Quiggin Equine Vets

08/10/2026

The office manager is making sure the admin tasks are done puuuuurfectly!! 🤣🐾🐱💻

03/10/2026

I thought this was a useful reminder on grazing muzzles.
Plus a hay reminder - it is only grass with the water removed, not the sugars!
It is all quite the minefield for our EMS contingent! 🫣

This is the subject of this week’s email to our subscriber list, and it’s an important distinction.

A grazing muzzle reduces how much grass a horse eats. It does NOT make high-sugar grass low sugar.

Controlling calories is important for weight management, but endocrinopathic laminitis is not simply driven by obesity. Insulin dysregulation is central, and the simple sugars (ESC) + starch in the diet are particularly important.

A muzzle reduces the size and rate of mouthfuls. It does nothing to reduce the carbohydrate concentration of the grass getting through.

So do we like muzzles? Yes and no.

They can be useful for short periods of turnout, particularly on longer, higher-fibre grass, while overall calorie intake is controlled. For some horses, taping the hole to make grazing extremely difficult can allow turnout without significant grass intake.

But where insulin is difficult to control, medication being used or laminitis is active, we prefer to remove the unknown:

Grass-free turnout & measured, analysed hay below 10% ESC + starch & nutrients matched to that forage.

Know HOW MUCH they are eating AND WHAT is in every mouthful.

A grazing muzzle is a management tool. It is not a carbohydrate filter.

What to sign up for our emails - hit the link in our story or DM me and I’ll send you the details.

When this post says A.I. content, it refers to having been built with software that purely cut the horse out!

16/09/2026

🌬 Does your horse suffer with Equine Asthma?

👀 Take a look at this little video about a new more affordable nebuliser now available through Haygain

✅️ Nebulising medications is a great way to manage Asthma in horses and ponies

💶 Includes a 12 month free warranty too

09/09/2026

🚨After such a long time without rain on dry ground the grass is now coming back through and the shoots that appear can be problematic. Though it may still look like there is not a lot in your paddocks the fresh grass coming may not be seen as this is what your horses will be eating. Please be vigilant and monitor time on grazing carefully for it poses risk of of both Colic and Laminitis.

14/08/2026

😎 During this heatwave we have seen more overweight horses than usual for the time of year.

😎 It's likely a combination of reduced activity because of the heat, and grass that is stressed. It may be brown and appear there is nothing there for your horses and ponies to eat, but it is actually quite high in sugar, especially the growing parts your horses are ingesting!

😎 The default position is often "Argh! They have nothing to eat!" and so you chuck out hay, which is essentially a free bar for fatties! No effort needed to stand and hoover it up!

😎 Always remember too - hay is only grass minus water, not sugar! So can also be pretty energy dense!

12/08/2026

Isn't it amazing what some rest and TLC can do for a young horse out of racing?
This beaut belongs to Christopher Blake and is looking so good after 4 months in his care!

We love to see your transformation pictures - please feel free to share them here! Whether thin to fat or fat to thin!! 😅

12/08/2026

☀️ Keep Your Horse Hydrated This Summer! 🐴💦
​As temperatures rise, staying on top of your horse's hydration is more important than ever. Water plays a crucial role in your horse's digestive system, and even minor changes in hydration can significantly affect the digestive process, increasing the risk of impaction colic.
​In the heat, a horse’s water consumption can increase to over 70 litres per day! Here are some tips to keep them drinking:
​✅ Fresh & Accessible: Ensure clean, fresh water is available at all times. In herd setups, provide multiple water sources and avoid placing them in corners to ensure every horse has easy, stress-free access.
​✅ Size Matters: Large water buckets or troughs often encourage horses to drink more compared to smaller buckets or automatic drinkers.
​✅ Hydration Boosters: Help add extra water to their diet by soaking hay or providing sloppy mashes.
​✅ Encouragement: If your horse is being fussy, adding a splash of apple juice to their water can entice them to drink. You can also try offering a bucket with electrolytes—just be sure to always provide an alternative bucket of plain water in case they prefer that instead.
​Stay cool and keep those water buckets full! 💧

25/07/2026

⚠️ IMPORTANT - EMERGENCY CONTACTS⚠️

Unfortunately, there is an issue with our out of hours phone this weekend - please either call:

Cadence emergency line on 07380711307

Or me direct on 07752 276442

I'm very sorry for any inconvenience

Anna x

14/07/2026

The 2026 petplan awards are well underway, the Oscars of the pet world if you like and it means an awful lot to us when we get nominated. If you have a moment and wish to support us at QEV in this national award please follow the link below. 🐎

Petplan Veterinary Awards

08/07/2026

Wonderful news from QEV this week - Georgia got engaged to the lucky Reece Ball 💕

Huge congratulations Georgia and Reece 🎊

🎊💕🎊💕🎊💕🎊💕🎊💕🎊💕🎊💕🎊💕🎊