Racetrack Veterinary Services

Racetrack Veterinary Services Racetrack Veterinary Services is an Equine Veterinary Practice based in Mornington covering the Mornington Peninsula, Pakenham and Greater Melbourne area.

Racetrack Veterinary Services is an Equine Veterinary Practice founded by Dr Eoin Kelly, MVB MRCVS in 2014. Based in Mornington, the practice also covers the greater Melbourne area. Dr Eoin Kelly MVB MRCVS grew up on the family farm at St John's Point, Co Down in Northern Ireland. Eoin developed an interest in horses and racing from a young age and worked in the racing industry in Ireland before a

nd during his time at university. Having graduated from the Veterinary College of Ireland at University College Dublin in 2004, Eoin was selected onto the Darley Flying Start Bloodstock Management training program and spent the subsequent two years working with and learning from some of the greatest thoroughbred industry leaders around the world. Time spent with trainers such as Bobby Frankel and John Shirreffs in the USA, Mike de K**k in Dubai and David Hayes at Lindsay Park in Angaston, South Australia gave him an invaluable wealth of knowledge. During the programme Eoin also spent a period of time working at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park racetracks in Los Angeles with popular American racetrack veterinarian Dr. Jeff Blea DVM (current president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners). In 2006 Eoin returned to Ireland to work for renowned racehorse trainer Jim Bolger in Co.Carlow as Veterinarian/Assistant. During his time there Eoin worked directly with the champions Teofilo, New Approach and Finsceal Beo along with a host of other Group 1 winners and other top class horses. With over 200 horses in the stable and an in-house blood-testing laboratory the vet’s role was a busy one! During this time Eoin was also actively involved with yearling selection at the sales (where purchases included New Approach). A stint in the UK as assistant trainer to Kevin Ryan, a renowned trainer of 2yos and sprinters (120 horse stable) followed before Eoin made the move to Australia in early 2009 to take up a racetrack Veterinarian role at Flemington with The Racetrack Practice. Clients at Flemington included Brian Mayfield-Smith and David Hayes, two of the most successful trainers in Australian Racing history. The following year Eoin relocated to the Mornington Peninsula and has built up an extensive client base in the area including racehorse trainers and pre-trainers, event and dressage riders and agistment farms. After five successful years with The Racetrack Practice Eoin founded Racetrack Veterinary Services in 2014 with the help of his partner Caitrin.

It is mandatory for many equestrian organisations to have your horse/s microchipped to the Australian Standard. Our vete...
18/11/2025

It is mandatory for many equestrian organisations to have your horse/s microchipped to the Australian Standard. Our veterinarians at Racetrack Veterinary Services are qualified microchip implanters and implant microchips for a wide variety of horses and their appropriate organisations.

For your horse to be registered/ obtain horse ID passports with the following organisations, it is essential your horse is microchipped:

FEI (Ferderation Equestre Internationale)
EA, EV (Equestrian Australia, Equestrian Victoria)
ASB (Australian Thoroughbred Studbook)
The Australian Studbook requires all thoroughbred foals born from 2003 onwards to be Microchipped.

If you are not planning on competing your horse, it is still very important to microchip your horse and register their details with Central Animal Records. If for any reason your horse breaks out or gets loose, it can quickly be identified.

In recent years, with Bush Fires and Flooding, microchipping has been an effective way of identifying horses who have been separated from their owners.

🐴 Did you know? Thoroughbred racehorses in Australia cannot race with only one eye! 👁️This Thoroughbred yearling came to...
12/11/2025

🐴 Did you know? Thoroughbred racehorses in Australia cannot race with only one eye! 👁️

This Thoroughbred yearling came to us after a grass seed penetrated its eye, causing a stromal abscess — a pocket of infection within the cornea.

The case was promptly treated with antibiotics, antifungals, and anti-inflammatory therapy.
When the initial response to treatment at home was poor, the horse was admitted to Racetrack Veterinary Services for placement of a subpalpebral lavage (SPL) catheter — allowing medication to be administered every 2 hours!

📸 Progress timeline:

1️⃣ 7 days post-injury: Stromal abscess with fluorescein stain uptake (damaged epithelial cells), neovascularization (new blood vessel growth), and corneal oedema (blue tint/clouding).

2️⃣ 10 days post-injury: Increased abscess size and greater fluorescein uptake.

3️⃣ SPL catheter in place: The pupil is dilated with atropine — this relieves pain (cycloplegia) and dilates the pupil (mydriasis).

4️⃣ 26 days post-injury: SPL removed; corneal scarring remains.

5️⃣ 55 days post-injury: Significant reduction in corneal scarring.

6️⃣ 13 months later: Fully recovered — no corneal scar remains, and the horse is now back in training! 🏇✨

A great outcome thanks to early intervention, diligent care, and a dedicated team! 💪

🐴💉 What’s a Nerve Block — and Why Do We Do It?Ever wondered how our Vets find out where a horse’s pain is coming from wh...
06/11/2025

🐴💉 What’s a Nerve Block — and Why Do We Do It?

