Rossdales Hertfordshire

11/12/2024

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞'𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝?

As the Christmas holidays approach, we would like to give our clients plenty of notice regarding ordering repeat medication for their horses and ponies to ensure you don’t run out over the festive period. Please don't forget to order enough medication to last your horse between Christmas and New Year, as soon as possible.

We cannot guarantee Royal Mail postal delivery dates, so we recommend that you let us know your requirements as soon as possible, or where possible that you arrange to collect your horse’s medication from the office, to make sure you don’t run out before New Year.

Please contact the practice on 01462 790221 and allow 48 hours for authorisation by a vet and to process your prescription request.

06/12/2024

Researchers at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies have made a significant breakthrough in the battle against Equine Grass Sickness by identifying the probable cause as a neurotoxin produced by microorganisms in pasture.

The discovery could lead to novel treatments and improved diagnostics for this devastating disease.

The full paper, published by Equine Veterinary Journal is free to read for 12 weeks.

Read more via the links below 👇

https://edin.ac/4ggMpPm

“After years of feeling deflated by the lack of progress, it's wonderful to see this significant breakthrough."

Researchers have identified the probable cause of equine grass sickness as a neurotoxin. The breakthrough has the potential to lead to novel treatments and improved diagnostics for this devastating disease.

Read on - https://bit.ly/4f5McNQ

22/11/2024

Earlier this month, Sophie Edwards’ horse Peanut was the star of Horse & Hound’s ‘Hunter of a Lifetime’ feature (7 November). Sophie, who is a Vet Tech and Office Assistant at our Hertfordshire practice, explained how Peanut, who she has owned since he was 5 and is bred to showjump, has gone from being “the most dangerous, most scary horse I’ve sat on” to being her horse of a lifetime.

Sophie initially spent more time on the ground than on Peanut’s back due to his bucking, rearing, napping and spinning, resulting in serious injury not only to Sophie but also to a professional event rider enlisted to help her.

Against all advice, Sophie turned Peanut away for a year before re-backing him, long-reining and lungeing for a year and a half, then hacking out. Sophie said: “He’d been broken in young and jumped from an early age, so we went back to basics, just having fun.”

Having made progress, Sophie decided to try trail-hunting Peanut, which he took to well after living in a field next to hounds at the local hunt kennels and going out on hound exercise. At only 15.2hh, Peanut has plenty of scope over “serious hedges”, and incredibly he is now also team chasing, which Sophie says he loves. They are pictured here jumping an ‘enormous’ hedge in their first Intermediate team chase.

Sophie said: “Peanut’s only 9 and still throws some shapes, but now it’s out of excitement. He broke me, and I’ve gone through hell with him, but I’m very glad I persevered. We now know each other inside out.” Of his appearance in Horse & Hound, Sophie says: “I’m full of pride and happiness for him.”

You can follow Sophie and Peanut on Instagram .of.a.hedgehopper., or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561896191383

📸 Victoria Dickens Photography and Paul Buddin / Simple Photo Shots

19/11/2024

Winter has arrived in Hertfordshire! This lovely snow scene was taken by vet student Saffron, who is currently on EMS placement with us and was at a yard in Welwyn this morning with vet Stephanie Fitzgerald.

We welcome vet students to apply to see practice at Rossdales Hertfordshire – see our website for more information about Externships opportunities at Rossdales and keep an eye on our social media for details of available EMS placements.

rossdales.com/externships

11/11/2024

Today, we honour not only the brave men and women who sacrificed for our freedom but also the countless animals who served alongside them. From courageous horses and messenger pigeons, to loyal dogs and even camels, these animals played a crucial role in our history, offering unwavering support in times of conflict.

As we remember the fallen, let us also pay tribute to the animals who gave their lives and helped shape the world we live in today. Together, we honour them all.

08/11/2024

It’s World Radiography Day and today we celebrate the incredible advancements in diagnostic imaging that help our vets provide accurate diagnosis and the very best care for your horses.

In the past year, our Hertfordshire team has been responsible for capturing diagnostic imaging studies from 825 equine patients. Radiographic examinations (radiography (X-ray), CT, scintigraphy (bone scan) and MRI) have been performed on more than 5,250 horses, ponies and donkeys by our skilled teams across all our practice sites, including Exning, Newmarket, Hertfordshire and Lambourn.

04/11/2024

Fireworks season can be a worrying time for horse owners and stressful for your horse or pony. Even the calmest of horses or ponies can get spooked or worried by the unusual sound and sight of fireworks, or the sight or smell of a bonfire. By taking these steps, you can to help keep your horse safe and minimise the stress caused by fireworks, both to you and your horse.

