What are the opening hours?

Monday 8:30am - 5:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 5:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 5:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm

Priors Farm Equine Veterinary Surgery

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Priors Farm Equine Veterinary Surgery

Priors Farm Equine Veterinary Surgery Proudly independent equine vet practice in Sussex owned and run by the vets who work there. Donkeys are more than welcome!

Priors Farm Equine Surgery is situated in the village of Forest Row, south of East Grinstead in East Sussex. Established in 1978 the practice was taken over in 2008 by Ben Chilvers and Duncan Harrison, and now comprises a team of four dedicated equine veterinary surgeons. We are an exclusively equine practice carrying out first and second opinion work, as well as taking referrals from other local

veterinary surgeons and we take great pride in providing a high quality service to all of our patients whether they are top level competition horses or family pets. Over the years we have built a reputation for being caring and compassionate, and we aim to spend as much time as possible getting to know our patients as individuals in order to tailor our services to their particular needs. We are a purpose built equine hospital with full range of up-to-date diagnostic and surgical facilities. Stabling and 24-hour nursing care is available to enable us to cater for you and your horse’s needs. On Wednesday’s we offer a zoning scheme whereby you can reduce your visit fee to £15.00+VAT. Please telephone the practice for ways in which you can reduce your visit fee for routine work. We are proud that Priors Farm Equine Surgery has attained the RCVS’s Equine General practice standard. This has placed Priors Farm as one of the few equine practices in the area to have been inspected and approved by the RCVS. We are also delighted to have attained approval as a Veterinary Nurse Training Practice.

17/04/2025

Have you met Katya?

Katya graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2022 and has since gained valuable experience within the veterinary field. She began her veterinary career as an equine intern in Shropshire, before moving to a busy, mixed practice in Suffolk working with farm and companion animals as well as horses. She then travelled to Australia to undertake a hospital-based equine internship with a strong focus on reproduction, which gave her a solid foundation in equine surgery, medicine and reproduction.

Upon returning to the UK, she locumed in small animal practice before joining the Priors Farm team in November 2024. Katya is committed to continuing to pursue her interests in internal medicine and reproduction. Outside of work, she enjoys playing (very amateur!) polo, training for triathlons and trying to keep up with her spaniel, Ringo, on long walks.

15/04/2025

Proudly Independent, owned and run by vets

At Priors Farm Equine Vets, we’re proud to be an independent veterinary practice, not owned by a corporate group. What does that mean for you? It means everything we do is driven by what’s best for our patients – not shareholders.

Being independent gives us the freedom to provide personalised, consistent care, where your horse isn’t just a case number – they’re part of our extended family. Our team is made up of passionate equine vets who build genuine, long-term relationships with clients and horses alike.

We’re local, approachable, and deeply rooted in our community. Decisions about our services, pricing, and how we operate are made right here at Priors Farm – with your needs at heart, not dictated from a head office miles away.

You’ll always see familiar faces, receive honest advice, and know we’re here when you need us, 24/7. We believe in continuity, compassion, and care tailored to you and your horse.

Thank you for supporting a truly independent practice. We’re here for the long ride – with you every hoofbeat of the way.

10/04/2025

Easter Weekend Closure Notice

Please note, our equine veterinary practice will be closed over the Easter weekend, including Good Friday and Easter Monday. We’ll be unavailable for routine appointments during this period, reopening on Tuesday morning as usual. However, emergency veterinary cover remains available as always so please contact our office on 01342823011 if assistance is required.

Wishing all our clients (and their horses!) a safe and enjoyable Easter weekend. Thank you for your continued trust and support.

Happy Easter!

08/04/2025

As the weather warms up, your horse's water intake naturally increases — they can drink over 40 litres a day in summer!

Staying hydrated is essential for their health, especially during exercise or hot weather. Don’t forget to provide access to fresh, clean water at all times.

Salt licks are also important — they help replenish essential electrolytes lost through sweat and encourage your horse to drink more water.

Check your horse's water daily and make sure a salt lick is always available in the stable or field. Knowing their “normal” intake helps you to spot changes sooner so always get in touch if their drinking patterns change unexpectedly.

03/04/2025

Spring has sprung, and we want to see how your horses are enjoying the sunshine!
The flowers are blooming, the grass is greener, and it’s the perfect time to celebrate the season with your four-legged friends. Whether it’s a scenic hack, a pasture full of happy grazers, or a silly springtime moment, we’d love to see your favourite spring-themed horse photos!

