Bourton Vale Equine Clinic offers a full range of surgical, medical, diagnostic, inpatient, laboratory services. We try to have a particular vet dealing with the case rather than several becoming involved. This ensures continuity of treatment and one vet ultimately responsible for ensuring full and continuing treatment and also offers a named person who can deal with any client queries about a particular case. In the staff and contact us section we list full mobile phone numbers and email addresses of all our vets. They are only too happy to talk to clients directly about particular cases. Please click on links below to go to detailed practice services

Stable and stud visits                                             Full clinical examinations

Prepurchase examinations                                    Insurance examinations

Second opinion examinations                               Identity and microchips

General Surgery

Abdominal surgery                                                   Respiratory surgery

Orthopaedic surgery                                                Neonatal surgery

Digital radiography                                                   Ultrasonography

Nuclear scintigraphy                                                 Endoscopy

In patient facility                                                         Laboratory

Artificial Insemination                                               Embryo Transfer

For our primary care clients we provide a 24 hr 7 day a week service. We ask that any urgent visits for same day service be phoned in by 10am so that we can organise rounds efficiently. Emergency calls are dealt with immediately and often a vet can be diverted to provide immediate assistance if required. We endeavour to meet clients wishes with regard to time of calls. If possible we try to group calls for one area to minimise driving time between calls. We try to accommodate clients wishes as to treating vet but in emergency it depends on geography and the closest vet is sent in that case. Call-out charges are based on a geographical 5-area banding system depending on distance from the surgery.

Any calls out of our general practice area are charged in a mileage basis.

Please contact our office for specific mileage costs.

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Obviously the first job when investigating a veterinary problem with a horse or pony is to carry out a thorough clinical examination. The most important first stage is history taking. This is where the client or person responsible for the day to day care of the horse can really help our vets. As horses cannot talk then a good attentive carer or groom can spot symptoms which may help in diagnosis. Depending on the findings of a clinical examination the vet may be able to come to a diagnosis or require further more detailed tests to determine the problem. This can be particularly when dealing with lameness investigations where sometimes there is very little to see externally and nerve blocks and or radiography, ultrasonography or scintigraphy may be indicated. Think of the clinical examination as the starting point in the detective case of determining the injury or illness. Clients can help us by for example taking the rectal temperature of a horse which appears dull or off colour or not eating. The normal temp is 37.5 C (100.5 F) and any rise about this level is indicative of an active infection process going on in this animal.

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These are usually carried out prior to purchasing a new horse. There are 5 stages in a full examination as follows

Stage 1 - Preliminary examination

This is the methodical examination of the animal's body to assess general appearance and condition. It includes examination of the teeth, the resting heart, the eyes by opthalmoscope, the skin, the limbs and feet, and flexion of the limb joints to reveal pain or limitation of movement.

Stage 2 - Trotting up

The animal is walked and trotted on hard, level ground in order to detect gross abnormalities of gait and action. Flexion tests are usually done on all limbs in turn and the horse may be lunged in circles on a firm surface in either direction if facilities dictate.

.Stage 3 - Strenuous exercise

The animal is given sufficient strenuous exercise (1) to make it breathe deeply and rapidly so that any unusual breathing sounds may be heard; (2) to increase the action of the heart so that abnormalities may be more easily detected; and (3) to tire the animal so that strains or injuries may be revealed by stiffness or lameness after a period of rest.

Stage 4 - A period of rest

The horse is allowed to stand quietly for a period. During this time the breathing and the heart are checked as they return to their resting levels.

Stage 5 - The second trot and foot examination

The horse is walked and trotted again, turned sharply and backed, in order to reveal abnormalities exacerbated by the strenuous exercise stage.

A part vetting comprises on stages 1 and 2 and is sometimes requested for lower value purchases. In this case the purchaser will be required by the clinic to sign a form agreeing to a limited examination and recognising the limitations of this part vetting procedure.

Do remember that a prepurchase examination is only a guide to help you the purchaser make up your mind. We cannot detect every defect on a horse and a prepurchase examination does not provide a guarantee of future soundness and suitability. We encourage clients to discuss fully with the examining vet prior to his visit so any worries can be discussed fully as well as an idea of future use be obtained.

