Auckland Equine Performance Vets

22/10/2026

Acupuncture & electroacupuncture: a drug-free option for back and pelvic pain 🐎⚡

I’m incredibly lucky to work alongside my amazing vet, Nandy, whose skill, calm approach, and genuine care for every horse make such a difference to our patients.

Back pain, sacroiliac discomfort, and muscle tension can affect any horse—whether they are a pleasure horse, sport horse, pony, retired companion, or racehorse. Signs can include poor engagement, a cold-backed reaction, resentment of girthing, stiffness through transitions, reduced hindlimb activity, or simply not feeling quite right under saddle.

Acupuncture uses fine needles at specific points to help modulate pain, release muscle tension, and support comfort and movement. Electroacupuncture adds a gentle electrical current between selected needles, which can be particularly useful for deeper, chronic, or more stubborn back and pelvic muscle pain. Research supports acupuncture as a valuable integrative option for equine musculoskeletal pain, especially thoracolumbar back pain, and electroacupuncture can help activate the horse’s own pain-relieving pathways.

It can be especially helpful when:
• A horse has back, sacroiliac, or neck discomfort affecting comfort or performance
• Muscle spasm, trigger points, or compensatory tightness are part of the picture
• You want a non-drug option alongside rehabilitation, physiotherapy, saddle fit, and training changes
• Medication or joint injections are not ideal due to competition or racing withhold periods
For racehorses in particular, acupuncture and electroacupuncture can be a valuable option when SI or back pain needs managing, but corticosteroid or other joint injections would create a racing withhold. It allows us to support comfort, muscle function, and movement without compromising racing compliance—while still working alongside a full veterinary assessment and rehabilitation plan.

Nandy has a wonderful ability to read each horse, tailor the treatment to their individual needs, and make even the more sensitive horses comfortable and relaxed during their sessions. Most horses tolerate treatment very well, often without sedation, and it is generally safe when performed by a trained veterinarian. Chronic back pain commonly responds best to a short course of treatments, followed by maintenance as required.

Acupuncture is not a replacement for diagnosing the underlying cause. But as part of a whole-horse approach, it can make a genuine difference to comfort, movement, and quality of life—for every horse, from the weekend trail horse to the horse in full racing work.
Thank you, Nandy, for the care and expertise you bring to our team and our horses. 💛

20/10/2026

Have you stocked up on your 4cyte?!

🐴 October 4CYTE promotion!

Buy 1 litre of 4CYTE for $495 during October and go into the draw to WIN a 250 ml pack! 🎉

Why do we love 4CYTE?
Its active ingredient, Epiitalis®, has equine research supporting its anti-inflammatory effects, helping reduce inflammatory signals involved in the cascade that contributes to joint damage.

We value it as part of proactive joint care and alongside a veterinary treatment plan for horses with existing joint problems—supporting comfort, mobility and long-term joint health.

✅ Palatability guarantee — free return within two weeks.

To order or ask whether 4CYTE is right for your horse:
📞 Call 0212998932
📧 Email [email protected]

Science based outcomes.

19/10/2026

I’m a vet, and I don’t know everything. 🐴

For me, a measure of a good general practitioner is knowing when to ask for another opinion, bring in additional expertise or refer. That’s an approach we value in our practice.

We’re always happy to work alongside physios, bodyworkers, farriers, chiropractors, nutritionists and veterinary specialists to build a care plan around your horse’s needs. The key is open communication, clear roles and a shared goal.

After hurting my shoulder, I’ve been working with a physio, an osteopath and a personal trainer — and we’re winning! It’s been a good reminder of how much we can gain from having the right people working together.

We welcome conversations with the other professionals involved in your horse’s care. Sharing observations and discussing progress helps us make informed decisions together.

And you’re a vital part of that team. You know your horse’s daily habits, personality and those little changes that can tell us so much.

Different skills. Open communication. One shared goal: the best outcome for your horse. 💚

15/10/2026

Thinking about buying a horse? A pre-purchase examination isn’t a simple “pass” or “fail” — it’s a risk assessment. 🐴

I’ve been doing a lot of these lately, and it’s a great reminder that very few horses are perfect. The real question is: is this horse fit for the job you want it to do, at a level of risk you’re comfortable with?

What should you get checked?
The right level of vetting depends on:
• Your appetite for risk
• How much you’re spending
• Whether you plan to resell the horse
• What you intend to do with them — lead-rein pony, weekend hacker, eventer, breeding prospect or performance horse

A Stage 1–2 examination includes a thorough check at rest, followed by walking and trotting in hand, turning, backing, and flexion tests. Flexion tests aren’t perfect, but they give a useful indication of joint or soft-tissue discomfort and help guide whether further investigation is needed.

And context matters: don’t expect an 18-year-old pony to flex up perfectly. But does it need to, if its job is safely leading a 4-year-old? Probably not. A more demanding competition career is a different conversation.

Why choose a Stage 1–5?
A Stage 1–5 examination adds ridden exercise, a rest/recovery period, and a final trot-up. This can reveal issues that only appear once the horse is working — such as subtle lameness, respiratory noise, or stiffness after exercise.

For most ridden horses, especially those intended for sport or higher-value purchases, the five-stage exam gives a much more complete picture.

What about x-rays?