Share your photos in the comments below or tag us in your post — we may even feature a few of our favourites on our page! Let’s spread some joy and show off those beautiful horses in their springtime glory.

Thank you for letting us be part of your horses’ care — we’re looking forward to seeing all the springtime smiles (and maybe a few muddy hooves too)!

01/04/2025

At Priors Farm, we know that your horse’s health is your top priority — and it’s ours too. We also understand that unexpected veterinary costs can be a worry, especially when you're focused on getting the best care for your horse.

That’s why we’re pleased to now offer 0% finance options and flexible payment plans to help make managing veterinary expenses a little easier.

Whether it's routine care, diagnostics, or an unexpected emergency, you shouldn’t have to choose between your horse’s health and your budget. With our new finance solutions, you can spread the cost of treatment over manageable monthly payments — with no added interest.

We’ve partnered with a trusted provider to ensure the process is quick, straightforward, and tailored to your needs. Our team is happy to talk you through the options available and help you find a plan that works best for you and your horse.

This is just another way we’re working to support our clients and their horses — offering not only expert care, but peace of mind when it matters most.

If you’d like more information or want to discuss how this could help you, please don’t hesitate to give us a call or speak to us at your next visit.

Thank you for trusting us with your horses. We’re here for you — every step, trot, and gallop of the way.

27/03/2025

Have you heard of contextualised care?

Contextualised care refers to providing veterinary services that are tailored to the unique circumstances of each horse, its environment, and its owner's needs. This approach emphasises understanding the full context of the animal's life and health, rather than relying solely on clinical symptoms or standard procedures.

The concept of contextualised care is particularly important in equine practice due to the diverse range of horses and environments they inhabit, from competitive horses to happy hackers.

Offering a “one size fits all” approach to diagnostics and treatment of animals is not contextualised care. Veterinary diagnostics and intervention should always have a clinical justification to guide proceedings and while there are often many different “correct” approaches to a clinical problem, tailoring it to the patient is the most important thing.

How can we work together to offer contextualised care?

• Consider your horse’s environment. Depending on turnout availability and other facilities, we may alter treatment or rehabilitation programmes to suit the resources available to you to make them more realistic and likely to succeed.

• Tailoring treatment to the individual horse is important, not all equines tolerate all treatments, especially the more invasive ones, or respond well to box rest or a change in their routine. By considering your horse as an individual we can offer the most appropriate course of investigation and action.

• Involving you! Understanding your budget and time availability is crucial to knowing which avenues to pursue.

• Considering long-term welfare. Thinking about how treatment today will affect your horse and their happiness and comfort in the coming days, months and years.

07/01/2025

Receptionist required

We have a vacancy for a full time (or potentially part time) receptionist to join our small, friendly independent veterinary team. We are one of the few independent veterinary practices left in the area.
The role would suit someone who thrives looking after horse owners and their horses and you would be the friendly and helpful voice answering their phone calls. The role would be a varied reception and administration job with an occasional requirement to help outside with the nursing or veterinary team.
If you are interested in applying please send a cover letter and CV to Sacha Brown: [email protected].

24/12/2024

We had so many lovely entries for the photo competition this year, but this one from Lisa Thorne definitely made us smile the most! Congratulations Lisa! Please contact the Office in the New Year to claim your £50 voucher.

"Summers first day out from box rest following your amazing care from Florice through the summer ! Happy Christmas and so many thanks from myself and Summer for her love and care and enabling her to be on the road to full recovery 🥰"

17/12/2024

Have you popped into the office lately? We wanted to take an opportunity to give a shout out to our fantastic team in the office. Sacha, Fi and Sam do a brilliant job at the end of the phone assisting clients and coordinating vets.

Without their amazing support, the practice simply would not run and we are very lucky to have such a friendly, capable team on hand. Often ably assisted by Sophie the Greyhound and fuelled on tea, food hampers and Costa Coffee, they do a brilliant job managing our front of house and keeping Priors Farm ticking over!

12/12/2024

With recent frosts and even snow in some parts of the country, there’s no doubt Winter is really here. Our top tips for surviving the season are below.

1. Protect your water supply. Insulate taps and fill extra buckets if you’re expecting an overnight freeze!

2. Warm up and cool down slowly. Like us, horses take longer to warm up in colder weather, this is especially important for older horses and ponies, or those suffering from musculoskeletal conditions.

3. If being in with dry dusty hay is causing a cough, it helps to soak or rinse the hay before feeding. Any persistent or new cough should always be checked out by your vet.