To book a prepurchase examination, the Purchaser or their agent must contact the clinic (not the Vendor) and the following details given

Purchaser’s name, address and full contact phone numbers

Vendor’s name, address and full contact phone numbers

Preferred date(s) for examination and location

Preferred vet to carry out the examination

Full details of horse including name, stated age, sex, height, colour, etc

Required use of horse

Type of vetting ( full 5 stage or part examination)

Any special diagnostic aids ( radiography, ultrasonography, etc)

Whether purchaser will be attending in person when horse vetted ( we encourage this practice )

Sometimes as a result of a clinical examination some defects may be found which warrant further investigation by radiography, ultrasonography or endoscopy and these will be discussed fully by the examining vet.

We always take a blood sample for detecting the presence of painkillers, antiinflammatory or sedative drugs unless the horse has been on trial with the purchaser for more than several days or unless specifically requested otherwise. This sample is stored for a minimum of 6 weeks and only tested if the purchaser specifically requests within this time.

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Basically there are usually 2 types of insurance examination based on whether you are either insuring you horse for just all risks mortality or full loss of use insurance cover. For a more detailed look at the intricacies of horse insurance and what is and isn’t covered please refer to our full review of horse insurance in the health facts section of this website.

Mortality insurance usually demands a 2 stage examination and full loss of use insurance cover demands that we carry out a full 5 stage examination as per a prepurchase situation. Insurance companies also will frequently ask for full medical history of any animal they are proposing to insure or reinsure and we will only give this information with your permission.

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We are happy to take on second opinion cases. We all know that complex cases can be difficult to solve and sometimes a second opinion is a good option. We have a number of local practices who refer cases on for a second opinion or for more detailed diagnostic tests. No vet can refuse a second opinion and if you feel that a case is not going to plan then you are at liberty to request a second opinion either from a vet of your own choice or from someone suggested by the first opinion vet. However you must as the animal owner inform the first opinion vet that you are seeking a second opinion. We will not take on any case unless we have spoken to the original treating vet. This is only a matter of professional courtesy and also to get full precise details of treatment to date. We will always report any clinical findings at our examination to the original treating vet and any follow-up treatment is detailed back to the original treating vet especially if long distances are involved in aftercare. We take on second opinions on a 24 hour day and 7 day week basis.

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We seem to be dealing with more and more issues of passports and microchipping. Whether you agree with the latest passport edicts from DEFRA it seems that from June 2004 all horses and ponies with very few exceptions will need a passport. We have found a very cost effective way using Pet-ID passports for horses which are not registered with a particular breed society. You can save money if your animal already possesses a vaccination silhouette already completed by a vet by copying this silhouette and attaching it to an application form obtainable from our office. If you do not possess a silhouette for your animal then this will need completing by a vet. Try to get this done at the same time as the horse is given his or her annual influenza or tetanus vaccination or combine with other owners on the same site. Why not get your riding club to organise a group identification day possibly associated with a competition or training day to save costs. Some of our clients are opting for the additional measure of microchipping but remember that freeze marking is a more visible deterrent for anti-theft purposes and microchipping is more designed to ensure the right horse turns up for the competition rather than some ringer being used. All TB foals are now microchipped routinely and have been done since 2000 and it is likely that at some not too distant time all racehorses will need to be chipped prior to racing.

If you have any queries about DEFRA passports please refer to a fuller article in horse health section. Alternatively speak to our office staff who are now pretty conversant with the legislation and how to comply.

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We have a purpose built operating theatre with 2 padded recovery rooms so that we can operate fairly continuously on patients. 2 surgeons do the bulk of the surgery with Richard Tyler performing most of the abdominal and respiratory surgery and Jeremy Swan doing the bulk of the orthopaedic procedures. Anaesthesia is always closely monitored by a vet to ensure constant monitoring of patients under general anaethesia. In addition some minor surgical procedures especially some dental surgical procedures can be more easily and safely performed under sedation rather than full general anaesthesia. Just as important as the surgery itself is the aftercare given on recovery from anaethesia. Our clinic has a 24hr intensive care facility with specially equipped stables and close circuit TV monitoring. This enables our vets and nurses to check progress day and night and maintain or change fluid therapy and the administration of analgesics to maximise patient comfort. This is of particular concern following colic surgery and also with surgery in very young foals.

The list of procedures carried out is as follows. If you wish further information on any one of the procedures please click on the title or go to horse health articles.

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Colic surgery - this is usually an emergency procedure and can involve an enormous amount of time and effort on the part of vets and nursing staff. The success rate now is about 75% longterm survival but the cost can be considerable when surgery, aftercare and hospitalisation fees are all added together.

Caesarian section – again another emergency procedure where time is critical to the survival of the mare and foal.

Ovariectomy – removing an enlarged or cancerous ovary. This is a difficult procedure and complications are not uncommon.

