Rossdales Hertfordshire

04/08/2025

𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞 '𝐖𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐞' 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜
𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟏𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭

Is your horse overweight or underweight and you would like some expert advice? We are holding another of our Equine ‘Weight Wise’ Clinics on the morning of Saturday, 16th August at Rossdales Equine Hospital in conjunction with Dengie.

The clinic is FREE to attend and is open to all Rossdales’ clients, who will benefit from:

🔹A one-to-one discussion about managing your horse or pony’s weight with Rossdales’ vets Abby Richardson and Lorna Brokenshire-Dyke, as well as feeding advice from experienced sport horse nutritionist Claire Akers from Dengie Horse Feeds.
🔹Equine weigh bridge to determine the accurate weight of your horse or pony.
🔹Advice on how to minimise the risk of laminitis, and about conditions including Equine Cushing’s Disease (PPID) and Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS).
🔹Advice about body condition scoring and how to correctly use an equine weigh tape.
🔹Year-round advice for weight control and nutrition.
🔹FREE 'goody bag' for all those who attend.

Email [email protected] to book your place, stating approximately what time you would like to attend between 9.00am and 1.30pm, and we will do our best to accommodate your request. We will allow approximately 20 minutes for each appointment, or 25 minutes if you are bringing two horses.

Please include your name, your telephone number and your horse's name in your message.

Please note that all horses and ponies attending will need to be accompanied by their passport and should have an up-to-date equine 'flu vaccination.
rossdales.com/equine-weight-clinic

11/07/2025

Our vet Grace Twitchett has contributed an article to the August issue of Horse&Rider Magazine, which is available now.

Grace's article, 'Ready for anything', discusses how to deal with a veterinary emergency, what items you should have in your first aid kit, dealing with wounds, knowing what's normal for your horse (heart/respiratory rate etc.) and lots more veterinary advice and tips.

Find out more about what's in the August issue here
https://www.horseandrideruk.com/the-magazine/issues/august-2025/

16/05/2025

Our vet Grace Twitchett (fourth from right) recently volunteered her services at a BEVA Trust Education and Welfare castration clinic at Thrapston Livestock Auction, Kettering.

She is one of 543 BEVA Trust veterinary volunteers who have helped make a difference to the lives of more than 2000 horses in the UK. This has been achieved through participation in a total of 57 Education and Welfare castration clinics and is in addition to those BEVA members who have volunteered their services for overseas work with the BEVA Trust.

The BEVA Trust provides opportunities, support and funding to allow BEVA members to volunteer for projects that enhance equine welfare both locally and globally. It has worked together with the The British Horse Society for the past nine years.

Vets, nurses, students, and farriers have so far helped a total of 2,425 horses by volunteering their time and expertise at special clinics around the country. Coordinated by the British Horse Society, and with practical support from a number of other equine welfare charities, these clinics provide dental care, farriery, microchipping and passporting for horses identified to be in need, as well as castration and dental checks if required. A total of 1128 horses have now been castrated.

Grace said: “It was an amazing experience to be part of the Education and Welfare team at Thrapston Livestock Auction. The team approach to the way everyone works at these clinics is inspiring, with younger colleagues being nurtured and supported despite the high volume and pressure of the work that needs to be completed on the day. It is the reason so many of us want to keep volunteering. We had 13 horses attend the clinic with 11 castrations, and 13 Passported and Microchipped.”

The clinics have been generously supported by Zoetis, Bransby Horses - Rescue and Welfare, Blue Cross UK, Redwings Horse Sanctuary, World Horse Welfare and the RSPCA (England & Wales).

BEVA - The British Equine Veterinary Association

23/04/2025

Stephen Hagger’s beautiful Shire, Pelham Peggy May, foaled this fabulous filly at 5am morning.

Our vet Remi Munn attended to examine Peggy as she had retained the placenta, which following the administration of medication, she successfully passed.

Both Peggy and her foal, who has been named Pelham Daphne, are doing very well. After being overdue by a whole month, we think you will agree that the wait for Daphne's arrival was definitely worthwhile!

Pelham Shires
The Shire Horse Society

17/04/2025

𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬

We hope you all have a very happy Easter.

Our office will be closed on Friday and 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, 22nd April.

15/04/2025

𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭!

After the prolonged dry spell, rain has finally arrived and with it comes the increased risk of laminitis due to the higher sugar content in the spring grass as it starts to grow more rapidly again.

Common causes of laminitis are obesity, Cushing's disease (PPID) and equine metabolic syndrome (high insulin levels), as well as other factors. Discuss with your vet blood testing for insulin, and the most appropriate management/diet for your horse or pony.

Keep a close eye on your horse or pony for signs of laminitis, which include:

❗️Lameness – often sudden onset and frequently in both front feet, but hind feet can also be affected
❗️Pottery gait and stiffness or reluctance to move, particularly on firm ground and when turning
❗️Heat in the hooves
❗️Bounding digital pulses

Preventive measures include: restricting time grazing, strip grazing or track systems, controlling your horse's weight and regular body condition scoring, use of grazing muzzles (where appropriate and with careful use), and regular farriery.

𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: 𝐋𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 – 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

31/03/2025

Mare owners... there's still time to complete this survey if you haven't done so yet... but only just...

Study author Florence Gill is pleased that she has had a strong response to her survey and will be closing it early next week. She says she has had some fascinating insight into people's experiences with mares and that analysis is going to be extremely interesting!

To take part in the survey before it closes next week, see below 👇

𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝?
What are your experiences with mares?

Take part in a survey as part of a study that investigates the experiences of equine owners, riders and caregivers in relation to mares and mare-specific behaviour.

Florence Gill MRCVS, who has previously worked as a vet at Rossdales in Newmarket, is undertaking this MSc dissertation research project as part of a Clinical Animal Behaviour MSc at Edinburgh University under the supervision of Dr Loni Loftus and Dr Gemma Pearson, who are both renowned experts in the field of equine behaviour.

For more information and to take part in the anonymous survey associated with this project, please click the link below.
https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/edinburgh/mare-behaviour-survey-2025

If you have any questions about this project, please contact [email protected] (researcher).

07/03/2025

𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 (𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲) - 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 - 𝐅𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦

Rossdales Hertfordshire is seeking to appoint a dedicated equine veterinary surgeon to join our busy ambulatory team. This position is fixed term for 6 months to cover maternity leave, with a start date of 4th August 2025. There may be the opportunity to extend the role at the end of the fixed term. This exciting role involves working with our extensive and varied client base, which includes leisure horse owners, professional yards and stud clients.

This is a part-time role, working 24 hours per week over 3 days. 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.

The ideal candidate will be registered or eligible to register with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and will have a minimum of one year’s postgraduate equine experience. The ability to remain calm under pressure, be a team player and integrate with our multidisciplinary specialist team is essential.

The successful candidate will be highly motivated, with outstanding attention to detail, excellent client management skills, verbal and written communication skills and a high level of accuracy.

For full details about the position, our excellent benefits package and how to apply, visit rossdales.com/jobs/associate-hertfordshire-fixed-term

04/03/2025

FREE VACCINATION OFFER!

Throughout March and April 2025, all horses, ponies and donkeys starting their equine influenza vaccination course will receive the 3rd vaccination FREE OF CHARGE!*.

This offer applies to equines over 9 months old that have not been vaccinated against equine influenza or are overdue for an annual booster and are re-starting their primary course.

* The first vaccination must occur in March or April 2025, with only the cost of the vaccine included in this offer - visit fees will still be charged. Please note, the free vaccination only covers the third dose of the course.

Contact a member of our team now on 01462 790221 to book your appointment.

26/02/2025

Dental care is an essential and important element of your horse’s routine primary healthcare. Your horse’s teeth should be examined by your vet, or by a qualified equine dental technician, at least once a year, or more frequently for horses with dental abnormalities.

Our experienced vets use a range of modern dentistry equipment and can provide sedation, pain relief and local anaesthesia as required during dental work, at your yard. More advanced dental cases can be referred to our specialist clinicians at our hospital.

A few common signs can indicate dental issues:

🔵 Difficulty chewing or dropping food
🔵 Bad breath
🔵 Head shaking or tilting
🔵 Sensitivity to the bit
🔵 Weight loss or poor condition
🔵 Excessive salivation

Remember! Not all horses with dental issues will show these signs and regular dental examinations will allow your vet to identify and treat any potential problems early.

Contact a member of our team on 01462 790221 to book a dental examination for your horse or pony, or book an appointment online.
https://www.rossdales.com/client-hub/book-an-appointment/

24/02/2025

𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝?
What are your experiences with mares?

Take part in a survey as part of a study that investigates the experiences of equine owners, riders and caregivers in relation to mares and mare-specific behaviour.

Florence Gill MRCVS, who has previously worked as a vet at Rossdales in Newmarket, is undertaking this MSc dissertation research project as part of a Clinical Animal Behaviour MSc at Edinburgh University under the supervision of Dr Loni Loftus and Dr Gemma Pearson, who are both renowned experts in the field of equine behaviour.

For more information and to take part in the anonymous survey associated with this project, please click the link below.
https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/edinburgh/mare-behaviour-survey-2025

If you have any questions about this project, please contact [email protected] (researcher).

17/02/2025

𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲

At Rossdales Hertfordshire, we’re celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Day by recognising our fantastic team who make everything we do possible.

A kind word can truly brighten someone’s day - whether it's a warm thank you or a simple compliment on a job well done. Our dedicated veterinary and support teams work tirelessly to ensure your horses stay healthy, and today we’re encouraging our wonderful clients to show appreciation for the people behind the care.

A small act can create a ripple of positivity and together, we make a stronger, more supportive equine community.