The Premier was travelling along the Western Ring Road when he made the surprise consultation yesterday, coming to the aid of a horse injured after a tyre blowout.

A horse float had overturned and a little further down the road he found an injured harness racing horse.

“I was able to use my veterinary skills to give the horse the once-over. It had some cuts and abrasions, but they were of a minor nature,” Dr Napthine told reporters.

“(The owners) were very pleased to see somebody assisting, and when they understood it was the Premier, who was a qualified veterinarian, I think they were very pleased.”

Dr Napthine earned a bachelor and master’s degree in veterinary science at Melbourne University in the early 1970s. 

He worked as a vet and administrator for the Department of Agriculture, mostly based in Hamilton and south-west Victoria, before being elected as the member for Portland.