Leahurst Equine Practice

05/09/2026

🎂🐴🥳 Birthday Boy Barney! 🥳🐴🎂

Recently, Helen visited Barney for a prescription check and was delighted to hear it was his birthday! Barney celebrated his birthday in style, with a very fancy sash and headpiece to match (we think he loved his new look and all the attention! 😄). His mum Julie was proud to celebrate his 21st birthday in the proper fashion and is hoping for many more of the same! 😍

We would love to see how all of you celebrate your horses & ponies (and other furry family members!) birthdays in the comments 🥰🥳

01/09/2026

🍂🍁🐴 Change in weather, changes in environment 🐴🍁🍂

Over the past week, the weather has changed significantly. From the previous very sunny and dry weather, we have now had a decent amount of rain, interspersed with some sun. Because of this, we have been seeing an increasing number of horses affected by this change, with the main signs being either laminitis or colic. 🐴

Laminitis is inflammation of the laminae in the foot - they 'suspend' the bones within the foot, attaching them to the hoof wall. When they get inflamed and stretch, this is extremely painful which causes the typical signs of warm feet, weight shifting and increased digital pulses. With the grass growing quicker again, it can increase the sugar content within it, meaning laminitis is more likely to happen (particularly if the horse has other conditions such as EMS and Cushing’s). 🌱

Colic is the general term for abdominal pain and has many different causes. There are milder forms such as spasmodic colic but there are also multiple very serious forms that require more aggressive management including surgery. It is important to know what clinical signs are found with colic, with the most common being inappetence, lip curling, pawing the floor, kicking their belly, rolling on the ground and change or reduction in faecal output. If you are concerned that your horse is showing any of these signs, the sooner the vet can assess them, the quicker your horse can get the treatment they need. 🐴

We look forward to Autumn and we hope the transition is smooth for everyone 💛

26/08/2026

📸🐴🌟 Gastric ulcers - diagnosis & treatment 📸🐴🌟

Did you know that horses can show discomfort, particularly pain related to their stomach, in many vague ways. Girthy behaviour and biting when being tacked up/rugged is what we most associate with gastric ulcers. But some can present with less defined symptoms such as weight loss, poor performance, teeth grinding & mild colic signs particularly around eating. If you are concerned that your horse is showing any of these signs, it would be worth checking for gastric ulcers. 🐴

Gastric ulcers can be diagnosed using a very long camera (gastroscope) that is passed into their stomach. We can define and grade the ulcers and talk you through the treatment options. We are still running our gastrscope offer here at Leahurst Equine Practice. With a saving of nearly 50% (compared to our on the road fee), your horse can have a full video gastroscope, including sedation, for £160* (*£175 if stabled with us the night before for starving). Horses must be brought into us for this offer.

This also includes an accurate, up to date weight on the weigh bridge and an aftercare plan. (All medications and treatment are NOT included in the offer price).
If you would like to book onto this offer or require more information, please contact us on 0151 794 6199. 🌟

23/08/2026

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿😢🐴 Goodbye to Kirsten 🐴🥲🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Sadly we are saying goodbye to our vet Kirsten who is leaving us to work closer to home in Scotland. Kirsten started as a maternity cover who we loved so much, we asked her to stay! It has been a wonderful 2years with her and we are very sad to see her go. We wish her all the best at her new job and now have a perfect excuse to visit Scotland more often 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Please join us in wishing her the best and saying goodbye! 🥰

21/08/2026

19/08/2026

🌧☀️🐴 Weather changes and sycamore seeds - what to look for 🐴☀️🌧

Horses can ingest sycamore seeds (a lot of the time accidentally) and can become very ill. They can develop a condition known as Atypical Myopathy.

Atypical myopathy is a clinical syndrome caused by a toxin called Hypoglycin A, which is found in the sycamore seeds, leaves and bark and is incredibly toxic to horses. Although we usually associate the autumn with when we see the majority of atypical myopathy cases, extremes of weather such as heatwaves then excessive wind or stormy weather can result in seeds falling to the ground and being consumed by horses. 🐴

Clinical signs include profuse sweating, muscle twitching or rigidity, inappetence, colic, dark or brown urine and can progress to recumbency (lying down and unable to stand). Urgent veterinary care is required, including intensive fluid therapy in an attempt to flush the toxin through the body.

Thankfully, cases are relatively rare, but please be vigilant and ensure pastures are checked for fallen seeds and seedlings (see photos) regularly. 🌳

16/08/2026

🍁🐴🇨🇦 Catching up with Ben 🇨🇦🐴🍁

As you all know, our wonderful vet Ben left us last year to explore new ventures abroad in the wonderful land of Canada 🇨🇦. Recently, we were delighted to catch up with him, firstly with Helen where they both sat on a panel together at the Veterinary Education Conference held at Harper Keele University. We were also able to catch up socially and heard all about his and Lemon’s new adventures. We are delighted to see him doing so well and continue to wish him the best with all his exciting new projects 🥰

Ben was also interviewed by the University’s Alumni Association and you can read the interview here:
https://alumni.liv.ac.uk/blog/community/vet-ben-curnow/

We hope Ben will visit again soon and look forward to hearing more about Canada life 🇨🇦😍

14/08/2026

🐴🩺🪣 Senior Health Check & keeping your horse's sheath clean 🪣🩺🐴

Here at Leahurst Equine, we run a specialised clinic for our older horses. This includes a full health check meaning we can pick up on issues earlier and put your mind at ease. 🥰

Our vet Sarah recently performed a Senior Health Check and a sheath clean was added on. It was only then that a massive bean was found and removed from his urethral fossa (the pictures show the size comparative to a phone and the culprit himself!) 😆 Some horses may require sedation to clean this area properly and as in this case, we utilised the sedation needed for the dental to perform the cleaning safely 🌟

It is important in stallions and geldings to keep their sheath area clean to prevent further issues in the future. Potentially, build up of normal secretions to the size of this bean might cause symptoms such as difficultly urinating, increased frequency of urinating and even colic like signs such as kicking their belly!🐴

If you are interested in having a Senior Health Check for your older horse, please contact the office on 0151 794 6199 😍

13/08/2026

10/08/2026

🦷🐴📸 Seeing inside your horses mouth - making it more digestible 🤣📸🐴🦷

Did you know that vets are fully qualified to perform dentistry? We can fully assess, diagnose and treat oral and dental issues from routine sharp points to conditions causing dental pain and quidding (dropping and balling food from the mouth) 🐴

We have just acquired a new shiny bit of kit called an oroscope. This is a specialised camera that can allow us to see everywhere in the horses mouth. It wirelessly connects to a screen and means we can see and show any concerns to both you and to specialists as if they were there with us! Arnie at was our first client and a superstar patient whilst our EMS students explored how to use it. 🥰

In the video of a different horse, we have recorded using the oroscope over the top of the teeth. There are changes in the mouth that might be causing some issues, can you spot them?! 🤔

If you would like to book in for a dental check with us, please contact the office on 0151 794 6199 🌟