Central Equine Vets

06/09/2024

We regularly get phone calls from horse owners who have left it too long before they've called the vet out.

The most common examples of this is lameness, wounds (especially ones that are small and 'seem' to be nothing to worry about), snotty noses, swellings (to legs, body and faces) and behavioural concerns (bucking, rearing, bolting, biting when being saddled or the girth being fastened, avoiding the bit/bridle).

We are just a phone call away and our vets can always have an initial discussion with you over the phone before recommending what you should do next.

Remember; if in doubt, call the vet out. Vets are here to support you and the welfare of your pets and it's always better to seek professional advice before the condition or injury worsens.

05/09/2024

We are always encouraging horse owners to be realistic about their horse's intake versus their output.

Here is a great chart showing the average breakdown of time spent of a horse or pony that's in light-to-medium ridden work, in a 24hr period.

BLUE = Grazing time
RED = Sleep (REM) time
GREEN = Resting
PURPLE = Other (such as playing, mutual grooming, etc)
TURQUOISE = Ridden/exercise time

🤔See anything that makes you really THINK about how we should be evaluating our horse's intake versus it's output?...

That teeny turquoise slice of riding/exercise time is so small and insignificant compared to that HUGE helping of blue grazing time, so if you have a horse that's carrying too much condition then you really need to concentrate on these two areas.

The biggest challenge that horse owners face is TIME. This is such a key aspect and with jobs, children, family, shopping and general life and finding enough time to fit-in all the horse chores and management of your horse, as well as finding time to get enough riding in is a common battle.

But don't think that you have to be constantly fighting your daily schedule. Think about how you can approach the management of your horse in a different way. Look at maximising that slice of riding or exercising time by increasing the cardio that you ask from your horse. Or how can you manage your horse's intake more effectively so there are fewer calories being taken on board?

Sign-up to our Central Equine Vets Eq-Weigh Management programme and receive all the information and tools you need to ensure your horses and ponies have a fit and healthy lifestyle.

You'll receive veterinary guidance and recommendations including:

- Eq-weigh management pack including weigh tape & spring scale
- Exercise / feeding / pasture regimes
- How to weigh your horse / body condition scoring
- Weigh charts
- Monitoring weight
- Feeding guide
- Information fact files

Contact us at the Practice for more information or to book an appointment. Tel: 0131 664 5606. Email: [email protected].

04/09/2024

HORSE FLIES
In Scotland, horse flies are commonly known as 'clegs' (there is a species of horse fly called the Notch-Horned Cleg-Fly) and these horrible critters are the bane of horse's and horse owner's lives!

There are an incredible 30 different species of horse flies in the UK and they commonly live in long grassland and damp woodland habitats, seen between May and September.

It is actually only the females that have the biting mouth parts and and they feed on the blood of cattle and horses and if there's a human being in the mix, even better!

Their mouth parts are so sharp that they have often bitten you or your horse before you've noticed them. The male horse fly does not have the same mouth parts, and feeds on nectar and they have subtle differences in their appearance, but unless you see them close-up and for long enough, you'll not have time to tell if it's a hungry female or a male just passing-by! Just to give you the heebie-jeebies, one of our team was recently in France and came across a giant horsefly that grows to an inch in length (that's the length of the top half of the average adult's thumb!). 😳

Horse Fly Bite Symptoms:
Hard lumps on the skin at the point of the bite, excessive itching at the point of the bite, infected or reactive bites (oozing pus, significant lumps), skin sensitivity and quivering skin when touched or groomed.

Treatment:
Apply topical fly repellents, application of topical creams, e.g. topical steroid creams, regular soothing cool packs for bad reactions, antihistamine tablets or oral steroids (prescribed by your vet).

Prevention:
Effective veterinary-strength insecticide (Deosect strongly recommended). Avoid grazing near or riding in wet and wooded areas. Use a fly sheet and fly mask on your horse whilst in the field.

