Galley Hill Equine Surgery

20/02/2025

🌸 MARCH CASTRATE OFFER 🌸

Please call us on 01992 762 185 to book in!

10/02/2025

FEI Vaccination Changes 💉

From the 3rd January 2025, there are some mandatory changes to how FEI vaccinations are recorded.

All horses that are competing under FEI rules will require their vaccines (specifically Equine Influenza) to be recorded not only in the passports but ALSO online with the official FEI app which is then logged and recorded by one of our vets.

Things to do as an owner:
🐴 Have the passport present at the time of vaccination
🐴 Download the FEI HorseApp (https://inside.fei.org/fei/your-role/it-services/mobile-apps/fei-horse-app) and enter all previous historical vaccinations prior to your appointment
🐴 Be prepared for the vet to perform a full clinical examination including scanning your horses microchip or taking photos of your horse

For more information follow the link below:
https://inside.fei.org/fei/your-role/veterinarians/biosecurity-movements/fei-horseapp-vaccination-module -for-veterinarians

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions 😃

Watch the video below to see how a veterinarian uses the FEI HorseApp during the vaccination process. In accordance with the FEI Veterinary Regulations, the equine influenza vaccination details must be recorded on the FEI HorseApp, in addition to being recorded in the Horse’s Passport. The new vac...

19/12/2024

⭐️ Christmas & New Years Opening Hours ⭐️

We would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 🎄

We will be available 24 hours a day during the festive period should you need us in an emergency.

We kindly ask all our clients that has horses on ongoing medication, that they arrange this with us and collect prior to the holiday period to avoid disappointment!

29/11/2024

❄️ As the weather gets colder, changes in your horses turnout, eating and drinking habits can increase the risk for colic especially impaction colics. If you suspect your horse is suffering from colic, alert your veterinarian immediately. Galley Hill Equine is available 24/7 in case of emergencies. 🐴

27/11/2024

What is your horses worm risk? 🪱

Wormer resistance is a threat to equine health and welfare and is now reported in all common horse worms. To reduce the risk of resistance, guidelines recommend that worm control with worm egg counts (WEC), management strategies and informed treatment decisions will help avoid blanket treatments that are known to promote resistance making the drugs less effective.

‘What’s Your Worm Risk’ has created a very useful free risk assessment that provides information that helps decisions on management, testing and worming. “What’s Your Worm Risk” calculates the potential level of risk based on widely accepted principles related to equine worm infections. Depending on horse-specific information, it classifies the risk of infection for each horse as either low, moderate, or high. By using this test, it should help reduce the wormers administered and reduce the risk of drug resistance!

https://www.whatsyourwormrisk.com/

Click on the link above to evaluate your horse’s risk! 🪱

27/11/2024

What is your horses worm risk? 🪱

Wormer resistance is a threat to equine health and welfare and is now reported in all common horse worms. To reduce the risk of resistance, guidelines recommend that worm control with worm egg counts (WEC), management strategies and informed treatment decisions will help avoid blanket treatments that are known to promote resistance making the drugs less effective.

'What's Your Worm Risk' has created a very useful free risk assessment that provides information that helps decisions on management, testing and worming. “What’s Your Worm Risk” calculates the potential level of risk based on widely accepted principles related to equine worm infections. Depending on horse-specific information, it classifies the risk of infection for each horse as either low, moderate, or high. By using this test, it should help reduce the wormers administered and reduce the risk of drug resistance!

https://www.whatsyourwormrisk.com/

Click on the link above or scan the QR code to evaluate your horse's risk! 🪱

15/11/2024

WOW 🤩⭐️

What an evening! Thank you soo much to all our amazing clients (and some new faces!) for joining us at our client evening last night. We really are spoilt with such kind, supportive and wonderful clients.

A HUGE thank you to our sponsors - the quiz prizes, raffle prizes and goody bags were absolutely fantastic and went down like a treat! ⭐️

We thoroughly enjoyed having everyone here to meet our team, see the practice, listen to our talks from Fernando, Tahiyya and Glynis and chat with Susie Rees about everything dentistry related! 🦷

All proceeds for the raffle will go to the Ess*x Horse & Pony Protection Society and we managed to raise just over £300 so thank you all so much!

We are very much looking forward to hosting another one again so watch this space! ⭐️

12/11/2024

A little hint of some of our amazing prizes to be won at our open evening this Thursday!

We are so excited to see you all there! ⭐️

05/11/2024

⭐️ OPEN EVENING! ⭐️

THURSDAY 14th NOVEMBER

We are so excited to be holding an Open Evening for all our wonderful clients at our Galley Hill Equine Surgery premise in Waltham Abbey, EN9 2AD. We have an exciting evening planned with talks from our vets Tahiyya, Fernando, Glynis and Susie on various topics that we think are very relevant to our horse owners. We will also have refreshments, quizzes, practice tours, various pop up stands, raffle and vouchers to give away!

We look forward to seeing all of you on Thursday 14th November! ⭐️

09/10/2024

🐎 SAVE THE DATE 🐎

We will be hosting a client evening on Thursday 14th November from 6.30pm!

Please follow our social media for the full details!

