North West Equine Vets is part of the XL group. We benefit from the publication of their newsletters, which you can now read online.
I sit down to write my welcome to this Spring edition of Equine Matters at the end of a busy Friday.
Traditionally a quieter time of year for us equine vets, it would be fair to say that this past February has probably been the busiest most of us have experienced, all thanks to three little letters: flu. With many equestrian associations advising that horses which had not been vaccinated in the last six months receive a booster injection, vets up and down the country have been doing their best to ensure we can protect the UK horse population as much as possible. The cases of Equine Influenza have pushed infection control to the forefront of owners’ minds and whilst the situation appeared to be settling down at the time of writing, we should take this opportunity to brush up on best practice! Plan Prevent Protect is a guide produced by XLVets in conjunction with the Animal Health Trust to give horse owners and yard owners an introduction to the contagious diseases that you should be aware of, as well as helping to form a plan for your individual yard to keep your horses as safe as possible.
This issue of Equine Matters finds me writing my welcome on board a train home from a Continuing Professional Development course in the Midlands. As vets, we are required to undertake a significant number of hours of further learning each year to allow us to remain practising. Although this may be a requirement, updating our knowledge and skills to offer the best care possible to you and your horses is also a cornerstone of XLVets Equine. I very much hope that via Equine Matters we can also help to keep you, as horse owners, up to date with the ever-changing face of equine veterinary care. With that in mind, we have a variety of topics in this edition, including an update on PPID (formerly known as Cushing’s disease) - it’s not all old ponies with teddy-bear coats we are talking about here either, and some very thought-provoking information about equine genetic diseases that you may not have ever considered before. And finally, we wish all our readers a merry Christmas and a happy, healthy 2019.
As I am writing this, the UK has been enjoying some of the best summer weather most of us can remember! For those of us with horses, we spend so much of the time working around poor weather conditions and trudging through mud that I think we can safely say life is a lot more fun in the sun! Unfortunately, there are a few conditions which rear their heads whilst it is warm and I for one have seen many horses with skin problems over the last month or two. Jane King from North West Equine gives us an insight into itchy horses in this edition, with a number of useful tips should your horse have struggled with this problem. Similarly, the hard ground has brought a number of lameness problems to light and whilst finding the cause of your horse's lameness can feel like a daunting prospect, Wendy Furness of Scarsdale Vets takes the confusion out of this process with her informative article on how a lameness work-up works! So once again, I invite you to sit back, relax and enjoy this edition of Equine Matters.
We are looking at a wide range of problems and conditions in this issue; Suzanne Duncan of Clyde Vet Group tells us about a relatively uncommon but very serious condition of young foals whilst Julia Shrubb of Ashbrook Equine Hospital gives some very helpful practical advice on a subject likely to be well known to many of you; laminitis. Over recent years, we have heard much in the media about the rise of so-called 'superbugs' like MRSA and whilst it may not be initially obvious where horses fit into this, Ben Gaskell takes a look at how we can take responsible steps as both horses owners and as vets to make sure we are not contributing to the problem. A very important read! I very much hope you enjoy this informative and hopefully thought-provoking edition!
Welcome to the ‘Autumn/Winter’ edition of Equine Matters... ...produced by XLVets Equine practices. With the dark nights drawing in and storms Ophelia and Brian to keep us company, it’s already feeling rather like winter is here! This issue has a mix of topics and something to appeal to everyone. Winter often brings coughs and sneezes and in this issue Colin Mitchell takes us through some of the different conditions that can affect your horse's respiratory system. Older horses may also find winter a more difficult time so hopefully some information on their care from Kate Chessman will prove useful over the coming months and beyond. Lastly, I’d also like welcome our guest editor, Sally Hodgson from Hook Norton Veterinary Group.
Welcome to the Summer issue of Equine Matters! Hopefully as you sit down to read this we are enjoying some lovely summer weather. The better weather also sees us out and about more with our horses and in this issue Clare Smith explores how you can keep your horses healthy when they are travelling. Tying up can also be an issue when levels of work are suddenly increased and Katherine Gray explains why this happens and what you can do to help prevent the problem occurring. Summer tends to be a busy time of year for anyone involved with horses, so sit back, relax and I hope you enjoy this issue of Equine Matters.
Welcome to the Spring edition of Equine Matters. In this issue we have a focus on new beginnings with Breeding and new foals; returning your horse to work for the upcoming season; and advice for those considering the purchase of a new horse.
Now is the time of year for many people to experience the start of a new academic year, and we move into Winter and Spring.
Changes have been happening here at XLVets Equine as well, with Kirstie Pickles, my former co-editor, moving on to pastures new and sadly stepping down from her editorial role at the same time. I’d like to thank her for all her hard work in the past year, and wish her all the best in future ventures.
