Gold Coast Equine Clinic

16/09/2024

🐴❓"Should I insure my horse?" ❓🐴

Is perhaps better rephrased as "Can I afford to cover costs if my horse needs a vet in an emergency?" or "If something happened to my horse, could I afford to purchase another horse of the same level of education, breeding, age and experience?"

With the constant escalation in cost of living, this discussion is more relevant than ever.

While every costs adds up, we do encourage investing in insurance for your horse - as it will save you in the long run and give you peace of mind that you can do what is needed in the event of injury or illness.

Here are some primary top tips when choosing your insurance provider:
a) Choose an insurance policy that is the right fit for you. Do you want cover against emergencies and accidents only? Or do you want to include mortality, theft and straying cover? High performance racehorses may opt for bloodstock or thoroughbred insurance. Consider if this is right for your business. Are you a riding school, and need public liability cover? Are you a breeder and want to insure in case your primary stallion becomes infertile or incapable of natural cover? It may be worth considering insurance for cosmetic purposes, tack and floats, and personal accident insurance in case of a serious injury incurred while riding or when in control of the horse.
b) Consider using an insurance broker. 'Fitton Insurance Brokers Australia Pty Ltd' are one such company based in Toowoomba, and provide advice Australia-wide.
c) Do not just look at the price and assume all policies provide the same coverage.

Consider excess and limit of financial compensation. When communicating with insurance companies, it is worth noting their customer service and efficiency in responding to your enquiry. This can be a good indicator of how reliable the insurance company can be.

Some options available in SE QLD include, but are not limited to:
- Affinity Equine Insurance
- Petcover
- HQ Insurance
- Logans
- Gow Gates
- AIS Insurance Brokers
- Fittons Insurance Brokers

Whilst we do not provide recommendations around insurance companies and what they have to offer, our vets are well versed in having a conversation around the benefits that insurance for vets fees offers and have a number of client testimonials, where insurance has given them the ability to get the gold standard treatment for their horse. As always you can chat with us when we see you out and about or you can call the clinic on 55742466 to find out more.

29/08/2024

Our clinic will be closed this Friday 30th August, 2024 for the Gold Coast Show Day Public Holiday.

As always we will have a vet available for emergencies. If you have an emergency with your horse, please call us on 5574 2466, then press option 2 to be put through to the on call vet. We will be on call for the Gold Coast Show and all of your other equine needs.

We hope you enjoy the long weekend - it sure looks to be a hot one ☀️! Winter? What Winter!

24/08/2024

🐴🌟 Product spotlight of the week: KER EquiShure ® 🐴🌟

- How it works:
We love this product and use it in multiple clinical situations. The site of fermentation in the horse is at the end of its digestive tract, in the caecum and colon. Hence, for pH buffers to be effective, they must survive for long enough in the digestive tract to reach the hindgut. EquiShure® products are time released, meaning they do not begin to neutralise acidity until they reach the end of the gastro intestinal tract. The encapsulated technology is time-dependent; that is, the capsule delivering the bicarbonate is not degraded until 6 hours has passed, permitting delivery to the caecum and colon, permitting effective delivery of the ingredients.

Useful for:
- High grain or high sugar diets
- Low pH in the hindgut
- Subclinical acidosis
- Hindgut acidosis
- Reduced feed conversion efficiency
- Inflammation and irritation in the caecum and colon
- Horses showing signs of stereotypical behaviours, irritability, or behavioural signs of colic (e.g pawing, flank watching).
- Horses having courses of bute for pain management - recent research has shown it's benefits in reducing the risk of colitis

As with all of our supplements we price match the local produce store and they are part of our loyalty scheme. Pick up from the office in Bundall or we can often drop off if we are passing. And as always if you have any concerns around your horse including recent changes in behaviour please don't hesitate to contact us on 07 55742466

21/08/2024

📣⚡WE ARE RECRUITING - FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER EXTRAORDINAIRE WANTED ⚡📣

Here at Gold Coast Equine Clinic we are looking for another exceptional team member - this time to lead our team in the true sense of the word as Front of House Manager and customer service extraordinaire!

