Category Archives: Vet’s View

Horses, unlike human patients, do not always realise when they have to take it easy so it is unfortunately inevitable that when they are injured they will have to be confined on Box Rest. This can be a stressful time for both owner and horse alike especially if your horse was competition fit and “full […]

Bringing your horse in for Winter – What should you consider? The recent change in weather has reminded us autumn is here and winter routines will be commencing soon if they haven’t already! Of course, we want to keep our horses turned out as much as possible but as daylight hours decrease, grazing depletes, the […]

Hardly a week passes without there being an article in the News about the obesity crisis in the human population. Today’s young people may be the first generation not to have longer lifespans than their parents. There is a huge increase in Type 2 diabetes and obesity is linked to heart disease, numerous types of […]

After a number of claims associated with worms, we look at the importance of worming correctly and the problems we can be faced with… We have recently had three claims submitted for serious diarrhoea associated with small red worm (strongyle) infections, an infection which is preventable through the correct worming management. Worming, as with vaccinating […]

Horses have evolved to be free roaming grazing animals. Given the option to live this way they will spend about three quarters of their time with their heads down and will be continually on the move albeit slowly, as they search for the tastiest grass. As a result of this evolutionary fact, the respiratory system […]

How closely does your veterinary surgeon work with your farrier? In my opinion this relationship should be very close indeed. Part of my responsibility as a vet in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (many years ago!)  was to ensure that the qualifications of the Army farriers were in line with those offered by the Colleges […]

Since I have been working at KBIS as their Veterinary Advisor it has struck me how many claims we see for gastric ulcers. It has made me wonder what is going to happen to all these horses once their claim for vet’s fees has finished? It has long been recognised that horses, kept in stables […]

Dr Annie Bevin MA Vet MB MRCVS discusses the increasingly common problem of kissing spines and its relationship to saddle fitting and the horse’s way of going. Recently I have been pondering the large amount of claims that we are seeing for kissing spines, or more correctly overriding dorsal spinous processes. Nearly everyone will know […]

I must confess to not having much enthusiasm for dermatology in the early days of my career but over the years I have spent considerable time dealing with skin conditions and I think the horse’s skin is regularly overlooked and perhaps the most forgotten organ of the body. The skin provides a first line physical barrier […]

The horse’s skin is perhaps the most forgotten organ of the body. The skin provides a first line barrier against infections and plays a role in heat regulation and electrolyte balance through sweating. The general health of our horses is reflected in their skin. A healthy horse will have a glossy coat which shines without […]