At the same time, it gives me great pleasure to welcome Susan Donaldson, from Clyde Veterinary Group as the new co-editor of Equine Matters. Susan has contributed many times to Equine Matters and we look forward to having her on board as part of the team.
We hope you enjoy this issue and it provides some valuable insights into problems or conditions you may come across in the
less inclement seasons. Happy reading!
The XLEquine campaign in 2016 is ‘Picture of Health’, which puts preventative care of the horse at the forefront of everyone’s
minds. In this issue we are echoing this theme with several of the articles aimed at what we can do to keep our horses healthy.
We have included articles on how to keep your horses healthy while training and whilst travelling or when at competitions; as well as a really useful ‘pull out and keep’ section for the yard. We answer more of your questions, tackle tricky topics, as well
as report on some fascinating case studies. One lucky reader will win one of our fantastic first aid kits for their selfie - find
out who inside!
2016 has brought some exciting changes for Equine Matters with two new editors on board! We thank Lee Pritchard for all his
excellent work over the past two years, and we are looking forward to the challenge ahead.
We are bringing some new features to Equine Matters - Ask the Expert, The Hot Potato, Happy Endings, ‘Send us a Selfie’ competition; as well as our Cut Out and Keep section. We have chosen to look at topics challenging to all of us including diarrhoea, dealing with difficult horses, and tips for preventing springtime laminitis in ponies; as well as packing in much, much more!
On behalf of XLEquine, we hope you have had a great start to 2016 and happy reading.
In this issue we focus on 'kissing spines' including real life surgical case examples. We look at diseases affecting horses as we approach the winter months such as mud fever, dehydration and lymphangitis and
provide an insight into nursing the sick donkey.
We have chosen to discuss a potential emerging viral disease in West Nile Virus as well as continue to provide an insight into XLEquine with three more featured veterinary surgeons.
In this issue we focus on osteochondritis dissecans in horses, equine grass sickness and equine neurological diseases as well as the exciting collaboration with the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust.
We look at eye disease in horses with a focus on recurrent uveitis and a surgical feature on eye removal. We have chosen to discuss the growing concern of obesity amongst horses and ponies
as well as continue to provide an insight into XLEquine with three more featured veterinary surgeons.
In this issue we focus on the equine foot with articles on foot balance, radiography of the equine foot and equine keratoma. We look at angular limb deformities in foals with a real life case study and a surgical feature.
We have chosen to discuss anti-doping regulations and their ability to maintain fair competition as well as continue to provide an insight into XLEquine with three more featured veterinary surgeons.
In this issue we focus on sarcoids including real life medical and surgical case examples. We look at genetic diseases of horses, heart
disease and provide an insight into donkey health. We have chosen to discuss equine vaccination as well as continue to provide an insight into XLEquine with three more featured veterinary surgeons.
In this issue we focus on the exciting new area of regenerative medicine including real life case examples. We look at tendon injuries, muscle diseases and provide you with an update on headshaking in horses. We have chosen to discuss the equine passport system
in the UK as well as continue to provide an insight into XLEquine with three more featured veterinary surgeons.
In this issue we focus on reproduction with articles on artificial insemination, breeding from the problem mare, foal diseases and embryo transfer. We also feature bio-security with advice on nursing the infectious horse and two real life cases of infectious disease outbreaks.
In this issue we focus on the problems of the older horse
and our approach to better care of our Old Friends. We look at dentistry, management, and nutrition and give you the facts to help
make the difficult decision of when to say goodbye.
Welcome to the Summer 2013 edition of Equine Matters. This issue focuses on the foot; with articles from both the veterinary and the farriery perspective on foot lameness, balance and confirmation. As well as looking at Colic, including causes and treatment options.
Welcome to the Spring 2013 edition of Equine Matters. In preparation for the 2013 season we focus on poor performance; how it can affect horses and the diagnostic challenges of this complex condition, including three real life case examples.
Welcome to the Autumn/Winter 2012 issue of Equine Matters. In this issue we focus on the respiratory tract with articles on equine herpesvirus, nasal discharge and recurrent airway obstruction. We also feature suspensory ligament injuries, with advice on managing your horse on box rest and controlled exercise following injury.
Welcome to the Summer 2012 edition of Equine Matters. In this issue we focus on back pain in horses, including two real life case examples and information on the use of both physiotherapy and acupuncture in its treatment. We meet a travelling equine surgeon and provide advice on how to prepare you and your horse for equine surgery.
In this issue we look at the preparations for the equine events for London 2012 and find out which XLVets Equine members will be involved. In conjunction with the XLVets Equine spring lameness promotion we also look at what?s involved in a lameness work-up and follow two real lameness case examples through their treatment and return to work. We also have a feature on arthritis and discuss treatment options, including the use of joint supplements.