Little Rock Equine Vets

26/02/2025

Thank you for all your wonderful suggestions. All of them have been fabulous but also quite a few have had us giggling when we've seen them. Please give a warm welcome to Lil Rockie.

He will be helping us out over the next wee while, so please keep an eye out for him.

24/02/2025

We’ve had a new member of staff start but they’ve forgotten their name….. what should we call our new mascot?

17/02/2025

🐴 Have you found something unusual while doing your last clip? 🐴

Sarcoids and melanomas are the most common skin tumors in horses, and while some are harmless, others can grow, spread, or cause discomfort. Early detection is key!

In tonight's blog:
✅ How to identify different types of sarcoids
✅ Why melanomas are so common in grey horses
✅ Treatment options to keep your horse comfortable

📖 Read more 👉 https://littlerockequinevets.co.uk/horse-sarcoids-melanomas/

If you’ve noticed a new lump on your horse and are concerned about it, we are always happy to discuss these with you -our team is always available 01782 898102 for expert advice!

Does your horse have a lump or bump? Sarcoids and melanomas are the most common skin tumors in horses, affecting all breeds and ages.

14/02/2025

With it being Valentines day today, we thought the topic of finding the right partner was a great one for discussion today.

When looking for your ideal partner there are a few things you should take into consideration, while forming a healthy and happy relationship between the two of you.

Are they your type?: This depends on what you are looking for and what sweeps you off your feet.

Is your dream partner tall, dark and handsome? or a bit more thick set, intelligent and makes you smile... lets be honest good looks aren't necessarily a long term thing but the ability to laugh lasts a lifetime.

First things first. Do they have a passport? Are they who they claim to be.... you never know, you might want to go away on holiday with them in the near future.

When did they last have a dental? Do they have a nice smile? Dental health is important when it comes to good performance...... it also saves you on the feed bill as they maintain a good body weight!

Do they have a good vet history? and have they only been to one vet or have they bounced around different practices? This is important to know, as a healthy partner is a happy partner and one who will be around for a while.

How are they with the farrier? Do they need to be sedated every time they have their feet trimmed or are they happy to doze off at the end of the lead rope?

Are they up to date with their vaccinations? Having a good immune system which is able to fight things like the flu and tetanus is really important. If they havent had these jabs make sure they do.

Do they have a shiny coat? A healthy coat is a sign of good health, this can give you an early indication if this is the right partner for you on first sight.

Are they free of any freeloaders? Check to make sure they aren't harbouring any little friends on the first going over.

Is their heart big and strong? as the song goes "A good heart is always hard to find ...... so please be gentle with that heart of mine" good heart health is vital, they need to be able to give all the love and support to you and your aims for the year.

and last but by no means least - when did they last have their sheath cleaned. Sheath health is vital in your partner, a dirty sheath can be an indicator of other health issues and may mean you give them the by-ball.......

We all hope you have a great valentines weekend regardless of what you get up to. Don't forget you have to kiss a lot of frogs before the right one appears. Let us know how you have spoiled the one you love today :)

13/02/2025

Abscess's - the bain of everyone's life with this year's weather. I think both horse owners and farriers have cursed the weather up and down over the last 6 months. Abscess's occur when the horse bruises or causes trauma to the sole of it's foot. It is more likely to occur when the sole is softened by wet weather.

Signs that your horse or pony has an abscess can vary from being a bit short in walk and trot through to being non weight bearing lame. Most foot abscess's can be dealt with in a straight forward misson of poulticing and digging it out. some do you require further investigation but thankfully these are rare.

Useful things to check when dealing with a foot abscess:

- Is the tetanus vaccination up to date? Most tetanus infections enter the body through the bits of anatomy closest to the ground. They almost always occur in unvaccinated equines.

- What colour is the pus from the foot? Black is a good colour in foot abscesses, any other colour needs veterinary attention as it can warrent a much more serious issue such as oesteomyelitis (a bone infection).

- Can the abscess be dug out easily or isn't it coming to a head? Some abscesses are incredibly deep and can run all the way across the sole. These take time but if the abscess can't be dug out or the horse remains sore across the whole sole after several days, then it may be time to get veterinary assistance.


