Next-gen Equine Surgeon Hayley Lang on the importance of women representation

Q:  How did you become so specialized in the equine industry?

A:  I inherited my love for horses from my mom. She had horses ever since she was a young girl, like one or two riding horses. She always had and bred a couple of horses while I was growing up too. I got into showing horses when I was younger and then worked for some show horse trainers. I also got into more training and showing as I grew older. 

I loved horses, and I originally wanted to be a horse trainer, but it seemed like a waste of my hard work and high academic achievements, so I decided to go into the veterinary world. After graduating from high school, I knew that I wanted to be a vet and specialize in horses. I pursued a degree in animal science to get the prerequisites to get into vet school. I got into vet school after my first try and I was very focused. Shortly after, I knew that I wanted to be an equine surgeon, so I spent a lot of time in the hospital working with the surgeons.

In my spare time when I wasn't studying and, in my summers off from school, I would be there at equine hospitals just to help out and also extend my knowledge of the industry. I did well at vet school and graduated top three in my class. After vet school, I got an equine internship opportunity in Colorado. Once I completed my one-year internship, I knew beyond all doubt that I wanted to specialize in surgery, so I started looking for a surgery residency. I got placed at Cornell in Upstate New York for my three-year residency, and I stayed one extra year in a fellowship, just focusing on my speciality. Cornell was considered one of the best residency programs at the time. After my residency, I started looking for jobs. Racing became an interest of mine during my residency because we treated many racehorses, so I liked some of the cases we got from racehorses.

Q: What is your current caseload like? 

A: We get to treat a high number of racehorses. We also get a mixture of everything, including show horses, competition horses and pleasure/ pet horses.

Q: Do you enjoy the exclusivity that comes with being an equine surgeon?

A: Yes, because you are not just a Jack of all trades. Being more specialized provides an opportunity to know a lot about that species and especially about that part of veterinary medicine.

Q: Absolutely, that is where you should be to treat horses, especially when they come with higher levels.

A: Yeah. High-level racehorses are essentially like high-level athletes. You need to understand the medicine, surgery, and the beast quite well.

Q: You are probably one of the very few women at a high level in the equine surgery industry. What kind of advice would you give women trying to follow in your footsteps?

A: You have to make yourself the best possible applicant for that position. You will have to give them no choice but to choose you. You also have to be confident and put in the effort in networking. Believe in yourself and refuse to take no for an answer.

Q: Your passion for horses grew over time, and for surgery, it has peaked at equine surgery. How do you find the time to lean in and stay in the game? Is there a level of disillusionment that settles in?

A: I still find work interesting because the experience is always different, even when it looks like you are doing relatively routine things. This is because you are still dealing with a variety of horses and different people. You are dealing with the trainers, the owners, and your staff. Being an equine surgeon also makes you play the part of a leader because you often have to advise owners and trainers. You have to be very confident and direct while doing this because they sense when you are not confident, then they question your advice. When you are confident, they trust and follow your recommendations.

Q: What positive change would you like to see in the industry?

A: I would like to change the fact that women are not given enough recognition in this industry. I struggled with that a lot. I feel I have been denied a chance to treat horses on several occasions because I am a woman, so having a little more respect or equal respect as men would be great. I think the equestrian industry will have no choice because women are getting more involved. 

I also hope to see communication between trainers, owners, and veterinarians be a bit more open and transparent so everyone can be on the same page. This way we can do the best for the horse which ultimately benefit performance for both the trainer and owners.

By nature, women are better communicators. I think it is a struggle because most of the trainers are still men. They do not like conflict, and they are not as good at communicating as women. A little bit more of an open communication style between all parties involved in the horse's life would be great.

Q: Who in the racing industry inspires you?

A: Kim Harding inspires me. She breeds and trains horses. She does not train horses herself, but she breeds them and puts them through training, and keeps them all herself. She hires a lot of female jockeys. I think she inspires me because she cares so much about the horses and their well-being. Many people get caught up in the economic unit versus an animal. 

She loves the animals and wants them to be successful and do well. The most important thing to her is the horse's well-being. She also loves helping people, especially women, because she realizes that it is a little bit more challenging for women, especially trying to get involved in the industry.

I also had several mentors that helped me along the way. They inspired me. A few notable people helped me through vet school and my residency there.

My mom was also always there for me. Although my parents were not very well-off, my mum always ensured that I had what I needed to succeed. I was her only child. Even though she was not wealthy, my mum worked very hard to make sure I had a horse to ride, and I got to do other things to help me develop into what I am now. 

Q: What book are you currently reading?

A: I do not read anything other than my textbooks. Generally, I do not have time to read. If I have any time to do something for myself, I prefer to relax. In my spare time, I am into natural bodybuilding or prefer hanging out with my partner and my dog. 

Whenever I read, it has to be something related to horses, like a condition I want to treat or a surgery I am preparing to perform. I just want to brush up on the information about that subject. 

Q: Where do you see yourself in five to ten years? 

A:  I like to live in the moment as it keeps me very busy. I do not think too much about the future, which sometimes makes it challenging for me to decide what I should be doing in five years, but I hope to do more surgery and spend more time in the hospital as I love working with and teaching our interns. Right now, I do some ambulatory and track work as well.

I would probably continue to build clientele and respect from people in the industry, and hopefully become a well-known and respected household name. I want people to seek me out to perform surgery on their horses.

Although it’s still a male-dominated industry, I am getting there. Building that respect and name takes time and I know that just continuing to work hard and doing a good job will eventually get me more recognized. I am also considering being a partner in the practice instead of remaining an employee. 

Q: What is the biggest challenge facing women in the equine surgery or veterinary industry? 

A: With more women coming into industries like this, and into the horseracing industry, it’s very important for women to remember to maintain a work-life balance. It is still a problem in the industry. 

Women who want to have children find it hard to maintain that work-life balance, especially if they hope to continue and become very successful. Being well known in my field and having a work-life balance is necessary.