🎆 Find out the dates and locations of local firework displays. Speak to the organisers of organised displays, and also to any neighbours who you know are planning their own celebrations, to ensure you know what time the fireworks will be starting and finishing. Warn them that there are horses nearby and ask if they can be considerate about the direction in which they set off the fireworks.
🎆 Maintain your horse’s normal routine as far as possible, keeping them where they will be most calm. That may be in the stable, ideally with other horses nearby for companionship, and you may consider leaving a radio on to help dull the noise of the fireworks. If your horse normally lives out and their field is not too close to the fireworks and is secure, this may still be the best place for them.
🎆 Ensure the stable or field is completely secure and that there are no sharp or protruding objects on which your horse could injure itself easily.
🎆 Make sure your horse has plenty of hay to keep him occupied (even in the field) and consider giving your horse some extra treats, which will help to keep them distracted.
🎆 Ensure someone is able to be at the yard during the fireworks, or is able to carry out regular checks. Try to keep calm yourself so you don’t alarm the horse and if your horse does become agitated, keep a safe distance away to prevent getting injured yourself.
🎆 Have emergency contact details to hand, such as your vet practice’s phone number.
🎆 Check your insurance is up-to-date, including third party liability cover. Should the worst happen, you could be liable if your horse causes an accident or damage. If your horse sustains an injury, you may need to rely on your insurance to pay the vet bill.
🎆 Ensure there is a fire policy in case of any rogue fireworks, including access to a fire extinguisher, water, etc., as well as an evacuation policy for horses in the yard.
🎆 If you have serious concerns about keeping your horse calm when you know there are going to be fireworks nearby, contact your vet in advance of these events to seek their professional advice.
🎆 After the event, check your horse to ensure they have not injured themselves (e.g. cuts, overreaches etc.) and also carry out a thorough check of the field, including water buckets and troughs, to ensure that no stray firework debris has landed in the field.

If you wish to speak to a member of our veterinary team, please contact us on 01462 790221.

23/10/2024

𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 (𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲) - 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞

We are seeking to appoint an experienced Equine Veterinary Surgeon to join our busy ambulatory team based at our Rossdales Hertfordshire Practice. This exciting role involves working with our extensive and varied client base, which includes leisure horse owners, professional yards and stud clients.

The Hertfordshire team practise all forms of first opinion equine work, with access to fully mobile equipment and the opportunity to investigate cases fully on yard. The Practice is supported by Rossdales Laboratories, and our Equine Hospital, Diagnostic Centre and Medical Intensive Care Unit for seamless referral for diagnostic, surgical and medical procedures.

Experience in stud work will be a distinct advantage, as the role could encompass a significant amount of sports horse AI work, embryo transfer and assistance on Thoroughbred studs for the successful candidate, with support from a board-certified reproduction specialist.

This is a full-time role working 40 hours per week Monday to Friday. The role will include contribution to the out of hours on-call service. Others hours, including Bank Holidays, may be required in accordance with the Practice needs. Part-time hours will be considered.

Excellent CPD and benefits package.

See the full job description and how to apply here:
rossdales.com/jobs/associate-ambulatory-herts

03/09/2024

Congratulations to Tara Morris, who has been awarded the combined VMG/ILM Level 5 Diploma in Veterinary Leadership and Management, having recently passed with merit. Tara successfully completed a total of 8 modules to achieve the diploma and has undertaken this alongside her full-time role as Office Manager at Rossdales Hertfordshire.

Tara is now the second holder of this prestigious diploma within the Rossdales Veterinary Surgeons team, alongside Philippa Blake, who is Clinical Services Manager at the hospital.

VMG - Veterinary Management Group

21/05/2024

𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐮𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 - 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐏𝐃 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐬

𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟏𝟐𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 - 𝟔.𝟎𝟎𝐩𝐦- 𝟖.𝟎𝟎𝐩𝐦
𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥, 𝐄𝐱𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭

Rossdales is delighted to welcome internationally renowned speakers Prof Jacqui Matthews and Dr Joe Pagan to our Equine Hospital next month for an evening of CPD for vets, with a focus on how to optimise your equine patients’ gastrointestinal health.

The evening, which is free to attend, aims to help improve understanding of currently available diagnostic techniques and how best to integrate these into equine helminth control programmes. The impact of nutrition on gastrointestinal health will also be explored, with an update on current research and how this can aid our management of gastrointestinal disease.

Registration/buffet at 6.00pm with talks starting at 6.30pm. See full programme and speaker profiles on our website. https://tinyurl.com/5zh2k6v3

𝐄𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲.𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐩@𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬.𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰!

08/05/2024

These two lovely foals arrived recently and our stud vet Steph Fitzgerald visited them to carry out the recommended mare and foal examinations 24 hours post foaling. These checks include a full clinical examination of the mare, ensuring that the placenta has been fully expelled, and an examination of the foal, which includes a Serum ImmunoglobulinG (IgG) blood test to assess whether the foal has ingested enough antibodies from the mare’s colostrum to boost its immune system.