Some other conditions that can present like abscesses, are a fractured pedal bone, tears to the deep digital flexor tendon in the foot and laminitis presenting in 1 foot. These are all rare presentations of foot lameness in comparison to abscessation at this time of year but not unheard of.

If you have any questions on this topic please feel free to get in contact on 01782 898102 to discuss withone of our vets.

11/02/2025

Not to get you all scratchin..........but....... We have seen an increased number of horses and ponies with lice over the last few weeks. This winter has been especially mild which might be contributing to these cases. Before you all run away screaming.......some fun facts about lice.

- Two different types can live on horses - sucking lice and biting lice
- Sucking lice live next to the skin and like the head, ears, flanks and tail head.
- Biting lice are a bit more mobile and like under the horses front legs, inner thigh regions
- Spread by direct contact between horses
- Rugs, saddle cloths, brushes can all carry lice
- They won't live on humans.

Lice cause intense itching and horses can self traumatise trying to itch that spot. It can in some cases cause weight loss due to the fact the horse spends more time itching than it does eating.

The good news is that lice are easily treated by using treatments such as Deosect Equine. It is important to treat all in contact horses at the same time. In order to break the life cycle these treatments should be done a minimum of 7 days apart.

If you have any further questions or queries on horse lice, please give the office a call on 01782 898102, and we will be happy to help

09/02/2025

Lets talk about horses and their teeth. All equines are prey species, therefore they do not show pain easily.

Both these horses had these issues picked up on routine dentals. The xray shows the 107 (second molar on the upper RHS) is infected. There was no facial swelling or obvious pain but there were rotten areas (caries present) when we looked inside with a dental gag and probe.

The second picture shows gum recession and a missing tooth. This gum recession could be a sign of EORLS a degenerative disease of the front incisors in some horses.

Both of these conditions will be painful but these patients weren't showing any obvious signs. It is important to get your horses teeth checked regularily to ensure that they are comfortable in their mouths. We recommend that horses has either a qualified EDT (equine dental technician) or a vet perform a thorough exam and dental every 12 months. Some horses will need to be seen more regularily due to underlying issues.

If you have any questions on this please phone the office on 01782 898102 and one of our vets will be happy to discuss this topic further.

05/02/2025

Heads up folks, from the 3rd Feburary 2025, the FEI have announced that all flu vaccinations for FEI registered horses must be recorded in a different manner to the norm. If you have a horse that is registered under a FEI passport, please make the office aware of this to ensure the correct recording of the vaccination data.

The information below has been taken directly from the FEI website: The app is available from both Googleplay and the Applestore - FEI horseapp is the name of the app.

OVERVIEW OF THE VACCINATION PROCESS AND MODULE FEATURES
The equine influenza vaccination module on the FEI HorseApp will enable vaccination details to be recorded in a fully digital format, in addition to being recorded in the Horse’s Passport.

Vaccination recording
Any equine influenza vaccination administered to an FEI Horse will be registered on the FEI HorseApp by the administering veterinarian.

Vaccination details must be entered on the same day the vaccine is administered, including the vaccine name and batch number.

If the Horse receives a vaccination against equine influenza and does not have any vaccination history registered on the FEI HorseApp, historical vaccination details can be recorded on the FEI HorseApp by the veterinarian or anyone associated with this Horse.

It applies only for Equine Influenza vaccinations

Vaccination verification during the Examination on Arrival at FEI Events:

During the Examination on Arrival at FEI Events, the FEI Official Veterinarians will be able to easily view each Horse’s vaccination status directly on the FEI HorseApp at the same time they verify the Horse Health Requirements.

Notifications system

Automatic reminders before vaccinations lapse and information notifications will be sent to Persons Responsible (PRs) and Horse owners to ensure Horses meet the necessary vaccination requirements.

WHO CAN USE THE VACCINATION MODULE ON THE FEI HORSEAPP?

Athletes, Grooms, Owners, Trainers, Licensed veterinarians not registered with the FEI
& FEI Official Veterinarians. Find further information about the use of the FEI HorseApp, with a dedicated section for each user, on Inside.FEI.org.

