Celtic Equine Vets-Your Independent Equine Veterinary and Dental Practice

12/09/2026

We’re all set up and ready for a fantastic day at Romsey Show! 🎪🐴

Whether you’re an existing client or haven’t met us yet, we’d love for you to come and say hello! 👋

Pop by our stand to:
🩺 Meet the team and have a chat
🧁 Grab a cupcake
⚖️ Weigh your horse on our weighbridge
💬 Find out more about the services we offer

🎁 GOODIE BAGS FOR THE FIRST 50 HORSES!
The first 50 horses weighed on our weighbridge will receive a goodie bag, so make sure you come and see us early to avoid missing out!

🏆 ENTER OUR ‘TUBBY & TRIM’ COMPETITION!
Think your horse is looking a little more tubby than trim? 😂 Come along and enter our competition for your chance to win a prize!

We’re looking forward to seeing lots of familiar faces and hopefully meeting some new ones too. 💙

Have a fantastic day at Romsey Show! 🐴

11/09/2026

Romsey Show all set up and ready to go for what promises to be a brilliant day tomorrow. To all equine competitors attending please don't forget your equine's passports as no passport means no entry. Please bring your equine to our tent for a free weight assessment on our portable weighbridge and body condition score with our amazing equine veterinary nurse, Suzie.

10/09/2026

🐴💉 Care About Cushing’s Scheme 💉🐴

The Care About Cushing’s Scheme continues to provide support for owners, with free laboratory ACTH testing available for eligible horses.

🩺 FREE diagnostic ACTH testing
For horses showing clinical signs of Cushing’s/PPID that are not currently receiving treatment, free annual diagnostic ACTH testing is available during two specific periods:

🌼 Spring – March & Apri - Ideal for assessing laminitis risk.
🍂 Autumn – September & October - A period when ACTH testing provides the greatest diagnostic accuracy.

💊 NEW – FREE “Dose-Checker” Test
For horses already diagnosed and receiving treatment, a new 4–6 week post-treatment test is available to help check whether the medication dose is appropriate at an early stage.

📝 How does it work?
Horse owners need to work with a participating veterinary practice, who will generate a voucher code for the laboratory testing. *Please note that the voucher covers laboratory fees only and does not cover the veterinary visit or the cost of taking the blood sample.

🐴 Could your horse benefit from a Cushing’s/PPID check?
September is a great time to discuss testing, particularly if your horse is showing signs such as:

• Previous or recurrent laminitis
• Abnormal or delayed shedding
• Increased drinking or urination
• Loss of muscle or topline
• A pot belly or changes in body condition
• Lethargy or reduced performance

If you’d like to arrange a laminitis risk assessment or have any questions regarding the Care About Cushing's scheme, please contact the office:

☎️ 023 8081 4155
📧 [email protected]

👉 For full information about the scheme, visit the Care About Cushing’s website.

07/09/2026

🦠🐴 Equine Influenza in the New Forest 🐴🦠

Equine Influenza has spread through the New Forest this summer, making it a concerning time for all involved with horses in the area.

Last month, Celtic Equine Vets were very grateful to host Dr Richard Newton from the Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance service who delivered a series of informative talks about Equine Influenza. He delivered talks to the Forest Officials, local stakeholders and local Equine Vets, helping us all to better understand the disease itself, and the current outbreak in the Forest and wider UK.

We also discussed practical guidance to help keep horses as safe as possible when hacking, drifting, hunting and/or competing at venues within the New Forest. 🏇🏻

While we cannot remove all risk of infection, there are a number of sensible measures that can help protect individual horses and the wider equine community. Good biosecurity, appropriate vaccination, monitoring for signs of disease and taking prompt action when a horse is unwell all have an important role to play.

We would like to thank Richard for sharing his expertise and up-to-date knowledge with us, and to everyone who attended and contributed to the discussions. Working together is particularly important during an outbreak such as this. 🙏

A summary document, including the guidance discussed during the meetings, can be accessed via the link below: 👇

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VRLChCYkhR-TFG0K5XoBrrBityab-wUMz7ZQRCP0npQ/edit?usp=sharing

Equine Influenza in the New Forest Equine Influenza (‘equine flu’) is a respiratory disease that can affect any horse, pony or donkey. The causal agent is an influenza virus, which can be transmitted with and without direct contact. Airborne spread is possible over several kilometers. Direct ...