Equestrian communities are reporting much larger numbers of these flying pests this year, which seems to be related to the extended warm and wet weather that we have been experiencing. This has created the perfect breeding environment for many parasites and flies, so make sure you protect your horses (and yourselves) to avoid painful bites which can lead to infection if irritated.

02/09/2024

Welcome to our new Central Equine Vets Learning Hub, where we will be covering topics relating to horses, ponies and donkeys. This is Series 1, Espisode 1 where we are talking to Practice Partner & Veterinary Surgeon Dr Matt Hanks about EMS (Equine Metabolic Syndrome) in horses.

27/08/2024

BUYING YOUR FIRST HORSE - are you really ready?

As vets, we regularly come across horse owners who have purchased their first horse and very quickly met some challenges, with many admitting that they under-estimated the amount of care a horse needs and how much it really costs.

It's absolutely vital to carry out research and seek professional advice prior to buying a horse and above all, you need to be able to put their welfare first.

Keeping a horse is not cheap, and they can live for over 30 years, so make sure you're absolutely sure you can afford a horse and that you can commit.

Standard Monthly/Annual Costs:
- Pre-purchase vetting (we strongly recommend this)
- Purchase of horse
- Insurance (vet fees & Public Liability)
- Routine veterinary costs (Vaccinations [6 monthly or annual], Dental examinations [3-12 monthly] and Worming tests/treatment [every 3 months])
- Emergency veterinary costs (out of hours call/emergency or surgery)
- Foot trimming or shoeing (farrier) (every 5-12 weeks)
- Livery Yard/stabling charges
- Bedding costs for stabled horses
- Tack (bridle, saddle)
- Winter rugs (if required)
- Horse feed & hay
- Passport & microchip
- Rider equipment (hat, boots, body protector)

Costs you may not have considered:
- Holiday cover
- Age-related illnesses
- Changes to your Insurance Policy due to a claim or increase in horse age
- Costs for euthanasia and removal of horse's body
- Saddle fitter (one size does not fit all!)
- Castration
- Transportation (of your new horse, to shows or to the vet hospital, etc)

Other considerations:
- Do you have time?
- You've lost your job and can't afford your livery costs or vet bills
- What happens to your horse if you're sick, injured or die?
- Horse theft
- The horse you've bought is simply not compatible with you after all

The British Horse Society has a wealth of information about buying your first horse, as well as the care and commitment required. Get started here: https://www.bhs.org.uk/horse-care-and-welfare/.

26/08/2024

👇THIS WEEK!
**FREE ONLINE PRESENTATION - OPEN TO ALL**
👉Don't forget to get signed-up!
Join us for our next evening presentation, as we welcome Claire Williams, Executive Director of British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) who will be talking about rider equipment, rider safety and how to ensure you are being safe in the saddle.

BETA are manufacturers, distributors & retailers service providers from the equestrian world.

BETA is probably best known for the label on body protectors, having written the first standard for them some 30 plus years ago and work towards the improvement of standards for both horse and rider safety.

Claire has worked for BETA for over 20 years and is passionate about the safety element of her work. She sits on both UK and European working groups writing safety standards for equestrian equipment and helps riding organisations and disciplines around the world write their rules relating to rider safety equipment.

📲To register, drop an email to: [email protected] and you will be emailed the link for the presentation on the day.

22/08/2024

We are delighted to sponsor this important event on Sunday 15th September as part of this annual North Lanarkshire Pass Wide & Slow Campaign, educating drivers on how to pass horses on the road safely.

This is the fourth year for this event, organised by one of our clients, Julie Cameron, and the event welcomes dog walkers, walkers and cyclists as well as riders, starting at 11am.

Central Equine Vets will be supplying a rosette to every rider taking part.

If you are interested in attending, contact the team via their page here for more information: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/iZNFRaPDvFTgCq4x/?mibextid=K35XfP

or email at: [email protected]

Please share and help get the message out!