04/02/2025

There can be many many reasons for poor performance in horses at this time of year. Change of nutrition, lameness or in this case mild squamous ulcers. Doing a thorough examination of your horse in order to decide whether scoping is needed is vital. In this case these ulcers are grade 1 and should resolve with the appropriate treatment and management changes.

In these types of cases it is important to talk with your vet in order to enable them to get a clear picture of what is going on. We are very much looking to see what this tummy looks like at the next scope in 5 weeks time. This pony is already more comfortable and happier in herself.

If you have any questions about your horse or pony please feel free to give our office a shout on 01782 898102 and one of our vets will be more than happy to help.

02/02/2025

It's been a busy weekend for our Brand Ambassadors.

Congratulations to Leanne for winning the 1m class at Kelsal on her new horse Jerry and for a lovely clear in the 95 on her very own Balou.

Amazing results for Reeva coming 1st in th 138 BS Winter Silver League on her very own Jaffa, and for coming 2nd in the foxhunter and 1st in the 1:15 on Rio at Pickering Grange - amazing results.

Brilliant weekend for Denise who came 2nd in the dressage with her lovely Oreo.

Becki has had a great weekend with Ted at Somerford crosscountry arena and even though Ted wasn't keen to get there, it looks like he had a fabulous time.

Sarah and her wee team did some last minute show training at Alsager Equestrian Centre in preparation for the upcoming season.

Pip and Thea have had a lovely weekend with Quentin and Laddie.

Sarah and Frisco have been playing with poles.

What have you guys been up to this weekend?

21/01/2025

The days are getting lighter and although we are in the depths of winter, the new season is coming. This is the best time to ensure your horse is prepared for getting out and about. Mouth comfort and ensuring your horse is up to date with vaccines are two of the major things we think about at this time of year. Ensuring that their teeth have no sharp overgrowths or imbalance is vital.

We currently have a free visit - if four or more things are needing to be done at the same time. For example: three dentals and a vaccination. The number of horses doesn't matter just how many routine things need done. This is our way of helping you get your horse or pony ready for the upcoming season.

If you would like more information on this please, phone the office on 01782 898102.

19/01/2025

Fitness plans are so important and the sooner you start the more ready you will be for the upcoming season. Slow and steady wins the race. Take a look at our blog to see how this is best achieved for your four legged friend.

https://littlerockequinevets.co.uk/ready-to-boost-your-horses-fitness-lets-get-started/

09/01/2025

Weight: Whilst i'm sure most of our horses would love to have the body condition of a racing snake .... a lot of them (like the horse pictured) struggle to do this. Call them good doers or those that are genetically challenged but in reality these wonderful fourlegged creatures are the ones that will be more prone to conditions such as lamnitis.

Horses are designed to gain weight in the spring and summer and become more insulin resistant as their fat to muscle ratio gets higher. If this continues the risk of laminitis occurring increases. Excessive weight gain, doubles the risk of a laminitic episode. Every bout of laminitis can shorten the lifespan by 18months. Repeated bouts increase the risk of death by a factor of 5.

Aims of weight loss:

To lose weight without getting “hangry” - This should be every horse owner's aim. From a human perspective we know we don’t like to feel like we are starving and some folk become very short tempered when on “diets”. The aim of weight loss should be to change the overall management to ensure that we can manage those horses and ponies who look sideways at a bit of grass and end up looking like a belgium blue beef cow in a matter of seconds.

Weight loss plan:

“Weight loss not starvation” - should be the mantra

This involves ensuring that the reduced intake is spread over a longer length of time.

There are several ways this can be done:

- Trickle nets - Filling these and bagging them into another trickle net, means that it takes longer to consume the reduced ration. This means the chances of a hangry horse is minimised. These can be bolted to the floor and a hay box placed around them to ensure that you are not putting undue stress on the neck and back muscles of your four legged friend.

- Tying nets up and off any wall surface - This is a bit like bobbing for apples as kids. Because the net can't be pinned against a surface it makes harder work and therefore expends more energy (through movement) eating

- Hay Balls - increase movement and are hard to eat hay from

- soaking haynets (never haylage) for a minimum of 12 hours helps to reduce the sugar in the dried hay and also softens the fibre content making it more palatable.