05/09/2026

📣 CALLING ALL ROMSEY SHOW COMPETITORS 📣

Did you know that as part of your entry to the show, Celtic Equine Vets are offering a free weighbridge for all horse, pony & donkey entries! 🐴

You can also take part in the annual 'Tubby & Trim' competition, where you can win a prize if your horse is close to its ideal weight.

📍Our stand & weighbridge will be located alongside the horse secretary tent. We also have goodie bags to give out to the first 50 x people who get their horse weighed with us during the day - so be sure to stop by!

03/09/2026

🚦NEW FOREST RIDING HIGHWAY CODE — STRANGLES EDITION 🚦

With an increase in Strangles cases in the New Forest, we’re asking everyone riding on the Forest to help reduce the risk of spreading infection. You don’t have to stop enjoying the Forest — but a few simple precautions can make a difference.

🟢 DO

✅ Give other horses plenty of space
Avoid nose-to-nose contact with horses you don’t know, particularly at gates & watering points

✅ Keep your horse moving past other horses
Avoid allowing horses to congregate together unnecessarily

✅ Use your own water
Where possible, carry water for your horse rather than using communal troughs or buckets

✅ Keep an eye on your horse after riding
Check their temperature & watch for signs such as fever, nasal discharge, swollen glands, coughing, lethargy or reduced appetite

✅ Think about biosecurity
If you've been riding alongside unfamiliar horses, consider changing clothes, cleaning boots & equipment before visiting other horses

🟠 TAKE CARE

⚠️ Not sure where another horse has been? Give them space
You can’t tell whether a horse is carrying infection just by looking at them

⚠️ Be cautious around shared facilities
Water troughs, tying-up areas, gates & places where horses come into contact can provide opportunities for infection to spread

🔴 STOP

🛑 Your horse is unwell? Don’t ride
If your horse develops any signs of infection, contact us immediately

🛑 Your horse has been in contact with a confirmed or suspected case?
Isolate them and speak to our vets before taking them anywhere or mixing with other horses

🛑 Don’t bring infection home
Remember that we can inadvertently move infectious material between horses on our hands, clothing, footwear & equipment

The New Forest is a fantastic place to ride & we don't want anyone to feel that they can't enjoy it. But giving other horses a little more space & thinking about where your horse has been can help protect the wider community. 🐴

If you're concerned that your horse may have been exposed to Strangles, please contact us as soon as possible.
☎️ 02380 814155
📧 [email protected]

02/09/2026

Special thanks to Celtic Equine Vets-Your Independent Equine Veterinary and Dental Practice for supporting the show again this year as our show day equine vet. With current equine flu regulations, they have been a great support to the show and we thank all the team for their time on show day assisting with the checks.

Celtic Equine Vets is a proudly independent mobile equine practice offering clients all the services and expertise of a larger clinic/hospital at the comfort of their own premises.

Along with providing gold standard routine and emergency veterinary care, they also offer a bespoke equine dental service of the highest level.

Uniquely they are the only veterinary practice locally that has an in-house chiropractor and numerous visiting specialists, as well as one of the very few practices providing their own emergency out of hours service.

The vets carry the largest amount of portable diagnostic equipment with them at every visit, including an X-ray system, an Ultrasound system and portable blood testing machines.

The team look forward to meeting our exhibitors on show day.

31/08/2026

💙 Meet the Team Monday 💙

Last, but certainly not least, in our Meet the Team series is the person who started it all – Alan Hough, founder and director of Celtic Equine Vets.

Originally from Galway in the west of Ireland, Alan followed in his father’s footsteps and qualified as a veterinary surgeon from University College Dublin in 2005. After initially working in mixed practice, he moved into equine practice in 2006 and has worked exclusively with horses ever since. He also holds a postgraduate qualification in Equine Practice.

In 2010, Alan founded Celtic Equine Vets with a simple vision: to provide high-quality, professional veterinary and dental care to horses in the comfort of their own stable, while building a practice that was friendly, approachable and genuinely focused on its clients and their horses.

Fast forward 16 years and Alan is incredibly proud of how Celtic Equine Vets has grown into the established ambulatory practice it is today. He puts that success down to the loyalty of the practice’s clients and, above all, the hard work, dedication and commitment of the fantastic team around him.