What the role needs:
• Minimum 2 years' experience in a customer serving role
• Reception experience in a vet clinic or in health services is preferable but not essential
• Exceptional customer service skills and a “can-do” attitude
• Basic background equine knowledge

What the role involves:
• Providing outstanding customer service over the phone and face-to-face - including answering sole charge a multi-line phone system
• Welcoming clients and their horses to the clinic
• Managing the daily diary and co-ordinating appointments
• Liaising with vets and vet nurses to ensure efficient daily scheduling
• Financial transactions
• General administration and office tasks as directed - including management of the primary e-mail address – excellent computer skills are a must
• Ensuring a neat and tidy presentation of the reception.
• The role is full time but two part time positions will also be considered for the right candidates - reception hours are 8.30am-5.30pm Monday to Friday.

What you need to be to fill the role:
• You must be a genuinely motivated, proactive and enthusiastic person who, by example, creates and contributes to an amazingly positive workplace culture.
• Have a vibrant and positive attitude, contributing to a friendly and professional working environment.
• Love talking to people and forming a good rapport with them.
• Mature, professional and confident approach when communicating with clients, demonstrating compassion and kindness.
• Have strong attention to detail, the ability to manage competing priorities, show initiative, meet regular deadlines, work well under pressure along with being solution focussed.
• Excellent computer skills.

To learn more about us visit our website at goldcoastequineclinic.com.au or our page Gold Coast Equine Clinic.
If you’re interested in joining a team of great women, in a role with ample opportunities to develop, apply now with your resume and cover letter to [email protected]. We would also love for you to include a brief video/voice recording introducing yourself and why you want to work with us here at GCEC and what you would bring to the role.

Applications close on the 6th September 2024. We will contact you if you’re successfully selected for interview.

14/08/2024

🐴 FAECAL EGG COUNT’s - WHY TO DO THEM? 🐴
The importance of faecal egg counts as compared with regular de-worming is hi-lighted by Virbac in this upcoming webinar. Sign up and learn all you need to know.

With the newly installed Imagyst Faecal Egg Count machine at GCEC we can provide even more accurate FECs in record time.

For the month of September we will be offering discounted FECs at only $25 per horse. You just either need to give them to one of our vets during an on site visit or drop them into the office at Bundall. Take this opportunity to know where your horse is at and implement targeted worming - it will benefit not only your horse but the equine community at large 😁

Webinar! 28th August 2024 🐴
"Best practice worming made easy"
Join Dr. Anne Beasley to learn about the value of faecal egg counts and how they can be used to support a sustainable worm management strategy for your horses.

Prizes on offer and an exclusive promo code for a free FEC test 💩🪱
DATE: 28 August 2024
TIME: 6:30 - 7:30 PM
RSVP: Register now via the link! 👇

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8753443406505783387

06/08/2024

05/08/2024

🐎👏 Smashing Goals - Casey and her loveable steed Sebastion 👏🐎
So delighted for our superstar vet nurse Casey and Seb this weekend at PRARG. You know your team love all things horses when they spend their week working with them and then their weekend tending to and riding them. Casey certainly wins the prize for awake hours spent with our equine friends 🤩!

It’s not been an easy road to get Mr Seb here and to get a 71.25% score in her test proves all the hard work is paying off. Keep smashing those goals 👌😁

31/07/2024

Happy birthday to all the horses today. Whether they be big ones, little ones, race horses, performance horses, pleasure horses or paddock ornaments!

Makes sure you give your equine friend a treat today to help celebrate their birthday and all the joy they bring us. 🎊🎁🎈🎉🎂

28/07/2024

What an amazing Olympic Cross Country spectacle this evening! Showcasing the absolute athletes both horse and rider are 👌. Thoughts with Don Quidam for a speedy recovery - Kevin McNab putting the horse’s welfare first by pulling him up. And good luck to Chris Burton and Shane Rose tomorrow, where an individual medal is certainly on the cards. And a sneaky good luck wish to Team GB for the overall 🥇🤞🤞. And we still have the Show Jumping and Dressage to come 😁😁🐎!!

