Leahurst Equine Hospital

10/10/2026

💚 World Mental Health Day | Behind the care

Our team chose careers in veterinary medicine because of a shared passion for horses, their welfare and providing the very highest standards of clinical care.

It is an incredibly rewarding profession — but just like many other professions it can also be a demanding one.

Behind every horse being cared for at Leahurst Equine Hospital is a team of people.

People who work through the night to provide 24-hour care.

People who stay beyond the end of their shift because a critically ill patient needs them.

People who manage emergencies, make difficult decisions, support worried owners and deal with the emotional impact when, despite everyone’s very best efforts, the outcome isn’t the one we hoped for.

And alongside our vets and veterinary nurses are the animal care, yard, reception, administrative, laboratory, pharmacy, technical and support teams working tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the hospital running and our patients cared for.

Veterinary professionals do what they do because they care deeply. But that passion does not make anyone immune to stress, exhaustion, compassion fatigue or burnout.

Sadly, mental health difficulties and su***de have a significant impact on the veterinary profession.

So this World Mental Health Day, we want to acknowledge the people behind the scrubs, uniforms and job titles.

To our colleagues across the veterinary profession: looking after yourself matters too. Asking for help isn’t weakness, and none of us should feel that we have to cope alone.

And to our clients, referring vets and wider equine community: thank you for your words of kindness, your patience and your simple ‘Thank you’s, which can mean more than you realise

💚 Look after the people who spend their lives looking after animals.

If you work within the veterinary community and are struggling, confidential support is available 24 hours a day through Vetlife Helpline: 0303 040 2551.

Samaritans: 116 123, free, 24 hours a day.

If you are in immediate danger or need urgent medical help, call 999 or attend A&E.

06/10/2026

🎊👏🎉Congratulations to the team at Leahurst on the publication of their latest research in Equine Veterinary Journal.

Peritonitis can be a life-threatening condition in horses, and identifying the most severe cases early can be challenging. Drawing on data from 123 horses treated for peritonitis at Leahurst between 2010 and 2024, the study has identified key clinical features that can help vets recognise higher-risk cases sooner.

This research will support earlier decision-making, more targeted treatment plans, and improved communication between vets and owners about prognosis and expected outcomes.

Thank you to all our patients, horse owners and referring vets whose trust and support make research like this possible. It a great example of how clinical caseload and research at Leahurst come together to improve equine care. 💞

02/10/2026

Are you an equine veterinary nurse looking to fulfill your CPD hours?
Join our new online mini module starting on 2nd November 2026

🐴 Week one - Reproduction
🐴 Week two - Youngstock - Growing healthy horses, from weanling to yearling
🐴 Week three - Neonatology - Supporting the healthy foal
🐴 100% flexible online
🐴 15 hours CPD over 3 weeks
🐴 £265

Check our website out for more information: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/vets/cpd/nursingcpd/equine-veterinary-nursing/

02/10/2026

21/09/2026

🐴 Leahurst expertise on the UK’s biggest equine CPD stage!

9 talks, 4 sessions chaired and numerous scientific research presentations — our team made an outstanding contribution to this year’s BEVA Congress, the UK’s largest equine CPD event.

With so many colleagues invited to teach, present and share their knowledge, it was a fantastic showcase of the breadth of specialist expertise here at Leahurst Equine Hospital.

🩺 Internal medicine specialists Harry, Fernando and April delivered practical sessions and lectures, and chaired sessions across the programme.

🐴 Equine surgery specialists Chris, Dave and Debbie shared their expertise through practical teaching, lectures and session chairing.

💙 Anaesthesia specialists Alison and Tom delivered lectures on pain management and checklists, supporting safe and effective patient care.

📚 Jo Ireland led a clinical guidelines workshop, while head nurse Becs shared her knowledge in the nursing stream.

Our staff and students also presented numerous scientific abstracts, sharing their research with the wider equine veterinary community. Alongside demonstrations and other practical activities, this made for an impressive contribution across the congress.

