Avonvale Equine Practice

23/10/2026

22/10/2026

🐴🐴 Brand Ambassador Update - Molly Perkins 🐴🐴

Here's an update from Molly on what she and Fitz have been up to recently:

A few weeks ago we headed to Onley for my first ever British Showjumping show. We jumped two lovely rounds on a ticket and are really looking forward to doing lots more showjumping over the winter.

The following week we headed to Offchurch Bury for their one day event. Considering this was only Fitz's third ever event he was a total pro, scoring an impressive 24.8 dressage and double clear! A few time penalties cost us the win but I could not be more proud of the result from our first event together.

We followed that up this weekend at the Calmsden training event where we had a go at the 90 to finish the season. Once again he was absolutely brilliant, just taking one pole showjumping but jumping a brilliant clear cross country round a decent track.

I am so excited for this winter and next season's eventing and look forward to bringing you more updates!

21/10/2026

⭐️⭐ How do I keep shoes on? ⭐️⭐

Horses who regularly lose their shoes are a frustrating problem for owners, farriers and vets alike.

Some horses have poor horn quality, and shoes come off as the hoof wall breaks apart. These horses are best kept in when the ground is hard, ideally fed a high biotin hoof supplement and shod regularly so that shoes are not able to become loose.

Horses who regularly pull their shoes off by over reaching would benefit from large over reaching boots (ones down to the floor), which they should wear at all times. If this is a new problem a lameness assessment is warranted, some horses start over reaching because of hind limb lameness and an inability to accurately place the hind limb.

Horses who lose shoes in deep mud may benefit from more regular farriery to ensure the shoe fit is always optimal. If your gateways are getting poached it may help to bring horses in sooner, or fence off a walkway inside the field so that you can move the 'gate' around.

It can be tempting to shoe horses tighter and tighter with less and less heel support, and although this will give the horse less to stand on, it is not a good idea for soundness long term. A balance needs to be struck between foot balance and shoe fit.

21/10/2026

⭐⭐ Discounted Gastroscope Clinic ⭐⭐

Back by popular demand - take advantage of this amazing offer and book onto our next discounted gastroscope clinic - taking place on Wednesday 18th November.

This clinic offers excellent value for money - £165.00 to include VAT, sedation and trot up. Overnight stabling is available at an extra charge.

If you think your horse may be suffering from gastric ulcers, book now - particularly if your horse is showing these signs:

👉 Irritability when grooming
👉 Girthy when tacking up
👉 Reluctance to go forwards under saddle
👉 Poor performance
👉 Loss of condition
👉 Loss of appetite

Take advantage of this excellent offer by calling our Reception team on 01295 670501 or email [email protected]. If you'd like to speak to one of our experienced vets then please give us a ring.

For more information on gastroscoping and gastric ulcers - take a look at our blog: https://www.avonvaleequine.co.uk/blog/equine-gastroscope/

Terms and conditions apply - payment at time of booking.

19/10/2026

⭐⭐ Monthly Theme continued - Castration ⭐⭐

So what happens after your horse has been castrated? Here's a run through of the aftercare needed once surgery has been completed.

• Your vet will leave you specific instructions regarding aftercare and drugs.
• Your horse will be given pain relief and potentially antibiotics depending on each individual case.
• You should keep your horse somewhere you can monitor them overnight such as a stable or small field pen
• Some bleeding is normal initially but if >1 drop per second, contact your vet immediately
• Monitor for any signs of complications
o Severe swelling (greater than size of a large orange)
o Anything protruding from the incisions
o Thick yellow discharge with foul smell
o Dull demaenour
o Temperature over 38.5

Newly castrated horse can still impregnate mares as some s***m may be stored in the reproductive tract, so keep a newly castrated gelding away from mares for at least 4-8 weeks.

Some geldings may still show stallion-like behaviour, which may take months to regress and requires consistent handling and training.

18/10/2026

⭐⭐ SAVE MONEY TODAY! ⭐⭐

Why not take advantage of our totally free zone visits for all your routine treatments. Our days are split into four different zones, from Tuesday to Friday, with no call our fee!

Take a look at our website for more information and to see which day your zone visit would be - https://www.avonvaleequine.co.uk/zone-visits/

17/10/2026

🐴🐴 Client evening round-up 🐴🐴

Thank you to everyone who attended our Client Evening on Monday night.

Vet Claire did an excellent talk on injury prevention in horses and ponies and Vet Carys talked about how to reduce the stress of a vet visit, particularly with nervous horses.

The new location of Ettington Community Centre was definitely a success, a great location just off the Fosse-and very central for our catchment area.

Our next client evening will be in the Spring 2027.

16/10/2026

🐴🐴 Latest Blog - Diastema in Horses 🐴🐴

Take a look at our latest blog, where we discuss equine dentistry and how diastamata can affect horses.

We cover why they develop, clincial signs to watch out for, how we diagnose and treat diastema, the use of an orosocope and ongoing care.

https://www.avonvaleequine.co.uk/blog/diastema-in-horses/

15/10/2026

🐴🐴 Junior Brand Ambassador Update - Hattie Sentance 🐴🐴

Here's a lovely updater and some photos from Hattie's Mum, Anna:

As we head into autumn, Hattie and her pony Brynseion Goronwy (Sid) are continuing to enjoy their lessons, hacking and show jumping.

Hattie is becoming much more confident over jumps, and it’s lovely to see the bond between them growing stronger all the time. They’re really learning to trust each other and developing into a true partnership. It’s wonderful to see how far they’ve come together!

Sid has also taken on a very special role as emotional support pony to my horse, Mambo, who has been recovering from an injury. Mambo simply can’t cope without Sid nearby, and wherever Sid goes, Mambo usually has to go too! They’re rarely far apart, with Sid keeping a very close eye on his best friend.

We’re looking forward to more autumn adventures, continued progress with their jumping and lots more happy memories together, while proudly representing Avonvale as Junior Brand Ambassadors.

14/10/2026

🩸🩸 Facebook post – Nurses - In house laboratory - what we can do 🩸🩸

Have you ever wondered what happens to your horse's blood sample after it's taken?

Our very experienced equine nursing team are also skilled lab technicians. From running complete blood counts and biochemistry profiles in our in-house lab to checking worm egg counts, our nurses ensure fast, accurate results so our vets can provide the best care possible.