The Daily Record has published an article on the event which you can read below:

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/in-your-area/lanarkshire/horse-riders-take-roads-around-33501723?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

It’s the fourth year in a row it will take place in North Lanarkshire

20/08/2024

Are you First Aid prepared?
All horse owners know first-hand about the variety of scrapes that horses are very good at getting themselves into; whether it be over-zealous play with its field-mates or a mysterious puncture-wound, a kick from another horse or an accident involving fencing; the list goes on!

We always advise having a well-stocked equine first aid kit on the yard and to take with you when you go shows or events.

We have a range of First Aid kits available - just contact us at the Practice and we can provide you with an Essential, Comprehensive or Bespoke kit.

Call us: 0131 664 5696
Email us: [email protected]

19/08/2024

**FREE ONLINE PRESENTATION - OPEN TO ALL**
Join us for our next evening presentation, as we welcome Claire Williams, Executive Director of British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) who will be talking about rider equipment, rider safety and how to ensure you are being safe in the saddle.

BETA are manufacturers, distributors & retailers service providers from the equestrian world.

BETA is probably best known for the label on body protectors, having written the first standard for them some 30 plus years ago and work towards the improvement of standards for both horse and rider safety.

Claire has worked for BETA for over 20 years and is passionate about the safety element of her work. She sits on both UK and European working groups writing safety standards for equestrian equipment and helps riding organisations and disciplines around the world write their rules relating to rider safety equipment.

To register, drop an email to: [email protected] and you will be emailed the link for the presentation on the day.

19/08/2024

Central Equine Vets were sad to say goodbye last week to receptionist Sally who has moved on to pastures new. We would like to say a BIG thank you to Sally for all her hard work and wish her all the best for the future!

10/08/2024

KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED, FOLKS!
Our Raffle winners have been drawn and we will be announcing these in the coming days...

All raffle proceeds will go towards Thornton Rose Riding for the Disabled

09/08/2024

We are currently open for registration and should you wish to join the Central Equine Vets practice, you can register by contacting the office on 0131 664 5606 or by completing an online form on our website here: https://www.centralequinevets.co.uk/registration.html

Central Equine Vets is Edinburgh’s largest private equine-only veterinary practice. In addition to servicing the equine population in Edinburgh, Central Equine Vets also provides services to horse owners throughout Central Scotland, including West Lothian, East Lothian, Fife, parts of Lanarkshire, parts of the Scottish Borders and more.

Established in 2013, we have a large client base with a range of horses, ponies and donkeys across all levels from family pets, happy hackers, amateur riders, aspiring equestrians and competition horses of all shapes, sizes and ages!

The Practice consists of Practice Partners, Malcolm Corsar BVM&S CertAVP(EP) MRCVS, Matthew Hanks BVSc MRCVS and Holly Marshall BVM&S CertAVP(EM) MRCVS who are all Veterinary Surgeons out on the road on a daily basis. We also have an assistant Veterinary Surgeon, Rebecca Davies BVetMed MRCVS who has been a fantastic addition to the team. Our Practice is managed by Practice Manager Gemma Williamson.

With our head office in Edinburgh and a branch in Kinross, we are easily accessible to many locations and along with an in-house 24-hour emergency service, we pride ourselves on delivering the highest level of service.

Helping our clients’ horses live long, happy and healthy lives.

08/08/2024

📣LAST CALL!
Have YOU entered our fantastic raffle yet?

All proceeds will be donated to Thornton Rose Riding for the Disabled and there are some great prizes up for grabs!

- CEV Goody Bags
- CEV First Aid Kits
- 2 x Season general admission tickets with parking for this year’s Defender Blair Castle International Horse Trials!

Last chance to buy tickets tomorrow as we will be drawing winners before close of play FRIDAY! 🏆🎉

You can purchase tickets as follows:
- In person from the Practice
- Call or email the Practice

£1 per strip!

02/08/2024

GOOD LUCK to our Brand Ambassador Imogen Casely and the rest of Team Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 competing at the British Dressage Youth Home Nations this weekend!

30/07/2024

THIS THURSDAY - FREE regional vet talk in Tillicoultry!

