By Roger Dixon BVM&S MRCVS Ashbrook Equine Hospital. This article follows on from last month’s introduction to Artificial Insemination, which discussed the advantages of A.I. and the differences between fresh, chilled and frozen semen. Once the initial Breeding Soundness Examination has been performed the mare is assessed to establish whether she is in oestrus (‘season’) … [Read more...]

By Roger Dixon BVM&S MRCVS Ashbrook Equine Hospital. Artificial insemination (AI) is a well-established assisted-breeding technique. It involves a veterinary surgeon or qualified AI technician depositing semen into the uterus of the mare at the optimum time to allow fertilisation of her egg. It is widely used in show-jumpers, dressage, eventing and pleasure horses. … [Read more...]

By Vicky Rowlands Cert. EP MRCVS – Ashbrook Equine Hospital, Cheshire. Sarcoids are a type of equine skin tumour that exist in the skin and the tissue layers immediately below the skin. They do not spread to internal organs. Unfortunately, we now recognise 2-8 % of horses in the UK have sarcoids. Interestingly, Europe seems to have a lower rate of sarcoids in their equine … [Read more...]

By Vicky Rowlands Cert. EP MRCVS - Ashbrook Equine Hospital, Cheshire Atypical myopathy (AM, atypical myoglobinuria or seasonal pasture myopathy) is a muscle disease that hit the headlines in 2014 due to a peak in cases. The disease has been documented since 1985 but we have seen a gradual increase in numbers over the last 6 years. It has come under a lot of scrutiny recently … [Read more...]

By Roger Dixon BVM&S CertAVP(ESM) MRCVS, Ashbrook Equine Hospital. Embryo transfer is an advanced reproductive technique that is now well established in the UK. It involves the removal of a 7-8 day old embryo from the uterus of a donor mare and its non-surgical transfer into the uterus of a recipient mare. Embryo transfer was first described in horses in 1972 and has been … [Read more...]