EquivetsNZ

29/05/2026

🦷 Did you know horses need to be seen for annual dentistry 🦷

Horses teeth are constantly erupting (growing) throughout their lifetime. They are born with very long tooth roots hidden below the gum line, that gradually get smaller as they get older.
For this reason, horses need to have their teeth examined at least once a year. This may need to be more frequent in young horses, older horses and horses with a known problem that needs to be checked more regularly.

Swipe to see some major fangs on a horse who had not had their teeth checked for some time!

The team at Equivets NZ are here for all of your dentistry needs. Our team have extensive experience in equine dentistry and are equipped to perform everything from routine dental care to more complex dental procedures. Not to mention that our very own Dr Mandy Illston is a member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in Equine Dentistry.

Give us a call on 06 322 2333 to book in your horses dental!

28/04/2026

Congratulations to all the competitors this weekend.

Class 8A Equivets 65A
🥇 Kim Maude and Simply Devine AF
🥈 Kristy Edwards-Smyth and Hakowhai Holly
🥉 Indie Bennet and Indiana
4th Georgia Taylor and Rata Mill Rhythm
5th Caley Fisher and Kyrus Unicorn (Best 65cm TB)
6th Melissa Hoey and Royal Eclipse

01/04/2026

Some well presented information for horses at risk of laminitis from AAEP

DO YOU KNOW WHAT CAUSES GRASS FOUNDER?

Spring is a wonderful time of the year, but it may be the beginning of some serious problems for horses vulnerable to grass founder — like horses that are over the age of 10, easy keepers, overweight or cresty-necked.

Laminitis or founder, as it is commonly called, is inflammation of the laminae of the horse’s foot. Laminae are the delicate, accordion-like tissues that attach the inner surface of the hoof wall to the coffin bone (the bone in the foot). A horse suffering from laminitis experiences a decrease in blood flow to the laminae, which in turn begin to die and separate. The final result is hoof wall separation, rotation of the coffin bone and extreme pain. In severe cases, the coffin bone will actually rotate through the sole of the horse’s hoof where it becomes infected and can ultimately lead to the horse having to be euthanized.

Laminitis can be triggered by different causes, like repeated concussion on hard ground (road founder), grain overload, retained placenta, hormonal imbalance (Cushing’s syndrome), obesity, and lush grass.

In cases of grass founder, the sugar fructans produced by rapidly growing grass stimulates an overgrowth of bacteria in the horse’s large intestine. The bacteria produce and release toxins (endotoxins) that are carried by the bloodstream to the foot where they cause damage to the laminae and small blood vessels.

The best way to deal with laminitis is preventing and managing the causes under your control. Consult your equine practitioner for further information and to formulate a plan tailored to your horse's individual situation. If you suspect laminitis, consider it a medical emergency and notify your veterinarian immediately.

30/03/2026

Our next gastroscope day at our Bulls clinic is fast approaching!
Wednesday 15th April.
We have limited spots left - Please contact the clinic (06)3222333 for more information and to book your spot.

29/03/2026

Today we wish Tim Pearce the very best of luck as he concludes his final day of work with SRVS and heads into retirement. Tim started working at SRVS in 1982 and has been a huge influence on what the business has developed into today.

Tim the local animals, their owners and the team at SRVS are all very thankful for all your vision, commitment and hard work over the years. We wish you many fun days out on the hunt field, flying your plane and travelling with the family. We will miss you!

19/03/2026

Proud to be part of this great initiative for our youngest riders

A huge thank you to EquivetsNZ for supporting our Junior Equestrian Festival! 🐴

We’re incredibly grateful for your support of our event and the wider equestrian community. Having businesses like EquiVets backing our riders helps make opportunities like this possible.

Please support those who support our sport 🙌

19/03/2026

We are on the lookout for a new equine vet at our Bulls clinic

26/02/2026

A good reference from AAEP

Spring only a few weeks away! 🙌 It’s not too early to start thinking about a deworming plan for your horses.

If deworming is something you’ve been doing the same way for as long as you can remember, this year we encourage you to break tradition and work with your veterinarian instead. Thanks to tools like the f***l egg count, your horse doctor can help you devise a treatment tailored to the needs of your equine friend plus monitor the efficacy of the dewormer used last.

Before you dismiss this notion because you’ve been “doing it for years,” you should know that the old-school approach to deworming is quickly becoming outdated. Not only is it a waste of money, but it also builds drug resistance in the parasitic fauna of equines, which means we are running out of drugs that can effectively help us control parasite infections.

For more information, the AAEP Parasite Control Guidelines can be found on our website: https://aaep.org/resource/internal-parasite-control-guidelines/

Key take-home messages from these Internal Parasite Disease Control Guidelines include:

• Perform f***l egg count reduction tests (FECRT) annually to ensure that you are using effective dewormers in every herd or barn.

• Recognize that no anthelmintic will eliminate all parasitic stages from a horse.

• Continue using f***l egg counts (FEC) once or twice a year to stratify horses into low, medium, and high shedders to reduce pasture contamination.

• Deworm all horses at a baseline rate (once or twice a year) and target selected horses more often based on FEC (strongyle high shedders).

• Do not use FEC to diagnose disease in horses; there is no correlation between FEC and disease-causing parasite life stages.

• Discontinue deworming all horses with fixed intervals year-round (e.g., every 2 months), and stop blindly rotating anthelmintic classes.

As always, consult your equine veterinarian to learn more and for questions specific to your horses!

13/02/2026

Sharing is caring with Katie McKinlay and Stephanie Southern Rangitikei Veterinary Services Ltd in Bulls. Not content with pies and coffee and demand was made for pens, twitches and Arnott's Tim Tam biscuits.
Oh yes, we looked a few horses too!

20/01/2026

Our next gastroscope day at the Bulls clinic is fast approaching! Wednesday the 11th of February

Clinical signs of gastric ulcers in horses include behavioral changes (irritability, reluctance to work, girthiness), poor performance, recurrent colic and weight loss.

Initial gastroscope: $260 including sedation
Rescope (within 12 months of initial scope with SRVS): $195 including sedation

Please contact the clinic at 06 3222333 for more information and to book a spot