To discuss your mare or foal, or if you have any questions regarding breeding your mare, please call us on 01462 790221 to speak to one of our dedicated stud vets.

01/05/2024

Our equine vets get to see all types of animals during their travels to see our clients - and it seems that Billy the goat is as excited as we are about Spring finally arriving!

Remember that warmer Spring days will increase grass growth, so for those with laminitis prone horses, it's vital that you recognise the signs early and ensure a low calorie diet, strictly managing your horse or pony's grass intake (or remove grass completely from the diet during a laminitic episode, as advised by your vet).

Take a look at our laminitis fact sheet and be sure to seek the advice of your vet if your horse or pony starts exhibiting any signs of laminitis!
https://www.rossdales.com/assets/files/Laminitis-A4-v4.pdf

30/04/2024

Have you booked your place on our Rossdales Veterinary Surgeons Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course, which takes palce on Thursday 16 - Saturday 18 May at Rossdales Equine Hospital?

There are a few places available on this long-established and popular - The British Equine Veterinary Association approved course, which will be presented by eminent specialist clinicians and focuses on the principles and practical application of musculoskeletal ultrasonography.

All delegates will have the opportunity to spend plenty of time putting theoretical knowledge learned in the classroom into practice, with practical sessions with normal horses and clinical cases.

Book your place now 👉 https://tinyurl.com/msuc-course

⭐ Just announced: we have approved the upcoming Rossdales Veterinary Surgeons Musculoskeletal Ultrasound 3 day course ⭐

That's right, our Education Committee have approved the programme for this popular, long-established course that explores the principles and practical application of musculoskeletal ultrasonography.

And the best bit, BEVA members save more than 10% on their registration.

📅Thursday 16 - Saturday 18 May 2024
📍Rossdales Equine Hospital, Exning, Newmarket
🔗https://bit.ly/3xtnGpN

19/04/2024

Our stud vet Stephanie had an enjoyable morning visiting the beautiful Lottie, who can be seen waiting patiently for her pregnancy scan.

Lottie is a 9 year old purebred Shire mare, who belongs to Rossdales Hertfordshire client Steve Hagger of Pelham Shires. The Shire is a breed that is currently classed as “at risk” by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and we are all hoping that Lottie will be adding to the number of Shire horses in UK next year when she has her own foal.

Find out more about the Shire and other rare breeds here https://www.rbst.org.uk/shire-horse

09/04/2024

𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞'𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐄𝐠𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭?

If you haven't already done so, now is the time to think about submitting your horse’s first faecal egg count of the year as part of your targeted and responsible worming protocol. We recommend that a sample of each horse’s faeces is submitted to our laboratory four times a year (from early spring to late autumn/early winter).

With increasing levels of resistance to anthelmintics (‘wormers’), a targeted and responsible worming protocol is very important to protect your horse or pony against these internal parasites.

A critical part of worm control is regular dung removal from paddocks and, during the grazing season, carrying out WECs, which look at how many ‘roundworm’ eggs are in the faeces. This gives a good guide to how many roundworms are infecting the horse’s intestines.

Rossdales Hertfordshire offers two worm control packages, our Standard Worm Control package and an Enhanced Worm Control package, in order to make worming your horse as convenient and cost effective as possible, and to give you peace of mind.

Find out more about these packages and download our worm control flyer here: rossdales.com/hertfordshire/services/worming. Alternatively, call us on 01462 790221 if you want to discuss a worm control programme for your horse or yard.

28/03/2024

𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬

We hope you all have a very happy Easter.

Our office will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday, but as usual we will be operating a 24 hour emergency service, which is available 365 days a year, should you have a horse or pony that requires urgent veterinary attention. Please call 01462 790221 for our out of hours service.

Normal office hours resume on Tuesday, 2nd April.

22/03/2024

𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐏𝐃 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞
𝟏𝟔𝐭𝐡-𝟏𝟖𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

This long established and ever popular two and a half day course explores the principles and practical application of musculoskeletal ultrasonography. High quality lectures, presented by internationally acclaimed speakers, complement hands-on practical sessions with normal horses and clinical cases.

This BEVA approved CPD course is suitable for delegates who wish to improve their ultrasound diagnostic skills and learn more about this diagnostic tool from a panel of eminent veterinary surgeons who are renowned specialists in their respective fields of expertise.

Organised by Rossdales Clinical Director Sarah Boys Smith, other speakers include Mariana Castro Martins (Rossdales), Eddie Cauvin (AzurVet), Virginia Reef (University of Pennsylvania) and Roger Smith (Royal Veterinary College).

For full details about this course, including the Course Programme and registration information, visit our website https://tinyurl.com/msuc-course

BEVA - The British Equine Veterinary Association