We are so looking forward to seeing you all 🐴

17/09/2024

OCTOBER CASTRATION OFFER!

Please call us on 01992762185 to book in 😀🐴

12/09/2024

🍂 Autumn Cushing's Testing 🍂

With Autumn just round the corner, it is the ideal time to test your horses and ponies for Cushing's, also known as Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID). Cushing's is a common hormonal disease which affects one in five horses over the age of 15. It is caused by changes in the pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain. This gland is normally controlled by a substance called dopamine and its role is to produce a variety of hormones which play an important role in maintaining and controlling a variety of bodily functions. Horses and ponies with Cushing’s don’t produce enough dopamine which means that the pituitary gland becomes uncontrolled and produces too many hormones. One of these hormones is called ACTH.

Equine Cushing’s disease is a progressive condition associated with a number of symptoms that can affect your horses quality of life. Symptoms include:
- Abnormal coat
- Abnormal fat deposits
- Abnormal sweating
- Increased thirst/urination
- Laminitis
- Lethargy
- Muscle wastage
- Recurrent infections
- Reduced fertility

ACTH levels in healthy horses fluctuate with the seasons, however ACTH levels are naturally higher in Autumn months of August, September and October so now is an ideal time to get your horses tested for Cushing's. We currently have a discounted price for the ACTH blood test for any horse that has not yet been diagnosed with Equine Cushing's, so please contact our team to find out more! 🐴

31/05/2024

HERMAPHRODITISM IN HORSES

Hermaphroditism is a very rare condition where a horse is born with both male and female reproductive organs. This can be a complex medical issue, often discovered during routine veterinary exams or when unusual behaviour or physical traits are noticed.

We were contacted when one of our wonderful clients noticed their pony was displaying ‘stallion like’ behaviour around mares and when being handled, even though they were under the impression she was a mare. Tahiyya, our head equine veterinarian surgeon, went out to examine the pony and found she (arguably also a he!) had external female and male reproductive organs but then also internal male reproductive organs resulting in extremely high testosterone levels in the blood.

Our visiting surgeon Bryan then came to our clinic to laparoscopically remove two testicles that were in the abdomen.
Within a few days after the surgery, our clinical team had already began to notice a huge difference in her behaviour.

The ponies recovery was smooth and uneventful so was discharged. This now meant that ‘she’, even though still a hermaphrodite, could go on to lead a normal and happy life being turned out with both mares and geldings.

Signs:
• Ambiguous external genitalia
• Behaviour typical of the opposite s*x
• Infertility or difficulty in breeding

Diagnosis:
• Physical examination
• Hormonal tests
• Ultrasound
• Genetic testing

Treatment and Management:
While there is no one-size-fits-all treatment, options may include:
• Surgical intervention to remove one set of reproductive organs
• Hormonal therapy
• Ongoing veterinary care to monitor health and behaviour

Risks of Owning a Hermaphrodite Horse:
While these horses can live healthy lives, there are some risks and challenges to be aware of:
⚠️ Health Complications:
Increased risk of infections or medical issues related to the reproductive organs.
Potential for hormonal imbalances that could affect overall health
⚠️ Behavioural Issues:
Possible behavioural problems due to hormonal inconsistencies, such as aggression or unusual mating behaviours.
⚠️ Breeding Challenges:
Infertility or complications in breeding programs. Horses with hermaphroditism are often sterile, which can affect breeding plans.

Hermaphroditism in horses is extremely rare. While exact statistics are hard to come by, it is estimated that this condition occurs in a very small fraction of the equine population. Most horse owners and breeders may never encounter it, which makes awareness and understanding even more crucial so if you have any concerns or questions about any of the points raised above then please feel free to get in contact with us!

Thank you to the owners for letting us sharing their story! 🐴

14/03/2024

🐴 PRE-COMPETITION MOT 🐴

Is your horse/pony ready for the upcoming 2024 competition season?

Ensure peak performance and optimal health for your equine athletes with a pre-season health check. Our wonderful senior vet Fernando holds a RCVS Certificate in Equine Surgery Orthopaedics and specializes in assessing the well-being of competition horses, addressing any potential issues, and providing tailored recommendations.

What is involved in the performance health check?
- On your yard or at our clinic examination (travel fee applies if we go to your yard)
- Clinical examination (Heart, lungs, basic teeth check)
- Orthopaedic examination
o Back and neck palpation
o In hand trot up
o Lunging
o Flexion test
- General blood profile
o Screen for any signs of infection, anaemia, inflammation, vital organ function, muscle enzymes etc

Benefits of a pre-season health check:
- Early detection of health concerns
- Customized care plans for individual horses
- Enhanced performance and reduced risk of injuries

⭐️ We are currently offering this for only £120 per horse! ⭐️

If there are any issues identified during the trot up or examination, we are offering 20% off any diagnostics on sites of concern. Diagnostics include:
o Radiographs
o Ultrasound
o Endoscopy/gastroscopy

Don't leave your horse's well-being to chance. Book your pre-season health check today and give them the competitive edge they deserve!

📞 To book please call us on 01992 762 185 or 💻email us at [email protected]