👉TOPIC: Obesity & Feeding - The Key to Success.
👉DATE & TIME: Thursday 1st August at 6.30pm
👉SPEAKER: Malcolm Corsar, Practice Partner & Veterinary Surgeon.
👉VENUE: Hillfoots Rugby Football Club, Lower Mill Street, Tillicoultry, FK13 6BP.

This presentation will help you understand the importance of weight
management and the impact feeding has on your equines.

You will be provided with information and tools needed to ensure your horses and ponies live a fit and healthy lifestyle.

We will also be talking about the veterinary conditions relating to obesity.

This is a FREE event, open to all. Tea and coffee will be available on the evening.

Register now by email: [email protected]

26/07/2024

Fantastic evening on Wednesday for our Edinburgh presentation evening, with our vet Rebecca Davies talking about obesity and feeding in horses, as well as the conditions that affect equines when obese.

It was a frank and informative discussion, with lots of questions from the audience and it is clearly a topic that so many horse owners feel strongly about.

It really can be a battle to manage obesity in horses and the emphasis at the presentation was very much about what the horse owner needs to do.

Some key management was discussed and how we as vets can work with you to find a plan that works well for you and your individual horses.

Thanks go to Boehringer Ingelheim for their sponsorship of our presentation evenings as well as hollyjane_topspec from TopSpec feeds for coming along to talk to folk about feeding tips.

We had a Nuveq Hay Steamer on display on the night, which is available to purchase via our Practice and we were selling raffle tickets for our amazing prizes, with proceeds going to Thornton Rose Riding for the Disabled. Tickets are still available - contact us or pop into the practice to buy them!

Our next presentation is next Thursday 1st August, with Malcolm covering the same topic.

Don’t forget to register for our next event by emailing us at [email protected].

24/07/2024

We are looking forward to seeing folk at this evening's Edinburgh presentation evening!

22/07/2024

**WIN AMAZING PRIZES!**
Get involved in our Central Equine Vets Raffle and win one of the following prizes:
- 2 x Defender Blair Castle International Horse Trials Season general admission tickets with parking
- 2 x CEV First Aid Kits
- 4 x CEV goody bags

HOW TO GET TICKETS 👇👇
- Direct from Central Equine Vets HQ (Edinburgh)
- Call / email the practice (0131 664 5606/[email protected])
- At our upcoming presentation evenings (Wednesday 24th July or Thursday 1st August)

At just £1 per strip of raffle tickets, you'll be helping raise money in aid of our chosen Charity,

We will draw the raffle Friday 9th August and announce the winner on social media.

GOOD LUCK, FOLKS!...🤞🤞🤞

22/07/2024

Central Equine Vets are excited to share that not only do we have a 10% discount code to share with you all, we will also have a Nuveq Compact Eco hay steamer on display at our upcoming presentation evenings (Edinburgh this Wednesday!) and one lucky person will have the chance to take it home following the events with a massive 21% discount!!

These Compact Eco hay steamers retail at £1,330 however, this could be yours for just £1,050!! This includes a Nuveq bucket and 2 of the standard size, steam proof haynets!

If you have any questions, would like any further information, our practice manager Gemma will be on hand and guide you, full steam ahead to a healthy horse!

**WE WILL ALSO BE HOLDING AN AMAZING RAFFLE! - more on that later today….**

15/07/2024

**CHANGE OF AUGUST VENUE**
Please note that due to an admin error, the correct venue for the event on Thursday 1st August will in fact be:
Hillfoots Rugby Football Club, Lower Mill Street, Tillicoultry, FK13 6BP

We look forward to welcoming folk along to both our events in July and August, when our vets will be talking about Obesity & Feeding - The Key to Success.

Make sure you register to reserve your place - do this via email to: [email protected]

Both of these events are FREE to attend.

12/07/2024

**JOB OPPORTUNITY** Veterinary Receptionist – Full time position

Fantastic opportunity for an enthusiastic and dynamic individual to join our Head Office equine reception team in Swanston, Edinburgh.

