started in equine practice after graduating from Glasgow in 2008 and joined the Eden team in 2021. She enjoys stud work, geriatric medicine and equine dentistry. Sophie started with us in 2022 as a new graduate, initially as a mixed vet and then moving to purely equine work. She has become a very capable all-round equine vet and a valued member of our team.  

The rota 

Our equine vets generally work 8.30 am to 5 pm, with no routine weekend consults. We have focused on keeping our clients within a manageable distance of the practice so that you won’t spend hours travelling between calls and can make it home from your last call at a reasonable time. We also have a separate out-of-hours rota for our equine vets. The shared rota is just 1:4 weekends and weeknights and can be managed from home.  

New graduate support and career progression 

We have three VetGDP Advisors, Ainslie, Megan and Jen, who can offer lots of support to new graduates starting their veterinary journey. We won’t throw you in at the deep end; when you join the OOHs rota, Ainslie will be on-call with you to offer advice and provide hands-on support for as long as needed until you feel confident to go it alone. He has mentored many new graduates over the years, and nothing makes him prouder than seeing the smile as a vet recounts the excitement of developing their skills enough to handle their first colic emergency with confidence.  

We will always encourage you to follow your interests, so if you want to take on a certificate or develop your skills in a particular discipline, we will do everything we can to support your career progression. We also have monthly clinical meetings to review cases, discuss ideas and look at ways to improve our clinical standards.

Outside of work

We’re a close-knit, friendly team that enjoys a good get-together outside of work, whether having a drink at the local pub quiz, heading out on a dog walk or our annual Christmas bash.

If you love the great outdoors, there is so much to do here, from wild swimming and mountain biking to paddle boarding in the loch at Lochore Meadows, coasteering along the Fife coast from Shell Bay to Elie, climbing at Lomond Hills Regional Park or walking the Fife Coastal Path. We are just 20 minutes from Dundee and St Andrews, 30 minutes to Perth, and one hour by road or rail to Edinburgh.  

The package

• Salary package of £34,000 - £55,000, with accommodation if needed in a 2-bed house separate to practice
• Company van provided
• 31 days holiday, including bank holidays
• Flexible CPD budget, with certificates supported and funded
• Professional fees paid
• Free Flu vaccination

If you’re looking for a supportive team and an exciting caseload surrounded by beautiful scenery, call us for an informal chat or apply now.