Radiographs are an optional addition, not automatically part of a basic vetting. They are commonly used to assess areas such as the feet, fetlocks, hocks and stifles, and sometimes the neck or back depending on the horse and intended use.
X-rays can:
• Help create a more accurate risk assessment
• Identify changes that may matter for the horse’s intended career
• Provide a useful management baseline for the future
• Allow small issues to be monitored or managed early, before they escalate

Finding something on x-rays does not automatically mean “don’t buy.” It means we can discuss what it means for this horse, this job, and your plans.
It’s an emotional time

Buying or selling a horse is emotional for everyone involved — and the horse deserves a fair, honest assessment too. 🐴

A good pre-purchase exam isn’t about finding reasons to say no. It’s about giving you clear, practical information so you can make the best decision for you, your budget, and the horse’s welfare.

Feel free to contact us to discuss which option suits you and your horse best.

08/10/2026

Selenium: don’t assume—test! 🩸

We often think of New Zealand as “selenium-deficient country,” but last week’s blood results from Kirsty’s horses were a great reminder that you simply can’t know a horse’s selenium status without testing.
Neither horse receives hard feed, yet one came back high-normal and the other was above the recommended range!

Selenium is essential for so many functions in the body, including antioxidant protection, muscle health and fertility—but it also has a very narrow safety window.

Too little selenium can contribute to poor muscle function, reduced performance and fertility issues. Too much can be toxic, causing hair loss, brittle or cracked hooves, hoof-wall separation and, in severe cases, much more serious illness.

The tricky part is that selenium can be hiding in more places than you expect—pasture, hay, balancers, premixes, mineral blocks and supplements. Just because a horse isn’t getting hard feed doesn’t mean its selenium level is low.

A simple blood test takes out the guesswork, and it’s a great thing to add to your horse’s yearly dental and vaccination visit.

Testing is inexpensive compared with the cost of getting it wrong in either direction!
✅ Test before supplementing
✅ Review all sources of selenium in the diet
✅ Recheck regularly
✅ Don’t assume grass-only horses are low

Kirsty’s horses are proof that you just don’t know until you test! 🐴🩺

06/10/2026

🌟 A little appreciation for our clever nurse Sophie! Sophie Gosselin🌟

Hardworking, capable and always willing to go the extra mile, Sophie brings so much to our team. Whether she’s staying late when a patient needs us or out on the road helping she takes it all in her stride. 🐴💚

She’s also a whiz at all things worms—from faecal egg counts to helping clients understand their horses’ worming needs! 🪱🔬

Her skills extend well beyond the clinic walls, and we’re so lucky to have her knowledge, initiative and care supporting our horses, clients and vets every day.

Sophie, we see how much you do, and we appreciate you more than you know. We would be lost without you! 💐

06/10/2026

05/10/2026

🐴 LAMINITIS: IS THE SCOOP ACTUALLY REDUCING THE RISK?

Imagine two owners trying to reduce their horse’s risk of laminitis.

Owner 1 buys a supplement marketed to “support healthy insulin levels”. She gives it every day. But her pony still spends most of the day on pasture, and his insulin regulation has never actually been assessed.

Owner 2 doesn’t have a “metabolic support” supplement in the feed room.

Instead, she’s worked with her vet to assess her horse’s insulin regulation, body condition and diet. She’s changed his grazing and forage management — and she’s monitoring whether those changes are actually working.

Both owners care deeply about their horses.

But only one knows whether the major risk factors are actually being addressed.

There are plenty of supplements marketed for horses with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS). You’ll see claims around insulin sensitivity, metabolism, inflammation and laminitis support.

Some ingredients have plausible biological effects and may well deserve more research.

But “it could help” isn’t the same as “we know it reduces this horse’s risk of laminitis.”

And that distinction matters.

A scoop of powder is easy.

Managing an insulin-dysregulated horse often isn’t.

It may mean changing pasture access, analysing or soaking forage, reducing calories, managing weight, monitoring body condition and introducing appropriate exercise when the horse is sound enough.

Those things are less exciting than opening a new tub of supplement — but they’re often where the biggest gains are made.

So if you have a limited horse-care budget, consider putting it towards the things that can actually guide management:

• Assessing insulin regulation
• Reviewing the whole diet, including grass and forage
• Managing excess weight
• Appropriate exercise when safe
• Monitoring body condition and hoof health
• Veterinary treatment when indicated
• Rechecking to see whether your plan is actually working

This doesn’t mean all supplements are useless.

A horse on a restricted or hay-based diet, for example, may genuinely need an appropriately formulated vitamin and mineral balancer.

But that’s very different from expecting an “insulin support” powder to compensate for unrestricted pasture or an unsuitable overall diet.

Before buying the next tub, ask:

What exactly is this meant to improve?
Is there good evidence it works in horses?
How will I know if it’s working in MY horse?
And could I spend this money on something that would have a greater impact?

Laminitis prevention is about reducing risk before the horse becomes sore.

The scoop is the easy part.

The valuable part is making sure the whole management plan is actually changing that horse’s future.

02/10/2026

😂 Will AI replace my job?

Not if it keeps trying to take blood from there… 🤣🐴

After several attempts to get AI to create a simple photo of me taking a blood sample from a horse, I’m feeling pretty secure about my career choice.

AI: impressive.
Equine anatomy: still a work in progress.

For now, I think we’ll leave the blood tests to the vets. 😂

Science-based outcomes. Human-based blood collection.