
Reading list
FOR EXAMINATIONS FROM 2026 - CANDIDATES WILL BE TESTED ON KNOWLEDGE FROM Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery (Hinchcliff et al)THIRD EDITIONCandidates will not be tested on content relating to orthopaedic disease in SECTION 2 with the exception of those relating to muscle disease (ie Ch 9, 10, 26) |
The entire examination will emphasize information taken from the current veterinary literature. Selected information will also be taken from the general biomedical literature. With respect to the veterinary literature, current veterinary textbooks and papers published in the refereed journals listed below should be the primary study area.
Examination questions are formulated based on current available evidence. Individual case reports, rarely form a robust evidence base, since they usually reflect the unusual or previously unreported information.
Candidates are advised to prepare for the examination by a systematic review of recent textbooks and periodicals. Your mentors can help you select appropriate study material.
WE CANNOT DEFINE CONCLUSIVELY THE BODY OF KNOWLEDGE NECESSARY TO PASS THIS EXAMINATION – the following list is ONLY A GUIDELINE.
This list is subject to annual review (before 1st of July before the examinations)
This list has been amended (italics) for examinations from 2023 onwards
Textbooks (most recent editions of):
- Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology (Hall and Hall)
- Atlas of Equine ultrasonography (Kidd; introduction and section 3)
- Cardiology of the Horse (Marr)
- Equine Clinical Immunology (Julia and Felippe)
- Equine Dermatology (Scott and Miller)
- Equine Emergency and Critical care (Southwoood and Wilkins)
- Equine Fluid Therapy (Fielding and Magdesian)
- Equine Infectious Diseases (Sellon and Long)
- Equine Internal Medicine (Reed, Bayly, Sellon)
- Equine Neurology (Reed and Furr)
- Equine Ophthalmology (Gilger)
- Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery (Hinchcliff et al) - third edition
- Handbook of Equine Parasite Control (Nielsen)
- Interpretation of Equine Laboratory Diagnostics (Pusterla and Higgins)
- Veterinary Epidemiology (Thrusfield)
Journals
To include papers published (not in early view)
- No earlier than 5 calendar years from before the first day of the examination
- No more recent that 6 months before the first day of the examination
For example for an examination on 1st Feb 2026 papers assessed during the examination must have been published between 1st February 2021 and 1st August 2025
- Equine Veterinary Education
- Equine Veterinary Journal
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care
- Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine
- Veterinary Clinics of North America
- Veterinary Journal
Most recent versions of ACVIM and ECEIM consensus statements (irrespective of year).
Candidates frequently ask about the importance of individual case reports in their study. Case reports are a valuable contributor to the literature and provide useful understanding about how others may approach different clinical presentations. However by necessity, represent the unusual or atypical management of cases.