22/07/2024

We are beyond proud of sponsored rider and colleague Ella Jacobs and her beautiful mare Kalahari (known to us as Squid!). What an amazing achievement this weekend. Showing that hard work and dedication always pay off 👏🥇. It’s been a year of smashing goals so far with starting vet school and now this. Many more great things to come, that we are sure. Go girls 🐎👏👌☺️

21/07/2024

🐴🌟 Product spotlight of the week - 4cyte Epiitalis Forte® 🐴🌟

Having covered off on our favorite hoof products we now move onto joint health. First cab off the ranks is one of the products in the 4cyte range Epiitalis Forte.

⚡ How it works:
This chondroprotective nutraceutical promotes cartilage regeneration as chondrocytes proliferate. This has an anti-inflammatory effect, assisting with pain relief.

⚡ Useful for:
- Stiffness or lack of willingness to work
- Offsetting the effects of osteoarthritis and general wear and tear
- Poor conformation leading to injuries
- Inadequate nutrition (e.g an imbalance in the Ca : P ratio), contributing to ill-formed bones
- Neonatal disorders, such as angular limb deformities, or excessive box rest early in life
- Can be used in conjunction with intra-articular medication, or to aid recovery post orthopaedic injury / surgery.

This easily administered oral supplement is non-swabbable and non-invasive. Clinical improvements should be seen within 7-14 days.

Sounds like the right fit for your horse? Please see one of our friendly staff in clinic or on the road for purchase - we price match local produce stores.

And don't forget all of the products in our Weekly Product Spotlight are eligible in the loyalty program, allowing you to get extra discounts when you regularly buy from us.

17/07/2024

📣 RELOCATION, RELOCATION, RELOCATION 📣
We are excited to share that Stage 2 of our relocation is happening on Friday 26/7/24. This will be our permanent office location in the Bundall precinct. Our new address will be 26 Equine Court, Traintech 2000 Building, Bundall, QLD 4217

Until then you will find us located in Jim Griffiths Way next to the Gold Coast Turf Club Events Centre within the gravel park.

We can't wait to share Stage 3 of the relocation which will be the brand new facility at Advancetown. More on that in due course.

14/07/2024

🐴🌟Product Spotlight of the Week Series 🐴🌟
To accompany our previous hoof supplement, GCEC would like to introduce

CORNUCRESCINE HOOF BARRIER

- What is it?
Acting as a waterproof / moisture barrier in damp conditions, this hoof oil strengthens the hoof wall and sole to prevent it softening and breaking away. The protective “one way barrier” allows the hoof to breathe and repel excess moisture.

- When to use it?
This product is suitable for use in wet and muddy conditions. Furthermore, during prolonged stabling where the horse may be standing in urine soaked/damp bedding. Softening of the sole and walls increases the risk of bacteria entering the hoof through small splits and cracks and this in turn can result in abscess formation.

- How do I apply it?
Ensure the hoof is clean and dry. Apply with supplied hoof brush, starting below the coronary band. The sole and frog can be dressed as well. For greatest efficacy, apply before exposure to wet and muddy conditions. Product dries clear.

📣 Pro tip: For damaged hooves, we recommend using Cornucrescine Hoof Barrier on the hoof wall, soles and frog, in conjunction with Cornucrescine Hoof Ointment (applied to the coronary band).

- Does this product sound right for your horse?
Please ask one of our friendly staff in clinic or on the road - we will provide the product to you - price matched with local produce stores. You can call us on 55742466 or pop into our office, currently opposite the GCTC Event Centre on Jim Griffith Way to pick up your product.