He enjoys the variety that first-opinion ambulatory practice brings and still loves being out on the road seeing horses every day. He has particular interests in equine dentistry and reproductive medicine but enjoys the challenge of everything from routine healthcare through to more complex medical cases. He is also known locally for his ability to work calmly and quietly with difficult and nervous horses, helping to make veterinary visits as stress-free as possible for both horse and owner.

Alan has been recognised nationally several times throughout his career. He was a finalist for the Petplan Equine Vet of the Year award and has also been a finalist in the Horse & Hound Equine Vet of the Year awards not once, but twice, following nominations from his clients. In 2023, Celtic Equine Vets was delighted to be recognised as Practice of the Year at the Equine Business Awards. Alan has also featured regularly on BBC, ITV and multiple national press on equine matters.

Away from the practice, life is all about family. Alan enjoys spending time with his wife Georgie and their four children, Tom, Gaby, Hettie and Alexander. He can also regularly be found walking their dog Martha, attempting to improve his golf (with limited success!) or spending time on the water around the Solent.

After 16 years of Celtic Equine Vets, Alan still feels incredibly lucky to be doing a job he loves, surrounded by a brilliant team and some very special horses and their owners. 💙🐴

30/08/2026

🐴 We’re looking forward to being part of Romsey Show 2026 and providing veterinary cover for the equestrian section! 🏆

With such a fantastic range of classes on offer, it’s set to be a brilliant day of competition. We’ll see you there! 👋🐎

📅 Saturday 12th September 2026

🏆🐴 READY TO COMPETE AT ROMSEY SHOW?! 🐴🏆

The countdown is ON! ⏰ Romsey Show 2026 is just around the corner — and we’ve got an incredible line-up of equestrian classes waiting for you! 🎉

✨ Royal International Championship Classes
🏆 London International Qualifiers
🐎 Senior Showing & Dressage Ltd
🌿 Mountain & Moorland
🌳 New Forests
🐴 Miniature Horses, Shetlands & Welsh
🎀 Unaffiliated In-Hand & Ridden
🚗 Private Driving
🎉 Fun classes for younger competitors
…and SO much more!

📣 These are just a handful of the classes on offer! There’s something for riders, handlers, breeders and competitors of all ages and abilities.

Whether you’re chasing that championship title 🏆, hoping to qualify for the next big show ⭐, or simply looking for a brilliant day out competing with your horse — Romsey Show is the place to be!

📅 Saturday 12th September 2026

🔥 ENTRIES ARE OPEN — DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO COMPETE! 🔥

https://romseyshow.co.uk/competitors/horse/

👉 Check out the full schedule and enter NOW!

Who’s joining us at Romsey Show this year? 👀👇 Tag your competition friends and let’s make the 2026 equestrian section one to remember!

29/08/2026

🌧️ The rain has arrived… but don't forget about laminitis! 🌱🐴

After weeks of hot, dry weather, the rain is very welcome — and the grass is likely to be grateful too!

But that sudden change in weather can mean a flush of fresh grass growth, potentially increasing the amount of sugar available to our horses.

For horses prone to laminitis, particularly those who are overweight or have EMS or PPID, this sudden change in grazing can increase their risk.

⚠️Things to watch out for:
• A sudden increase in grass growth after rain
• Horses suddenly spending more time grazing
• Increased grass intake after previously sparse pasture
• Early signs of laminitis such as reluctance to move, shifting weight or a stronger digital pulse
• Horses who have previously suffered from laminitis — even if they currently look completely sound

💡 What can you do?
✔️ Don't assume that laminitis risk is limited to spring — late summer and autumn grass can also cause problems, particularly after rain and periods of renewed grass growth
✔️ Manage access to fresh grass carefully
✔️ Keep weight and body condition under control
✔️ Continue regular exercise where appropriate
✔️ Check digital pulses regularly if your horse is at risk
✔️ Speak to one of our vets if you're concerned about your horse's individual risk

Remember, laminitis can occur at any time of year, and prevention is always better than treatment.

If you're worried about your horse's laminitis risk, we're always happy to discuss a preventative management plan with you. 🐴💙

☎️ 02380 814155
📧 [email protected]