Priors Farm Equine Veterinary Surgery

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Priors Farm Equine Veterinary Surgery Proudly independent equine vet practice in Sussex owned and run by the vets who work there. Donkeys are more than welcome!

Priors Farm Equine Surgery is situated in the village of Forest Row, south of East Grinstead in East Sussex. Established in 1978 the practice was taken over in 2008 by Ben Chilvers and Duncan Harrison, and now comprises a team of four dedicated equine veterinary surgeons. We are an exclusively equine practice carrying out first and second opinion work, as well as taking referrals from other local veterinary surgeons and we take great pride in providing a high quality service to all of our patients whether they are top level competition horses or family pets. Over the years we have built a reputation for being caring and compassionate, and we aim to spend as much time as possible getting to know our patients as individuals in order to tailor our services to their particular needs. We are a purpose built equine hospital with full range of up-to-date diagnostic and surgical facilities. Stabling and 24-hour nursing care is available to enable us to cater for you and your horse’s needs. On Wednesday’s we offer a zoning scheme whereby you can reduce your visit fee to £15.00+VAT. Please telephone the practice for ways in which you can reduce your visit fee for routine work. We are proud that Priors Farm Equine Surgery has attained the RCVS’s Equine General practice standard. This has placed Priors Farm as one of the few equine practices in the area to have been inspected and approved by the RCVS. We are also delighted to have attained approval as a Veterinary Nurse Training Practice.

FEI VACCINATIONS – PLEASE READA quick reminder to all owners of FEI-registered horses from the team at Priors Farm.If yo...
20/10/2026

FEI VACCINATIONS – PLEASE READ

A quick reminder to all owners of FEI-registered horses from the team at Priors Farm.

If your horse is due an FEI vaccination, please remember that recording vaccinations through the FEI HorseApp can take a little longer, so we kindly ask you to plan ahead.

What do you need to do?

If your horse has previous equine influenza vaccinations, please ensure their historical vaccination record is entered into the FEI HorseApp by a Person Responsible (e.g. owner, groom or trainer) at least 1-2 days before your vet appointment.

Please avoid entering historical vaccinations on the same day as your appointment, as synchronisation issues can occur and may delay the process.

Is your horse having their first-ever equine influenza vaccination (V1)?

No historical vaccination record needs to be uploaded. Your vet will record this when administering the vaccine.

Thank you for your understanding and for helping us keep your horse’s FEI vaccination records up to date.

The Priors Farm Team

Most horses have the odd clumsy moment, but repeated tripping is worth paying attention to. Feet, balance, muscular sore...
01/10/2026

Most horses have the odd clumsy moment, but repeated tripping is worth paying attention to. Feet, balance, muscular soreness, dental issues, vision, workload and early lameness can all play a part. If you are seeing a pattern rather than a one-off, it is worth investigating before it becomes something more significant.

Not every dental issue looks dramatic. Sometimes it is a horse feeling awkward in the contact, dropping feed, taking lon...
29/09/2026

Not every dental issue looks dramatic. Sometimes it is a horse feeling awkward in the contact, dropping feed, taking longer to chew, or just seeming a bit less comfortable than normal. Routine dental care is one of those things that quietly affects comfort, weight and performance, so if your horse is due a check, now is a good time to sort it.

By the time mud fever looks dramatic, the skin has often been under pressure for a while. September is a useful time to ...
24/09/2026

By the time mud fever looks dramatic, the skin has often been under pressure for a while. September is a useful time to think ahead about turnout, damp gateways, leg care and the horses that are prone to sore heels every year. Preventing repeated flare-ups is usually much easier than battling a full-blown problem later.

September often feels like a gear change for horses and owners alike. Fields change, routines shift, competitions wind d...
17/09/2026

September often feels like a gear change for horses and owners alike. Fields change, routines shift, competitions wind down for some and pick up for others, and little issues that were manageable in summer can start showing themselves more clearly. It is a useful month to look over the basics and ask whether your horse is genuinely as comfortable and well as they could be going into autumn.

