The Rise of the Keyboard Veterinarian: Why Pay for a Vet When Karen on Facebook Knows Everything?

In the golden age of social media, where everyone with WiFi and an opinion is an expert, the humble veterinarian has become utterly obsolete. Why waste time (and money!) consulting a qualified professional when Luna from the "Holistic Horse Healing and Crystal Therapy" Facebook group can diagnose your horse’s complex lameness from a single blurry photo?

Once upon a time, veterinary advice came from people who, you know, studied for years, passed rigorous exams, and handled actual animals. But that was before the dawn of the Social Media Equine Expert—those noble warriors of wisdom who fearlessly hand out life-or-death advice in comment sections, armed with nothing but their vast experience of owning one pony and watching TikTok reels about alternative medicine.

Got a horse with colic? Forget calling the vet! Just ask Sharon in that group where they all call each other ‘hun’ and insist that peppermint oil, and positive vibes will sort everything. Tendon injury? No need for an expensive ultrasound—Becky swears by a homemade poultice of turmeric, garlic, and ground-up dreams. And let’s not forget the legendary “just chuck him out in the field” cure-all, the ultimate solution for everything from laminitis to broken legs.

Of course, real vets do chime in occasionally—poor, misguided souls who still believe that science and education mean something. But they are swiftly put in their place by Deborah, who read an article once (source: "a friend of a friend said so") that completely disproves modern veterinary medicine. Because obviously, if your horse has survived thus far on the all-natural ‘ignore it and hope for the best’ approach, professional advice is just unnecessary scaremongering.

Even better are the keyboard warriors who diagnose your horse without ever seeing it. Simply post a photo of your horse standing slightly oddly, and within minutes, you’ll have 54 contradicting diagnoses ranging from “he’s just being lazy” to “probably going to die within the hour.” X-rays? Blood tests? Pfft. Overrated. All you need is Karen squinting at your screenshot on her cracked iPhone 7.

And let’s not forget the ultimate badge of social media veterinary superiority: the dramatic, ALL-CAPS, rage-fuelled post declaring that “VETS JUST WANT YOUR MONEY.” Because nothing says ‘I know what I’m talking about’ like an emotional meltdown over a vet daring to suggest that maybe, just maybe, a horse with a festering wound might need actual treatment instead of a homeopathic tea rinse.

So next time your horse is three-legged lame, rolling around with colic, or mysteriously foaming at the mouth, don’t panic! Just log in, find a self-proclaimed expert, and prepare to be bombarded with conflicting, absurd, and wildly dangerous advice. After all, who needs a degree when you have Facebook?