By Vicky Rowlands BVM&S CertEP MRCVS, Ashbrook Equine Hospital. Hoof conformation is one of the most important factors in allowing a horse to live an athletic life free from lameness.  The adage ‘no foot, no horse’ is as true today as when it was first phrased.  Hoof conformation is a result of the horse’s genetics, conformation, job and the regularity and quality of … [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 6-8 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...]

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’) or … [Read more...]

How to Control Sweet Itch Roger Dixon MRCVS Ashbrook Equine Hospital, Cheshire. Sweet itch is an allergic reaction to the saliva of the Culicoides midge and the black fly (simulium). It is thought to affect over 50000 horses in the UK each year and commonly occurs after turnout in the spring. Some horses are thought to have a genetic predisposition to sweet itch e.g. Icelandics … [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. However, … [Read more...]