Horses

We provide professional veterinary care for all types of equine, from competition horses to the faithful riding school pony. To meet our equine vets click here. Most of our clients prefer visits, but appointments can be made to bring your horse to Toft Lodge for vaccinations and minor check-ups.

At our sister practice, Bishopton Veterinary Group in Ripon, our equine facilities include stocks, a designated trot-up area, and our modern stable block provides overnight care for horses requiring hospitalisation.

Routine Healthcare - We provide comprehensive routine equine healthcare including vaccination, worming advice and worm egg count sampling. We recognise the importance of being involved in all aspects of your horse's health and well-being. Our aim is to take a pro-active approach to disease prevention to improve the health of our patients.

Radiography - our portable x-ray machine is an essential tool for modern equine practice. We have the option of taking radiographs at the stables/yard, or in our designated x-ray room at Ripon.

Endoscopy - our flexible endoscope allows visualisation and examination of the nasal passages, throat, guttural pouches and respiratory tract. The scope can also be adapted to examine the internal surface of the penis or bladder.

Ultrasound - The ultrasound scanner provides a useful tool for assessing soft tissue problems (eg. tendon and ligament injuries), and is essential in modern stud medicine. The reproductive tract (uterus and ovaries) can be imaged allowing pregnancy diagnosis, assessment of oestrus cycle, and diagnosis of infertility problems. The scanner can also be used to investigate the liver, kidneys, intestines, heart and lungs.

Dentistry - our vets have a full range of dental instruments and tools, and carry out routine dentistry and a whole lot more. We pride ourselves on the quality of our equine dentistry, to improve the welfare and performance of your horse.

Equine Reproduction - Our vets have a keen interest in equine reproduction. We can offer a full service ranging from pre-covering checks and samples, reproductive ultrasound scanning and pregnancy diagnosis, to semen collection and artificial insemination (AI). AI is now a common method of breeding horses throughout the world. Chilled or frozen semen can be used, with chilled having the greater success rate as frozen sperm are more fragile.

Pre-purchase Examination (Vetting) - The purchase of a horse involves an element of risk. No horse is risk-free and via pre-purchase examinations we aim to identify, assess and attempt to quantify that risk for you so that you can come to an informed decision as to whether to proceed with the purchase. The vet will list any clinical abnormalities found during the procedure and then conclude whether or not the horse is suitable for the proposed use.

Our vets perform two types of vetting, 2 stage or full 5 stage vettings. A 2 stage vetting simply involves a thorough clinical examination and gait/soundness assessment at walk and trot. A 5 stage vetting in addition includes observation of the animal at exercise, a rest phase and an extra soundness examination. A full 5 stage vetting is obviously more thorough and provides more detailed information on which to base your decision. A full report will be completed for 5 stage vettings. Sometimes it may be necessary to use other diagnostic tools;  x-rays, endoscopy, ultrasound and other tests can be incorporated in the examination but these are not part of the standard examination.

Identichips - these provide reassurance to owners that their horses are permanently identified and traceable in the event that they are stolen. A simple injection implants a microchip into your horse's neck. Each chip carries a unique number which can be read by a special scanner. This number is registered on a national database together with the owner's contact details. If your horse is found following theft or loss you have an indisputable way of proving that you are the rightful owner.

Horse passports - our vets can complete the identification sketch necessary for all passport applications.