Cystotomy – removing bladder stones by incising into the bladder. This is a fairly uncommon procedure

Retained testicles – it is not uncommon for only one testicle to be descended into the scrotum and if the second one has not descended by the time the colt is 2 years old then surgery is indicated to explore the abdomen and find and remove the undescended organ.

Umbilical resections – commonly done on foals who suffer concurrently from joint ill infection. The stump of the umbilical cord harbours infection and is removed at the same time as the infected joint is flushed with copious amounts of sterile saline.

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Hobday operation - a procedure involves opening into the larynx and removing the lining of the laryngeal sacs and edge of left vocal cord to reduce airway interference associated with a mild degree of laryngeal paralyis

Tieback operation – used to help relieve the laryngeal obstruction associated with a more severe degree of laryngeal paralysis. The surgery anchors the arytenoid cartilage of the larynx and thereby increases the diameter of the upper airway.

Pinfire soft palate – used to produce scarring to the edge of the soft palate to increase palate rigidity and thereby reduce displacement of the soft palate under hard exercise ( when the horse so called gurgles in a race)

Tracheostomy (Tubing) – This surgical procedure is a last resort for respiratory problems. Only requiring sedation, it involves the insertion of a large metal tube into the horse’s trachea. This helps the horse with severe upper respiratory problems by by-passing the larynx.

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Hernia operation

Ruptured bladder operation

Periosteal elevations and/or stapling – used to correct angular limb deformities in foals

Miscellaneous surgery

Sinus surgery

Dental surgery

Neurectomy

Diagnostics

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The need for radiography of the horse in sickness and in health, for insurance and purchase examinations is increasing. More and more accurate diagnostic pictures are required. The better the equipment, the better the diagnostic skills of our vets, so with this in mind we purchased the most up to date technology available, the Agfa Digital computer radiography system. This enables us to view the images on computer and highlight areas that are causing concern. The quality of this digital image is outstanding. The computer base allows us to e-mail the images worldwide for clients to other vets for consultations. Bourton Vale Equine Clinic one of the very few private practices in the country with this technology available. We also have a portable X-ray facility available for emergency cases.

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The ultrasound machine generates soundwaves which are transmitted into the horse. The soundwaves echoing back enable visualisation of soft tissue structures (tendon ligament, heart, chest, follicle, etc.). The Clinic has one large in-house scanner and five portable scanners which are mostly used for reproductive work, such as follicle testing and early pregnancy diagnosis (e.g. 14 day testing).

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This is a diagnostic technique involving a pharmaceutical intravenous injection of a radioactive material. In the case of a bone being damaged or under stress, the bone will take up more of this radioactive agent, giving a higher radiation count for this area. A clear 'hot spot' can thus be pinpointed. Scintigraphy is predominantly used for subtle lamenesses or lameness which cannot be easily diagnosed with nerve blocks, such as back or pelvis problems.

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The in-house laboratory offers a wide range of services for diagnostic and investigative work from samples brought in by our vets.

This service includes:

• Routine haematology

• General Biochemistry screen

• Bacteriology

• Urinalysis

• Faecal analysis

• Cytology

• Mycology (fungal analysis)

• Synovial fluid analysis

Samples may be referred to specialist laboratories for further investigative work.

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The Clinic carries out all forms of A.I. work: fresh, chilled and frozen. A relatively simple procedure, it does require a high degree of veterinary input to maximise the mare's chances of getting in foal. Frozen semen is the most difficult form of semen to use and can end up being the most costly. Some stallions' semen will react well to being frozen, others will not, so it is possible to pay a lot of money for semen when it may have limited potential! The mare will need to be scanned several times through the day, as she needs to be inseminated within 6 hours of ovulation, so the whole process is more time consuming than a natural covering. However, it is also a far safer process for all involved and reduces the risks of infection. Hopefully your mare can be successfully put in foal through one insemination.

The Clinic offers a financial package for clients wishing to use artificial insemination on their mares.  Greg Staniek is the expert on AI and embryo transfer so contact him via the clinic office to get further details on this side of the practice.

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It is now possible to produce one or more foals from your mare whilst not interrupting her competitive career. Working closely with your vet (Greg Staniek carries out all of our embryo transfer work) the mare's oestrous period and her competition schedule can be synchronised, so that she is artificially inseminated and 7 or 8 days dater the embryo is flushed from her uterus. This embryo can then be transferred into a suitable recipient mare or frozen in liquid nitrogen. It is possible to repeat this process several times, collecting up to 10 embryos within one breeding season.

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