09/07/2024

Go Whiskey Dancer 💃 🐎! This filly has come such a long way. A really great demonstration of fantastic team work. Well done to the team at Lee Freedman Racing and congratulations to Associated Bloodstock who own this lovely girl 👏☺️👌

07/07/2024

🐴🌟Product Spotlight of the Week Series 🐴🌟

To accompany our previous hoof supplement, Hoof Gold, GCEC would like to introduce CORNUCRESCINE HOOF OINTMENT

- What is it?
This ointment is full of biotin, zinc, MSM, calcium, oil, protein, magnesium, copper, iodine, vitamin C, manganese, and selenium - all of which are bioavailable and readily absorbed. This product assists unhealthy, cracked or fragile hooves to grow out, and encourages new healthy hoof to grow instead. Application by hand or with a toothbrush stimulates keratin producing cells.

Top tip 📣 - This product also assists regrowth of hair after rubbing or scarring.

- How to use it?
Massage into the coronary band to promote healthy hoof growth. Weekly use maintains healthy growth of hoof horn. Daily use accelerates hoof growth and improves hoof quality.

- Does this product sound right for your horse?
Please ask one of our friendly staff in clinic or on the road - we will provide the product to you - price matched with local produce stores. Usual contact of 55742466 or drop into our temporary office on Jim Griffiths Way opposite the Gold Coast Turf Club to pick some up 😃

06/07/2024

🐎😀 Mudgeeraba Show Support 2024 😀🐎
This time last week we were delighted to support the Mudgeeraba Show as vet on call. The Show was bigger and better again this year and we look forward to being a part of it in the years to come.

Huge congratulations to a number of our clients who competed both days with some amazing results. A special cheer for Kim Taunton and her beautiful mare Kirralee Contender (aka Connie) who took home Supreme Hack of Show 👏👏.
And following on from this big day out spent 8hrs on the Sunday helping us with the last day of moving!! We’re eternally grateful 🙏🙏

05/07/2024

🙏Thank you Team - Phase 1 complete and onwards into Phase 2 🙏
After a very busy two weeks for the team at GCEC we are now well and truly out of our old location at 15 Ken Russell Court, Bundall and operating out of our temporary office adjacent to Jim Griffiths Way, directly opposite the Gold Coast Turf Club Events Centre.

I can't thank the team enough for their hard work, motivation and "muck in" attitude over the last few weeks. A special thanks goes to Casey Pierpoint , Ella Jacobs , Kim Taunton and for throwing themselves into the move and turning their hand to whatever was asked of them! Thank you Joanne Parkes, Emma Lynch, and Imi Kate for ensuring our clients and their horses are still looked after. I really am truly grateful to have such an amazing team of women. Tonight we raise a glass to exciting times ahead for the clinic and it's amazing team 😃👊🙌🙏 🥂

01/07/2024

After a massive effort from the GCEC team, we are all moved and settling into our temporary office in Jim Griffith Way near the GC Turf Club events centre.

You thought moving house was a big job...try moving a Veterinary Clinic!!!

We get to do it all again in about 5 weeks when our Bundall office is ready to move into Equine Court.

For you, everything remains the same and it's business as usual. A reminder that if you need to order medication for your horse, please try to give us 24 hours notice to make sure it is ready for you when you want to collect it.

Thank you to all our valued clients for their well wishes during the move. We look forward to servicing you and your horses out of bigger and better premises soon.

Stay tuned! 🐴🏡

27/06/2024

Wishing all the equine competitors at the Mudgeeraba Show this weekend the best of luck. Gold Coast Equine Clinic is proud to support the show with an on call Vet available for any emergencies. 🤞🤞🤞 you won't need us. However, if you do please call 5574 2466 and press option 2 for the on call Vet. 🏇🥇

25/06/2024

⚡💥 RELOCATION UPDATE - JIM GRIFFITHS WAY - GCTC 💥⚡
Well after a lot of logistics we are fully set up at our temporary office for the next 5 weeks on Jim Griffiths Way (adjacent to the Gold Coast Turf Club Events Centre). The map below shows exactly where you can find us and if you put Jim Griffiths Way into your satnav you can't miss us.

Thank you to our amazing team for all of your efforts this last week - without you all this move just wouldn't have happened! And we are not quite finished yet 😉! And thank you to and for making the IT and phone transition a smooth one.