As the face of the practice, the successful candidate will be the first point of contact, responsible for assisting and supporting our clients, ensuring their needs are met with a friendly, professional manner whilst delivering a high level of customer service throughout each client experience.

The responsibilities of the receptionist will include booking appointments, managing the daily diary and email communications, taking telephone calls, processing payments, assisting the veterinary surgeons with requests and general office duties.

Essential skills:
👉 The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate and possess:
- good critical thinking
- good decision making and problem-solving skills
- compassion
- a positive attitude
- follow-through and excellent communication and teamwork skills
- the ability to multitask.

Desirable skills:
👉 Experience working within a veterinary practice along with basic horse care
knowledge allowing an understanding of the importance and prompt communications required in emergency care.
👉 Good geographical awareness of the Edinburgh and Scotland Central Belt area.
👉 The successful candidate should be a positive and supportive addition to the team with the ability to follow instruction and assist with the smooth running of a busy, ambulatory, veterinary practice.

This is a full-time position, Monday to Friday (no weekends required).

• 40 hours per week
• Salary dependent on experience

📩HOW TO APPLY:
- Please email your CV and a covering letter to: [email protected]

11/07/2024

SCOTTISH EQUESTRIAN AWARDS 2024
**NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN!!**

Nominations for the horsescotland Annual Scottish Equestrian Awards 2024 are now open. 🥳

The categories are:

Equestrian Club of The Year
Equestrian Employee of The Year
Equestrian Writer of The Year
Equine Breeder of The Year
Youth Coach of The Year
Performance Coach of The Year
Youth Performer of The Year
Owner of The Year
Team of The Year
Project of The Year
Lifetime Achievement Awards (30+ years in the industry)
Participation Coach of the year
Young People’s Coach of the Year
Performer of the year
Volunteer of the year
Youth Volunteer of the year

See HorseScotland post for full details and further links!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/LucYKDZv7QpzPVtn/?

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN!!
Nominations for the horsescotland Annual Scottish Equestrian Awards 2024 are now open. 🥳

The categories are-

Equestrian Club of The Year
Equestrian Employee of The Year
Equestrian Writer of The Year
Equine Breeder of The Year
Youth Coach of The Year
Performance Coach of The Year
Youth Performer of The Year
Owner of The Year
Team of The Year
Project of The Year
Lifetime Achievement Awards (30+ years in the industry)
Participation Coach of the year
Young People’s Coach of the Year
Performer of the year
Volunteer of the year
Youth Volunteer of the year
Equestrian business of the year
Para performer of the year

Details for the equestrian photo of the year competition will be coming out shortly!

To nominate, please fill in the following form- https://forms.gle/EJH6U7JviWzgzJ8U8 (linked on facebook and Instagram story)
Full descriptions of the awards are linked from the forms and available here- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KWn_bm6iWniN06XUQAr5xh1SLcsfEH1xEKexc636E0I/edit?usp=sharing

08/07/2024

** JULY & AUGUST VET TALKS **
Join us for two FREE regional vet talks in Edinburgh and Tillicoultry when we’ll be talking about Obesity & Feeding - The Key to Success.

Wednesday 24th July.
Speaker: Rebecca Davies, Veterinary Surgeon.
6.30pm.
The Steading, 118-120 Biggar Road, Edinburgh, EH10 7DU.

Thursday 1st August.
Speaker: Malcolm Corsar, Practice Partner & Veterinary Surgeon.
6.30pm.
Hillfoots Rugby Football Club, Lower Mill Street, Tillicoultry, FK13 6BP.

These presentations will help you understand the importance of weight
management and the impact feeding has on your equines.

You will be provided with information and tools needed to ensure your horses and ponies live a fit and healthy lifestyle.

We will also be talking about the veterinary conditions relating to obesity.

This is a FREE event, open to all. Tea and coffee will be available on the evening.