Meet Shadow who turned 35 this year. He is very definitely a member of both the 'age is just a number' and 'you're only ...
08/09/2026

Meet Shadow who turned 35 this year. He is very definitely a member of both the 'age is just a number' and 'you're only as young as you feel' clubs!

Here he is ready to go for his first piece of ridden exercise since he suffered a pedal bone bruise back in January of this year. His recovery was going well until June when a laminitic bump in the road set him back again.

It's been a long road and Shadow's stubborn will has been both a blessing and a curse sometimes, but we are so thrilled that he is happily back in work and up to his old tricks again.

Special mentions go to his exceptionally dedicated owner for making sure he wanted for nothing throughout and to his farrier who trusted the process!

WHAT IS PPID?PPID, also commonly known as Cushing’s disease, is a hormonal condition that can affect horses and ponies, ...
03/09/2026

WHAT IS PPID?

PPID, also commonly known as Cushing’s disease, is a hormonal condition that can affect horses and ponies, particularly as they get older.

The signs aren’t always obvious, and PPID can look different from horse to horse. Things to keep an eye out for include:

• A long or curly coat, or difficulty shedding
• Laminitis, particularly if there’s no obvious cause
• Loss of muscle or a change in body shape
• Increased drinking and urination
• Lethargy or reduced performance
• Recurrent infections
• Abnormal sweating

Some horses may only show subtle signs, which is why testing can be so important.

And there’s a great opportunity to test this September and October.
Care About Cushing’s is currently offering FREE laboratory testing for ACTH levels, which can be used to help diagnose PPID.

The free offer covers the laboratory test only, so veterinary visit, blood sampling and postage costs still apply.

To help keep the cost down, why not book your horse in on one of our Zone Days, when the visit fee is just £18?

If you’re concerned about any changes in your horse or pony, or simply want to know whether testing might be appropriate, please get in touch with us.

FREE ACTH LAB TESTING THIS SEPTEMBER & OCTOBERFrom today, Care About Cushing’s is offering FREE laboratory testing for A...
01/09/2026

FREE ACTH LAB TESTING THIS SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER

From today, Care About Cushing’s is offering FREE laboratory testing for ACTH levels throughout September and October.

ACTH testing can help diagnose and monitor PPID (Cushing’s disease) in horses and ponies, so this is a great opportunity to get your horse tested.
The ACTH laboratory test itself is FREE.

Please note, the offer does not cover the veterinary visit, blood sampling or postage costs.

To keep costs down, it’s worth booking your test on one of our Zone Days, when the visit fee is just £18.

If you think your horse or pony could benefit from testing, or they are due an ACTH check, please get in touch with us to book in or find out when we’re next in your area.

Offer available throughout September and October.

With the Bank Holiday weekend coming up, please make sure you order any medication you need before 3pm Thursday to help ...
26/08/2026

With the Bank Holiday weekend coming up, please make sure you order any medication you need before 3pm Thursday to help ensure you receive it by Friday.

Please check your medication now and order early to avoid running out over the long weekend.

Thank you, and have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend!

Brown or yellow grass does not necessarily mean low-sugar grass.With cooler temperatures and some rain finally arriving,...
20/08/2026

Brown or yellow grass does not necessarily mean low-sugar grass.

With cooler temperatures and some rain finally arriving, it’s important not to assume that the dry, yellow-looking grass is harmless.

Although the grass may look parched and lacking in goodness, it can still contain significant levels of sugar. During drought conditions, grass growth often, but the plant continues to produce and store sugars rather than using them for growth.

When rain arrives, stressed grass can begin growing again quickly, creating another period of increased risk for horses and ponies prone to laminitis.

Please continue to manage grazing carefully, particularly for good doers and those with a history of laminitis. Don’t rely on the colour or appearance of the grass as an indication of its sugar content. For advice on managing your horse's laminitis risk, please get in touch on 01342 823011.

Address

Priors Farm, Priory Road
Forest Row
RH185JD

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm

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