The expertise we share with the profession is the same expertise we bring to caring for your horses. We’re proud of our team’s commitment to clinical care, research and educating current and future equine vets and nurses. 👏

15/09/2026

🐴 Sharing knowledge, championing safety and packing a punch at BEVA Congress 2026! 🥊

We’re incredibly proud of our amazing Leahurst Equine team who represented us at this year’s Congress — delivering talks, welcoming visitors to our stand and getting involved in lectures and discussions across anaesthesia, medicine, surgery and nursing.

Our vets and nurses attended to share their expertise and to learn from others. Exchanging ideas, collaborating with colleagues and bringing fresh knowledge back to Leahurst all help us continue developing the care we provide for your horses. 💙

🧢 Head safety took centre stage on our stand, with our Heads Up Challenge sparking conversations about protecting the people who care for horses.

Congress also marked the launch of ‘Head Safety in Equine Practice: A Guide to Selecting Protective Headwear’, developed in collaboration with BEVA, the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA), Future Safety and UVEX. The guide helps equine vets and nurses understand different helmet standards and choose appropriate protective headwear.

🥊 And even BEVA President Kate Blakeman showed she packs a punch, taking on our punch ball challenge! Watch the video to see her in action! 🎥

Thank you to everyone who visited, joined the challenge and talked head safety with us — and to Future Safety and UVEX for kindly donating our daily helmet prizes.

A huge thank you to our staff for their enthusiasm, expertise and hard work throughout Congress. You did Leahurst proud! 👏

11/09/2026

🐴 Advancing skills in equine arthroscopy

Our Specialist equine surgeons Dave Stack and Chris Baldwin had a busy start to the week, teaching on the two-day Veterinary Fundamentals Arthroscopic Surgical Training (VFAST) course from Arthrex Veterinary Systems

The course brings together equine vets for practical, hands-on training in arthroscopic techniques, sharing knowledge and developing surgical skills.

Having previously been held here at Leahurst Equine Hospital in 2023, this year’s course took place at Pool House Equine Hospital, hosted by Marco Marcatili.

At Leahurst Equine, arthroscopy forms an important part of our surgical service, supported by experienced clinicians and nurses, specialist facilities and advanced Arthrex equipment.

🐎 Have a case that may benefit from arthroscopic investigation or treatment?
We’re always happy to discuss cases with referring vets and advise on referral options.

🎓 Looking to develop your equine surgical skills?
Keep an eye out for future CPD opportunities at Leahurst Equine, or get in touch with our team to find out more.

07/09/2026

📢Calling all Equine Vets.... 🐴 **Are you heading to BEVA Congress? Come and see us at Stand B22!** 🐴

We’re inviting equine vets and nurses to take part in our **Heads Up Challenge**:

🥊 **Can you out-punch a horse’s kick?**
Test your strength on our arcade punch machine and see where you land on the leaderboard. A prize will be awarded to the highest scorer each day at 5pm, kindly donated by **Future Safety and UVEX**.

🎥 **What makes you strap on a helmet?**
We’ll also be recording short, honest conversations about why equine professionals choose to wear protective headwear—from personal experiences and close calls to setting a positive example for colleagues.

While you’re there, pick up a copy of the **Liverpool and BEVA *Head Safety in Equine Practice: A Guide to Selecting Protective Headwear***. Working with horses can be unpredictable, but choosing suitable protective equipment shouldn’t be.

📍 **Find us at Stand B22**
🏆 **Daily challenge winner announced at 5pm**

For the horse owners who follow our page, this campaign is part of our ongoing commitment to protecting the vets and nurses who care for your horses and encouraging safer working practices across the equine profession.

Come and take your shot, share your reason and help us make wearing a helmet the natural norm in equine practice. 💥

21/08/2026

After a long busy week here at Leahurst, surgeon Chris has started seeing things… or has he? 👀

(No staff members we harmed during the filming process 🤣)

21/08/2026

Exciting CPD coming up next month for Veterinary Surgeons 🤩