4. Be choosy about your surfaces, if its frozen or muddy take care when riding and don’t rush on bad ground!

5. Remember to change your rugs regularly, even if your horse is in the same turnout rug every day it’s important to keep an eye on their coat and body to spot issues early.

10/12/2024

Christmas Opening Hours

With Christmas soon upon us we wanted to update you on our office opening hours over the festive period. As always, our lines are open 24/7 for emergencies. Please remember to order any medications well in advance of the festive period to ensure they arrive in time.

Monday 23rd 8:30-17:30
Tuesday 24th 8:30-12:30
Wednesday 25th CLOSED
Thursday 26th CLOSED
Friday 27th 8:30-17:30

Monday 30th 8:30-17:30
Tuesday 31st 8:30-12:30
Wednesday 1st CLOSED
Thursday 2nd 8:30-17:30
Friday 3rd 8:30-17:30

28/11/2024

Did you come to our Junior Vets Open Day?

Last month we hosted a Junior Vets Open Day here at the practice to give young people an idea of what it’s like to do what we do. Despite the chilly weather outside it was a busy and productive day, and Guinness the horse loved the attention!

We received some great feedback on the day and hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

26/11/2024

Competition Time!

Less than 1 month to go until the big day! If you’d like to be in with a chance to win a £50 Priors Farm Voucher redeemable against all of our veterinary services, then enter our Christmas 2024 Photo Competition!

To enter, please send in your horsey photo of the year with a caption (max 50 words) to [email protected] or comment one below. Photos must be in .jpeg format and entries must be submitted by 5:30pm on Friday 20th December.

Entries should be your own work and subjects must have given permission for you to submit the image. The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve with the winning image posted on our social media! Good Luck everyone!

21/11/2024

Have you spotted our new supplements?

We’ve already talked about the OmegaPro from Hestevard which delivers a balanced ratio of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids for supporting a healthy inflammatory response.

The BozMerix crunchtabs deliver the boswelia-rich anti-inflammatory supplement beloved by arthritic and athletic horses alike in a tasty treat form, useful for carrot stretches and rewards.

Vitatude is a multivitamin and protein balancer ideal for offering essential dietary components in a low-sugar formula, ideal for getting the goodness in without the calorie bulk!

If you’d like to enquire about supplements from Priors Farm please give the office a ring on 01342 823011.

19/11/2024

Don’t forget our weekly in-house Dental Clinics are still open every Wednesday Morning! For a reduced dental fee and 10% off sedation it’s a huge saving! To book in, call the office on 01342 823011.

14/11/2024

We are delighted to announce we will be offering fortnightly INDIBA clinics here at Priors Farm from mid-November onwards hosted by our in-house Veterinary Physiotherapist Katie. Sessions will be offered on a first come-first served basis and are at a discounted rate of £80 per session.

INDIBA is a therapeutic device which uses a 448Hz radiofrequency to stimulate tissue healing and repair, improving blood flow and reducing pain and discomfort. It is backed by peer-reviewed evidence, making it an increasingly popular treatment option for soft tissue injuries and osteoarthritis, as well as a supportive therapy for horses in work. The treatment method is FEI approved so easy to fit around a busy competition schedule as well!

Courses of six sessions booked and paid for in advance are also subject to a 10% discount at the time of booking.

If you’d like to book your horse in for treatment on a clinic day or out at your yard, then please phone the office on 01342 823011.

17/10/2024

Have you heard the hype about Omega 3? Not just relevant to humans, the science behind dietary fatty acids is coming on leaps and bounds in the equine world with the predictable accompanying myriad of supplements.

Omega 3 fatty acids are commonly found in quality forage and have an essential role to play in the anti-inflammatory process. Inflammation is a natural response to injury or infection but too much inflammation, or inflammation that lasts too long can cause further discomfort, dysfunction or damage. A diet high in Omega 3 reduces inflammation, helping to improve comfort and reduce inflammation in the respiratory, gastric and musculoskeletal system.

In contrast, Omega 6 fatty acids are all about the pro-inflammatory response, and if the balance between the two types is wrong you can actually hinder rather than help! Ideally they are fed in a 1:1 ratio so picking your supplement well is important.
OmegaPro is a great supplement to support your horse’s wellbeing, especially if they are prone to chronic inflammatory conditions such as dermatitis or asthma.

Address

Priors Farm, Priory Road
Forest Row
RH185JD

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 5:30pm

Website

http://www.priorsfarm.co.uk/

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