Feeding a filler:

Filling stomach with high fibre feed twice daily will make the weight loss journey easier. If the animal who needs to lose weight feels full then they are less likely to gorge on grass, or nets and are far less likely to be difficult to handle.

Feeds that are high in fibre but low in sugar include:

- Speedibeet
- Fastfibre
- Spillers Speedimash Fibre
- Simple Systems Haycare

All of the feeds mentioned above are lower in sugar and starch and high in fibre. These are used to fill the stomach which makes for an easier weight loss journey for both the one on the diet and the one controlling the diet.

In the current weather conditions these feeds also help to increase the water intake as well, which helps with hydration and in turn reduces the risk of impaction colic.

If you have any questions about this topic - feel free to call us on 01782 898102 to discuss further with us.

07/01/2025

Apparently the curse of us posting about bad weather (and then it going unseasonably warm) hasn't minimised the artic blast this week!

We have seen an increase in impaction colic, and laminitis cases over the last 24 - 48 hours. As much as we sound like a broken record, we feel it is important to remind you of ways of minimising vet visits at this time of year and with these weather conditions.

Impaction colic is caused by a lack of water and a lack of exercise. These two things are vital to keep a horses digestive tract in tip top condition. The laminitis cases we have seen are down to a decrease in exercise during this snowy time.

Yes it is vital that our four legged friends have access to forage if they are out but it is also vital that they are moving. If they aren't moving in the field then they need to be encouraged to move.

Ways to do this:

Hay nets - place them round the field so they have to move from one to another during the course of the day.

If they are stabled, get them out in hand. If it is slippy outside, using soiled bedding to give the horses grip on the concrete is ideal - this can always be lifted and replaced on a daily basis if needs be.

- exercise is vital - even if you can only walk them round a yard (safely) for 10- 15 mins morning an night will help towards

Make sure they are getting enough water:

- plunge soaking nets and letting them drain before putting them in the stable, adds water content to dry hay. Don't soak haylage it will cause problems with the fermentation process and can make horses very sick.

- adding water to feeds that aren't normally soaked - this increases the water intake which will decrease the risk of impaction colic

- putting a full boiled kettle of water into your water buckets won't stop it freezing but will slow down the process - we are due to go down to -10 from wednesday night overnight in the local area.

We are here and happy to help. If you want to discuss your individual routines and how we can help you tweak them - feel free to call us on 01782 898102. Stay safe folks.

04/01/2025

Horses (or more importantly) their digestive tracts, don't like sudden changes. The predicted weather storms coming in over the next 12-24hrs are going to give us just that...... Looking at the weather forecasts, we're not sure if we're getting lots of snow that will disappear by midday Sunday or will stay for a while. Regardless, the sudden change in the weather can bring headaches (for owners) and tummy aches (for horses)

How to reduce the risks:

1. Ensure you keep your horses moving - this means walking in hand if at all possible, if you can't get them out in the field. Horses guts need to move and the best way to keep them moving is to move their whole body. 15-20 mins movement twice daily will reduce the risks of impaction colic.

2. Ways to get horses out and moving - using soiled bedding on walk ways, can help with getting horses out and moving.

3. Access to water -dehydration can lead to impaction colic - You can moderate this by adding extra water to feed, offering fresh and slightly warmed water with the use of boiled water from a kettle. Whilst it won't stop it freezing - it will slow the speed that the water freezes.

Impaction colic clinical signs:

- reduced feacal impact
- reduced appetite
- lying down more than normal.

If you have any queries on the topics above we can be contacted on 01782 898102.

01/01/2025

New year, new aims.......... so what are your plans for 2025?

We as a team, have decided to run the Cannock Chase half marathon in April.

We are raising money for the farrier foundation www.thefarriersfoundation.co.uk which helps farriers who are injured to get back on their feet. We work closely with all our local farriers and we know how tough their job can be and the risks of injury.

This half marathon will be bringing some of us who used to run out of retirement and back into it. Keep an eye out over the next few months and we will show you how we are all getting on.

We would love to hear what you all have planned for this year with your horses or your own personal aims.

31/12/2024

We would like to wish all of you a very happy New Year when it comes. We have had a great year working alongside all of you and are looking forward to seeing you in 2025.