Our service to clients will continue to remain unaffected in our new location and we look forward to welcoming you to our new satellite office at the newly refurbished Traintech Facility in Bundall in a month or so and thereafter at our purpose built facility in Advancetown later in the year.

As always our telephone number and email remains the same. Thank you for your ongoing support and we are excited for the months ahead and the new offering of services we look forward to sharing with you in due course.

18/06/2024

⚡💥 RELOCATION UPDATE 💥⚡
The time has come to move out of our current location and work towards larger and better facilities for our clients.

We will move to a TEMPORARY office this Friday 21/6/24 located in Jim Griffith Way Bundall. Which is off Racecourse Road and directly in front of the Gold Coast Turf Club Events Centre. The new location is very well sign posted so you can't miss it!

Our telephone number and email remains the same.

Around the end of July, we will move again into a permanent office within the newly renovated Traintech facility in Equine Court, Bundall.

While all the moves are happening, behind the scenes our new 18 acre equine property located in the Gold Coast Hinterland will be developed. With medical facilities, stables, arena, spelling and rehabilitation services - unlike anywhere else on the Gold Coast.

Nothing really changes for you, our valued clients. We will continue servicing you and your horses to the highest standard in the months and years ahead, providing a 24/7 on call service.

While we leave behind lots of memories, we look forward to building new exciting ones with you and your horses.

14/06/2024

🐴🌟Product Spotlight of the Week Series 🐴🌟

With the equine supplement market littered with products with no real science behind them we thought we'd share some of the products we use as equine professionals and why.

First cab off the ranks this week is HOOF GOLD

How it works: The high concentration of biotin, MSM, methionine and zinc blend with specific vitamins, minerals and amino acids, acts as a substrate for hoof wall growth.

Useful for horses with:
- Laminitis
- Cracked heels
- White line disease
- Wall separation
- Thin soles
- Cracked walls

Does this product sound right for your horse?
Please ask one of our friendly staff in clinic or on the road - we will provide the product to you - price matched with local produce stores.

12/06/2024

An amazing event on the Gold Coast over the next few days. So much to learn 👩🏻‍🎓👌. We hope to see you there and don’t forget to take advantage of Virbac offering a great insight into your horses worm burden with complimentary faecal egg counts ☺️

Virbac is happy to present a lunchtime presentation on strategic worming with a special guest from Gold Coast Equine Clinic. So join us at Mastery of The Horse on Friday 14 June at 1:00PM, to learn about faecal egg count testing and strategically worming your horse.

But get in quick, as the first 40 customers to visit the Virbac stand will receive a FREE faecal egg count test with Gold Coast Equine Clinic! Simply click the link below, fill out the form and bring your horse's poo sample with you!

https://nam.dcv.ms/DGBpkzDAGU

22/05/2024

🐴👩‍⚕️ GASTROSCOPE DAY - THURS 6th JUNE 👩‍⚕️🐴
We have a few spaces left for our Gastroscopy Day at the clinic on Thursday 6th June.

We are offering the opportunity for you to screen your horses for Gastric Ulcers (a very common ailment in horses) at a much reduced cost of $150 including sedation.

So if you want to take advantage of this offer and the few remaining spaces please contact the clinic on 07 55742466 to book your space or click on the link on the image and complete the online enquiry form here https://forms.gle/gA7dpaDqZctXJGLT9

16/05/2024

☺️ WELCOME DR IMI ☺️

We would like to extend a warm welcome to the newest member of the GCEC team Dr Imilla (Imi) Dunn. You will see Imi out and about with Dr Rhian or Dr Gene as she gets to know the Gold Coast and our lovely clients over the next month or so.

Imi graduated from the University of Adelaide in 2023, fulfilling her dream of becoming a horse vet that she's had since she was 4yrs old when she had her first pony, a naughty Shetland named Sarah! Being a South Australian girl, she has always wanted to work on the east coast of Australia, falling in love with the sunshine and coastal lifestyle, hence for the move to the Gold Coast!

