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We will be offering certain products at different times of the year to cater for seasonal problems such as mud fever, sweet itch, fly nuisance and laminitis for example. We also have annual packs of wormers which will help to ensure that your parasite control is efficient.  Please contact the Office via phone or e-mail for more information.

Annual MOT for your horse:

Many of our Clients ask us to give their horse a general check over at the time their annual vaccination is due. This is a great opportunity to listen to the heart and lungs, assess general body condition, check the teeth, discuss parasite control, test for back pain  and to watch for lameness. We have now instigated a general MOT which includes the following:

The cost of this service is £75 inc vat.
(when carried out at the clinic or a Hartpury College Therapy Unit)

Worm check

Most horse owners constantly worry about parasite control as well they should!  Recent research has shown increasing resistance, especially by the small red worms, to our normal types of wormers. We are advised by the boffins that it is especially important to screen new horses when they arrive at a yard prior to them being turned out. If they are carrying resistant worms then they will contaminate the new pasture and infiltrate the existing worm population. Very soon they too could become resistant.

The best way to look for the presence of red worms in your horse is to do faecal egg counts and to check for the level of beta globulins in a blood sample. The latter is a good indicator for the presence of larval stages in the intestinal wall. The egg counts only detect the existence of adult worms. These two tests together give the overall picture.  We have had an increasing number of cases of disease caused by tapeworms. This can manifest in weight loss, ill-thrift and even colic. Tapeworms may be seen in droppings from time to time particularly if the horse has been stressed by travelling for example. However the most reliable method of detection is to measure the horse’s antibody level to tapeworms; this is done by sending a blood sample to Liverpool Veterinary School.

We have put together a few packages firstly to include faecal egg counts, beta globulin and tapeworm antibody level evaluation for a total of £75 inc vat (excluding visit).  Secondly the standard yearly worming pack consisting of; two syringes of ‘equest’ and two ‘equest Pramox’, all you should need for your horse for 12months for a total of £68.00 inc vat.

It can not be over emphasised how important good pasture management is to control worm burdens. Collection of droppings soon after they are produced, keeping stocking densities down ie. not too many horses on one paddock, resting pastures, grazing with sheep and if necessary ploughing up and re-seeding are all important measures to bear in mind.