Hawkesbury Equine Veterinary Centre

03/08/2026

Breeding season is fast approaching! Our 2026/27 breeding contracts are now ready.
To see all of our breeding services visit our website https://www.hawkesburyequine.com.au/advancedreproduction
For more details on our fixed price contracts for frozen semen, chilled semen, ICSI and/or embryo transfer please email [email protected] or call our team on (02) 45774611

01/08/2026

HAPPY HORSES BIRTHDAY 🎁 🎂Horses carry our dreams, teach us patience, humble us, and make every day a little better (maybe with the exception of the Sunday emergency vet visit 😜)

Here are some of our team members and their beautiful horses!

Happy Birthday to every horse—young and old, champion and companion. ❤️🐴

We’d love to see yours too. Share a photo of your horse in the comments and help us celebrate.

29/07/2026

Can you believe it is August next week 😳 where did the first half of the year go! If you are breeding with frozen semen, please organise your semen to arrive well in advance. It is much cheaper to send frozen semen by road than overnight rush, plus the season is stressful enough without the added stress of frozen semen not arriving in time 🙂

27/07/2026

Dr Sally and nurse Katie rocking their sexy isolation suits!

🛡️ Why do some horses go into our isolation stables?

One of the questions we’re occasionally asked is why a horse would need to be cared for in an isolation stable.

The simple answer is to protect every horse in our hospital while we investigate the cause of their illness.

The most common reason we use our isolation facilities is horses presenting with diarrhoea. While many cases are not contagious, it’s safest to manage these horses separately until appropriate testing and assessment have been completed.

Other reasons a horse may be cared for in isolation include:
• Fever where the cause is not yet known
• Coughing or nasal discharge that could be infectious
• Waiting for the results of infectious disease testing
• Horses arriving from a property where an infectious disease is suspected

Our isolation area has dedicated equipment and is supported by strict biosecurity protocols, including protective clothing, thorough cleaning and disinfection procedures, and careful movement of staff and patients.

These precautions help us provide the safest possible environment for every horse entrusted to our care.

Isolation doesn’t necessarily mean a horse has a contagious disease—it simply means we’re taking sensible precautions while providing the highest standard of veterinary care.

24/07/2026

Our head nurse Bridget’s little orphan calf says happy Friday everyone!

23/07/2026

INTERESTING CASE FOR THE WEEK

🧐 What’s wrong with this picture?

HINT💡 The stifle is flexed… but the hock is still extended.

This horse has one of the textbook signs of a peroneus tertius rupture.

In a normal horse, these joints are mechanically linked by the reciprocal apparatus and should flex together. When they don’t, a peroneus tertius rupture jumps high on the list of differential diagnoses.

While the injury often looks dramatic, many horses can return to athletic function, although the prognosis depends on whether other structures have also been injured.

This particular mare made a full recovery and has even had a foal since.

21/07/2026

Getting your horse to the clinic isn’t always easy… and sometimes it means delaying a procedure that could provide valuable answers.

Did you know that we can bring the scope to you? Throughout July, we are also offering 10% off the scope fee AND 10% any other procedures performed at the same time. Eg. Sheath clean, dental check, vaccinations or X-rays etc.

🏡 10% OFF infield gastroscopic examinations

If your horse is showing signs such as:
• Poor performance
• Weight loss or difficulty maintaining condition
• Girthiness
• Behavioural changes
• Intermittent colic
• Poor appetite

…a gastroscope is the only way to definitively diagnose gastric ulcers.

To help make the process as simple as possible, we’ll come to your property with our portable gastroscopy equipment.

To be eligible for the July special:
✔️ Horses must be fasted overnight.
✔️ A safe undercover area (such as a stable or undercover wash bay) is required.

📞 To book an appointment or discuss whether gastroscopy is right for your horse, call (02) 4577 4611.

Offer valid throughout July. Travel charges will be additional.

10/07/2026

Excellent way to end the week with another IcSI embryo thank you Jen Clulow for coming down to assist and Breed Diagnostics for their amazing work 🙂

What a way to finish a busy week! 🍻

Dr Kylie Hardwicke and Dr Jennifer Clulow (aka the dream team) hard at work, with all their dedication and expertise culminating in a fantastic result - a successful embryo for one very happy client.

Now safely cryopreserved and patiently waiting for the perfect recipient to continue its journey.

A huge congratulations to everyone involved. You've all earned a well-deserved beer! 🍺👏

09/07/2026

🚨 What are we looking at on this ultrasound?

This ultrasound image was taken today from a horse presented for colic.

Ultrasounding horses with colic can provide incredibly valuable information.

➡️ In this image, we identified a large blood vessel running lateral to the right dorsal colon. This is not a normal finding and raised our suspicion that the large colon had rotated.
Whilst the horse in question had a normal heart rate and was only mildly painful, the ultrasound confirmed that surgery was indicated.

The horse was then taken to surgery, where a 360° large colon volvulus was confirmed. If left for too long (even just a few hours) a volvulus can result in the blood supply being cut off and the intestine being severely and sometimes irreparably damaged. Thankfully we got in quickly in this case and the large colon was still healthy so fingers crossed for a good recovery.

While ultrasound cannot diagnose every type of colic, certain findings can significantly increase our suspicion of surgical disease and help us make faster decisions.

⏰ Time is one of the most important factors in severe colic cases. The sooner a horse requiring surgery is identified and referred, the better the chance of a successful outcome.

If your horse develops signs of colic, don’t wait to “see if it settles.” Early veterinary assessment can make all the difference.

02/07/2026

Our head nurse Bridget has adopted this little calf that was rejected by its mum so of course he comes to hospital for cuddles!