Simon Constable's Equine Vets

Simon Constable's Equine Vets We are a privately owned family vets practice that is dedicated to supporting owners and their horses

The hot weather is looking to continue and it is vital we take extra precautions to look after our horses and ponies.Mak...
26/05/2026

The hot weather is looking to continue and it is vital we take extra precautions to look after our horses and ponies.
Making sure water is clean and plentiful to prevent dehydration and potentially colic as a result. Check water levels several times daily. Mashes with lots of water a will help fluid intake and most have electrolytes as part of the mash. Alternatively, horse electrolytes are readily available.
The grass has grown very well and the usual risks of laminitis are here even with the bigger horses.
Overnight grazing is often a better answer provided the stables during the day are not too hot but fly rugs and masks are important all the time.
Sunscreen over pink areas prevents sunburn if daytime turnout but this can wash off.
Enjoy the sun but keep your horses and ponies safe!!

Yet another positive Equine Influenza finding in our region.Biosecurity and vaccination are vital to prevent further spr...
23/05/2026

Yet another positive Equine Influenza finding in our region.
Biosecurity and vaccination are vital to prevent further spread.

Simon, Ziynet and Ben made the trip over to Leahurst Equine Hospital last night for one of their hugely informative CPD ...
22/05/2026

Simon, Ziynet and Ben made the trip over to Leahurst Equine Hospital last night for one of their hugely informative CPD Events.
These evenings are hosted by the equine clinicians and yesterday we were honoured to have two professors, Dave Stack and Harry Carslake in the room.
The whole thing was hosted by imaging specialist Alison Talbot, followed by a lively lecture on information from the most recent Equine Herpes Virus outbreaks by Amie Wilson.
Alex Gillen, who is one of the main surgeons, showed the great results for Sarcoids using electro-chemotherapy especially to help sarcoids around the eyes.
The unreliability of prepurchase neck x-rays was talked about by Connie Bowker-Pritchard and she mentioned the importance of a good clinical examination.
Wendy Talbot from Zoetis talked about the use of the Equine Herpes Virus vaccine and a recent study.
Harry Carslake rounded the evening off with a summary of the use of the SGLT2 inhibitors in Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) which we have found to be a game-changer in the treatment of laminitis.
A late night back home but definitely worth it!!

Foaling is in full swing at the moment and along with these beautiful babies comes a lot of stress worrying about the ma...
15/05/2026

Foaling is in full swing at the moment and along with these beautiful babies comes a lot of stress worrying about the mare and foal’s health.
Most things happen very quickly with foaling and the immediate post-natal period- many of the important events such as drinking, meconium passing and the mare “cleansing” the placenta must happen within hours.
Generally most things happen by 6 hours so if they haven’t, veterinary attention is needed urgently!!

Strangles Awareness Week.In 2025 there was a 77% rise in diagnosed Strangles cases which is rather worrying given the se...
08/05/2026

Strangles Awareness Week.
In 2025 there was a 77% rise in diagnosed Strangles cases which is rather worrying given the serious nature of the disease.
Also despite there being a vaccine which has been proven in a real world situation, there are many horses still not vaccinated.
Add to this the lack of quarantine for new horses on many yards, it is little wonder Strangles remains a constant threat to our horse population.
The vaccination course is recommended as two vaccinations 4 weeks apart followed by a booster at approximately 6 months followed by annual vaccinations (unless an outbreak occurs when an earlier vaccine is recommended).
When taking advantage of our Free Zone Day, this can be done for as little as £60 per vaccine at the moment and provides good protection.

06/05/2026

Strangles Awareness Week.
This video shows the removal of chondroids from the guttural pouch of a “Carrier”.
The Carrier Status is one of the main reasons for the continued spread of Strangles.
Carrier animals show no or minimal clinical signs but may spread the bacteria intermittently especially when times of stress may reduce immunity.
Naive or susceptible horses then become infected when they come into contact with the nasal discharge and after a short incubation period, as little as a few days, become ill.
This is why new arrival should be isolated, at the least, or have a guttural pouch endoscopy to take samples for culture and PCR.

It’s Strangles Awareness Week 2026 and a reminder about how serious this disease can be but also how preventable………
04/05/2026

It’s Strangles Awareness Week 2026 and a reminder about how serious this disease can be but also how preventable………

01/05/2026

…….as promised from yesterday, this is the video after the nebuliser.
The amazing improvement in both the rate and the depth of respiration can easily be seen. There is no longer the huge abdominal “lift” which is necessary to force out the air when the lungs are compromised.
This has been essential in this case because the other management changes and the drugs became less effective and flare-ups were occurring despite substantial doses.

30/04/2026

Equine asthma flare-ups are not uncommon at this time of year - at the back end of winter the hay can become much dustier and there are challenges such as high pollen counts which out huge pressure on the respiratory system.
Rapid treatment is essential using bronchodilators (Ventipulmin), anti-inflammatory drugs and even atropine as “fire-brigade” treatment to get the breathing under control. Steroids are the anti-inflammatory of choice for effectiveness but have the dangerous side-effect of laminitis in susceptible horses or ponies and sometimes may not be given because of the risk.
Management changes are essential to prevent recurrence and involve prolonged hay soaking, dust-free bedding, improved ventilation and avoidance of pollen etc (if possible).
The video shows a recent case of an 18 year old mare with an acute attack of equine asthma that was difficult to control with the above drugs.
A nebuliser was used to provide targeted medication into the lungs and allowing the use of steroids because of the much smaller dose required via the lungs compared to much higher levels when given by injection or orally.
Tomorrow we will upload the video AFTER the nebuliser and management changes to show the tremendous improvement …….

Address

Heaps Cottage Equine Clinic
Radcliffe
M261DY

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Simon Constable's Equine Vets posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Simon Constable's Equine Vets:

Shortcuts

Share

Category