Register now by email: [email protected]

04/07/2024

HUGE congratulations to our Brand Ambassador Imogen Casely, who has been selected to represent Scotland for the British Dressage Youth Home Nations in August! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🎉👏👏👏

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/ZpvvdHA7SQyPQQVp/?mibextid=WC7FNe

🏆Congratulations to the combinations selected to represent Scotland at the Youth Home Nations 2-4 August 2024 at Mount Ballan, Monmouthshire🏆
💙A huge well done to our riders, it is a massive achievement to be selected for teams!💙

01/07/2024

A fabulous weekend had at the The Scottish National Equestrian Centre for the Oatridge British Eventing Official Horse Trials over the weekend, where we were one of Sponsors. A lot of planning and hard work to bring this event to the equestrian community - well done to Rachel and the team at SNEC!

Thank you to Central Equine Vets for Sponsoring Oatridge Horse Trials!

The veterinarian team at Central Equine have over 60 years of combined experience in equine practice and offer a complete equine veterinary service using state-of-the-art veterinary medical technology.

Head to their website for a comprehensive list of services and to learn about their Equine Health Plan
🔗https://www.centralequinevets.co.uk/home.html

New client registration is available in the following ways:
Telephone - 0131 664 5606
Email - [email protected]
Online - www.centralequinevets.co.uk/registration

01/07/2024

**EQUINE METABOLIC SYNDROME**

This is a condition we commonly diagnose and there are many red flags that owners of horses, ponies and donkeys should be aware of. We will be publishing a Q&A on EMS in the coming weeks.

Brand Ambassador Laura Cull Ho**er has sent us an update on some
recent EMS tests on her ponies:

“It was blood test day last week for the EMS ponies. I routinely have them tested every 3-6 months depending on the time of year and which pony it is. All stood perfectly and were relaxed as Malcolm carried out his speedy blood withdrawals.

Brief history for each:
Trinny (grey Shetland) - long history of EMS and Cushing's Disease. She needs to be very, very carefully managed to keep the dreaded laminitis at bay. Unfortunately she is severely insulin resistant so, despite being the skinniest Shetland pony I know, she's currently on an ongoing maintenance dose of medication and probably always will be, but she's doing really well. We're monitoring her every 3 months to make sure her bloods stay within the ranges they should be. Last check was spot on 👌🏻

Ginny (Exmoor) - has EMS which she's currently on medication for. Unfortunately her previous blood test showed an unexpected increase in her bloods despite the medication, so I've implemented a few extra lifestyle changes for her under advice from Malcolm. Last week we were checking to see if there has been any difference and if we can reduce the medication at all.

Tina (bay Welsh X) - has previously had EMS. Last blood test showed her bloods were stable. Hopefully this test will show the same, although there's still some work to do to reduce her weight.

Then a pic of Trinny being told she's been good by her best friend on the way to the field 🥰”

27/06/2024

It’s been a busy few months for our CEV Brand Ambassadors, flying the flag for Central Equine Vets and Laura Cull Ho**er has ventured into a new discipline!…

“Ginny and I have been doing a bit of side saddle with only a handful of lessons since October last year.

We went to a camp in May and took part in the Competition on the last day. To say I was totally out of my comfort zone is a massive understatement!

The preparation and precision required to be good at presenting ponies for showing is beyond me. I take my hat off to anyone who does it! Give me a 'grab-from-the-field-and-wing-it' through a dressage test anyday! 🤭😆

Although, despite all that and the fact that we were allowed to compete with the incorrect attire as we were in Novice level class, we did pretty well.
🥇1st Novice Equitation
🏅5th Novice Walk/Trot
🥈2nd Novice Best Horse/Pony
🥈2nd Best Cob/Native Horse/Pony
🥈Reserve Novice Champ
🏆 And over all Novice points winner!

Clever Ginny Pony 🦄😍”

Anyone else out there riding side saddle? Share your photos in the comments 👇

08/06/2024

Just fabulous 😍 here at today

08/06/2024

Wonderful sights at the today!

08/06/2024

We’re here at today, pop over to see us if you’re here today!