Ever wondered how our Vets find out where a horse’s pain is coming from when they’re lame? 🤔

We use a tool called 'A nerve block' — a simple and effective diagnostic tool!

👉 Here’s how it works:

A small amount of local anesthetic is injected around specific nerves in the leg. This temporarily “turns off” feeling in that part of the limb.
We then trot the horse up again, if the lameness improves, we know the pain is coming from that area.

By working from the bottom of the leg upward, our vets can pinpoint exactly where the problem lies — whether it’s in the hoof, fetlock, or higher up.

✅ Why we do it:

▪️To accurately identify the specific area causing pain or lameness

▪️To ensure the right diagnostic tests and treatments are performed

▪️To monitor progress and recovery more effectively

History is made! 🙌 Huge congratulations to Jamie Melham, the first-ever female jockey to win both the Caulfield Cup and ...
05/11/2025

History is made! 🙌

Huge congratulations to Jamie Melham, the first-ever female jockey to win both the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup! 🏆🐎

Champion Half Yours—trained by Tony & Calvin McEvoy and bred by the late Colin McKenna—has done Australia proud on the world stage.

Owned, trained, and bred right here at home. What a moment for Aussie racing! 💚💛

04/11/2025
02/11/2025

A great explanation of the veterinary checks required for horses to run in the Melbourne Cup.

Exciting times ahead with the Australian Showjumping Championships and the Spring Racing Carnival just around the corner...
23/10/2025

Exciting times ahead with the Australian Showjumping Championships and the Spring Racing Carnival just around the corner! 🏇🌼

We’ve been hard at work ensuring all our client horses are in top shape for the busy months ahead.

Bring on Spring and Summer! 🌟🐴

Join Our Team at Racetrack Veterinary Services in Mornington.Are you passionate about equine care and ready to make a di...
21/10/2025

Join Our Team at Racetrack Veterinary Services in Mornington.

Are you passionate about equine care and ready to make a difference?

We’re hiring an Equine Veterinary Assistant to support our dedicated vets in providing optimum care to our equine patients.

Your Responsibilities Will Include:
- Assisting vets with procedures
- Organising schedules and preparing veterinary equipment
- Driving our veterinarians (FULL license required)
- Using digital tools and veterinary software
- Helping with documentation
- Setting up for on-site procedures
- Caring for our stabled horses at the clinic

We’re Looking for Someone Who Is:
✅ Confident handling ALL types of horses
✅ Skilled in horse bandaging
✅ Experienced with medication administration
✅ Confident in equine phlebotomy
✅ A competent driver with a full driver’s license
✅ Organised with strong attention to detail
✅ Calm, reliable, and self-motivated

If you have a passion for equine medicine and meet the qualifications, we want to hear from you!

Apply today and be part of our team.

Please share this post with, or tag someone who you think might be interested in the role.

Please send your cover letter and CV to:
[email protected]

Sunny Sundays, horses, and good conversations—just the way we like to spend our weekends! ☀️🐎💬How did you spend your wee...
18/10/2025

Sunny Sundays, horses, and good conversations—just the way we like to spend our weekends! ☀️🐎💬

How did you spend your weekend? Let us know below! 👇

At Racetrack Veterinary Services, we understand that optimal equine nutrition is fundamental to health, performance, and...
17/10/2025

At Racetrack Veterinary Services, we understand that optimal equine nutrition is fundamental to health, performance, and recovery. 🐎

We regularly consult with owners, trainers, and clients to assess feeding programs and ensure each horse is receiving the nutritional support they need—whether for performance, growth, rehabilitation, or general wellbeing.

A well-fed horse is a healthier horse, and nutrition is often the first step toward successful outcomes. 🩺🥕

Learn more about or Flexineb E3 and why recommend this item to clients!What is NebulisationNebulisation is a respiratory...
17/10/2025

Learn more about or Flexineb E3 and why recommend this item to clients!

What is Nebulisation

Nebulisation is a respiratory management technique in which tiny spherical droplets of aerosolised medication are generated and inhaled by the patient.

Why use a Nebuliser?

A nebuliser device enables the horse owner to easily administer care to their horse's airways and lungs. The device incorporates a mask that fits on the nose and a technological means of generating a fine mist. Old style technologies are based on a compressor that plug into the mains supply. Newer technologies are ultrasonic devices, while the most up-to-date devices (e.g. Flexineb E3) incorporate a vibrating piezo component. Each of these technologies can generate the fine mist which ensures the mist goes directly into the airways and ultimately the lungs.

Nebulisation with Flexineb E3

Nortev's Flexineb E3 Equine Nebuliser is unique in that it can be supplied with different types of medication (med) cups depending on the application and drug or liquid nebulised. Some medications or solutions such as Antibiotics and essential oils are a lot thicker (more viscous) than other liquids. These liquids can alter the speed of nebulisation considerably; however, Flexineb E3 can counter this problem by using different speed med cups.

Contact our office today on 03 5975 6586 to secure yours today or visit our website www.racetrackvetservices.com

Address

25 Leilani Court
Mornington, VIC
3931

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