Imi has a particular interest in equine medicine, foal care and welfare. She enjoys the rapport built with clients. Having solidified some core equine skills at a recent internship, Imi is excited to expand her skill set and learn as much as she can from Dr Rhian and team at GCEC.

In her downtime, Imi enjoys spending time with her three cats "River", "Ocean" and "Bean", being by the ocean, partaking in yoga, or gymming with friends!

We are delighted to have Imi on board and know you will all love her and the passion and care she has in spades for the horses and people she works with.

14/05/2024

Well if this doesn’t capture the true athleticism of the horse nothing does! What phenomenal, trusting athletes they are 👌🐎

12/05/2024

Happy Mothers Day to all the horsey mum's out there today. Thank you for all you do for your horses and horsey mad family members.

We hope you have a lovely day and feel free to post pics in the comments of your horsey mothers day! Whether that be with human kids or your equine family member. 🐴💙

10/05/2024

As we head into the cooler months (can you believe it’s May already) we find that Hendra virus is more likely to re-appear within the horse community.

Hendra virus, while rare, remains and will always remain a risk to horses and people. Hendra has not gone away and the single most effective way to protect your horse, your family and those people who come into contact with your horse is vaccination. No horse vaccinated against Hendra has ever been diagnosed with Hendra virus.

Hendra virus is VERY difficult to distinguish from other illnesses, particularly in the early stages of infection. Cases can present with vague symptoms such as;

Depression
Lethargy
Pyrexia
Inappetence
Neurological symptoms

These are all very commons symptoms Vets see in horses each week. Therefore, ANY unwell horse that is not vaccinated MAY have Hendra Virus!

Gold Coast Equine Clinic will attend a sick, unvaccinated horse and take all the necessary precautions, however treatment options are limited without Hendra Exclusion results being received (and if your unlucky enough for our visit to be on a Friday afternoon the results won't be received until the following Monday). Thus as you can imagine diagnostic and treatment options are delayed and this can in some circumstances mean the difference between your horse surviving or not. This is a position we as vets never want to be put in.

Horse owners have an obligation to protect their horses, their family and anyone who comes into contact with their horse against this very preventable disease. There is a lot of misinformation out there in terms of the "dangers" of vaccination. These are unfounded claims and we as vets would never recommend a treatment or vaccine if we thought it would be compromising your horse's future health!

Thus we strongly encourage all horse owners to ensure they are 100% aware of their horse's vaccination status and if a decision is made not to vaccinate that it is with all knowledge of the true facts and risks this puts you and your horse in.

Please call the clinic with any queries and we hope that we can assure you that vaccination is the way to go for you and your horses. To book your horse in for a Hendra vaccination please call the clinic on 5574 2466.

04/05/2024

⚡⚡ TETANUS ANTI-TOXIN SHORTAGE ⚡⚡

There is currently a shortage of Tetanus Anti-Toxin vaccine in Australia.

This shortage reminds us of the importance of tetanus vaccination for ALL horses ANNUALLY.

Unfortunately, around only 25% of horses in Australia are vaccinated against tetanus. Therefore unvaccinated horses are at potential risk of acquiring tetanus if they injure themselves or undergo surgical procedures whilst unvaccinated. Just the same as humans are.

Tetanus can and does kill horses. The only protection is vaccination.

Stock was predicted to arrive in April 2024. However, stock levels have not been replenished as yet.

With the lack of Tetanus Anti-Toxin currently, if your horse does get a wound we have no way of providing immediate protection against tetanus. Thus it is even more crucial now than ever before, that you get your horses tetanus course up to date. It only involves two vaccinations 4-6 weeks apart and an annual booster thereafter. It's a vaccination you can purchase from us and administer in the muscle yourself if you are capable or we can attend to administer the vaccine (taking advantage of one of our zone days can helps to cut costs further).

As we know our four legged friends always like to get themselves into trouble, with only a small wound needed to allow entry of the tetanus bacteria! So don't delay and call us on 5574 2466 to book your horse in for vaccination or arrange collection of the vaccine.