HorsemedSA Hills Equine Veterinary Clinic

HorsemedSA Hills Equine Veterinary Clinic A complete Equine Veterinary Practice. An exceptional team of veterinarians, providing comprehensiv
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At Horsemed Hills we believe that the best care for our patients is aided by the best education for our team. Last week ...
08/06/2026

At Horsemed Hills we believe that the best care for our patients is aided by the best education for our team.

Last week we were incredibly fortunate to host a lunch and learn session with Dr David Rendle, RCVS and European Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine, Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and past President of the British Equine Veterinary Association — one of the world’s leading equine medicine and therapeutics consultants. To say our team were excited is an understatement! 🎓

Dr Rendle covered a huge amount of ground across the session, including:

🔬 Endocrine disease — the latest thinking on PPID and Equine Metabolic Syndrome, new diagnostic approaches and emerging treatment options
💉 Joint care — exciting new options for managing joint disease and keeping performance horses comfortable and working well
💊 Pain relief — updates on the latest evidence for pain management in horses
🧠 Behavioural medicine — a fascinating and extensive update on managing anxiety in horses, including some really promising new options for helping anxious horses whilst still allowing them to learn, therefore reducing further problems down the track

Our vets and support staff came away with a wealth of new knowledge and practical tools to bring straight back to our patients. Sessions like this are so important — equine medicine is constantly evolving and our team is committed to staying at the forefront of best practice for the benefit of our patients and clients. 🐴

Watch this space — some exciting new approaches are coming to Horsemed Hills!

Castration, or gelding, is one of the most commonly performed equine surgical procedures. Whilst it is a serious surgery...
14/05/2026

Castration, or gelding, is one of the most commonly performed equine surgical procedures. Whilst it is a serious surgery, with the right preparation it can be a smooth and straightforward experience for our patients and clients.

At Horsemed Hills we generally perform field castrations under general anaesthesia at your property. Unlike many other animals, horses do not need to be fasted prior to these surgeries — in fact we recommend keeping their diet consistent prior to these procedure to minimize stress. Our vets are always accompanied by a trained equine vet nurse who assists with the procedure and helps monitor your horse’s anaesthesia throughout, giving you the peace of mind that your horse is in experienced hands from start to finish. Standing castrations can also be performed in certain circumstances, and for cases requiring a closed castration technique, this can be arranged with a specialist at our Morphettville Equine Clinic. Our staff will discuss the most appropriate option for your horse when you book.

Before the procedure:

✅ Make sure your horse is up to date with tetanus vaccination - this is very important. Castration creates a wound that is the perfect entry point for Clostridium tetani, the bacteria that causes tetanus. If your horse is not vaccinated or you are unsure of their vaccination status, please let us know well in advance so we can arrange appropriate cover before surgery

✅ Your horse should be well handled and comfortable with being restrained in a headcollar. A horse that is calm and easy to handle will have a much smoother induction and recovery from anaesthesia

On the day: preparing a safe recovery area:

This is one of the most important things you can do to keep your horse safe. When a horse recovers from general anaesthesia they can be temporarily uncoordinated - so the recovery environment really matters.

🌿 Choose a flat, open area with plenty of space for your horse to move around as they come around

🌿 The surface must be non-slip. A clean grassy paddock or sand round yard or arena is ideal. Concrete, hard dirt or slippery surfaces are not suitable

🌿 Remove any hazards that could cause tripping or injury from the area - loose fencing, branches, buckets etc

🌿 The area should be quiet and away from loud noises where possible to minimise stress during recovery

After the procedure:

✅ Some swelling and light bleeding in the days following surgery is normal. Our vets will advise you on what to expect and what to watch for

✅ Gentle exercise in the days following surgery helps reduce swelling and promotes healing

✅ Keep a close eye on the surgical site and contact your vet promptly if you notice excessive swelling, discharge, bleeding or if your horse seems unwell

If you would like to book a castration or have any questions about the procedure, call us on 08 8391 9400 to speak to one of our experienced team.

📸 Pictured: Dr Michael and nurse Erin, and Dr Ruth and nurse Temiera - demonstrating the Horsemed Hills team approach to field castration and anaesthetic monitoring.

With all this rain the autumn grass is coming through, and now is the time to be thinking about laminitis risk in your h...
11/05/2026

With all this rain the autumn grass is coming through, and now is the time to be thinking about laminitis risk in your horses and ponies. 🍂

Laminitis is one of the most painful and debilitating conditions a horse can suffer — and while many people associate it with overweight ponies on lush pasture, the reality is that the majority of laminitis cases have an underlying hormonal component. Conditions such as Equine Metabolic Syndrome/Insulin Dysregulation (EMS/ID) and Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID, also known as Cushing’s disease) affect the way horses and ponies respond to sugar in their feed and pasture — making them far more vulnerable to laminitis than other horses.

The good news is that with the right management and veterinary support, many of these horses can live happy and comfortable lives.

Knowing the early signs of laminitis means you can act quickly and give your horse the best chance of recovery. Early signs to watch for include:

👀 A pottery or shortened stride, particularly on hard ground
⚖️ Shifting weight between feet or being reluctant to move
🦶 Standing with front feet stretched out in front (the classic “laminitic stance”)
🌡️ Increased heat in the hooves
💓 A strong or bounding digital pulse
😬 Reluctance to pick up feet or turn in tight circles

❗If you notice any of these signs, call your vet promptly — early treatment makes a significant difference to outcomes and can help prevent permanent damage to the hoof structure.

If you have a horse or pony with a history of laminitis, or one that you suspect may have an underlying hormonal condition, our vets can help with testing, management advice and treatment. Call us on 08 8391 9400 to make an appointment with one of our experienced equine vets.

Have you heard of Sleip?If your horse has ever been "a bit off" and you couldn't quite put your finger on it - this migh...
06/05/2026

Have you heard of Sleip?

If your horse has ever been "a bit off" and you couldn't quite put your finger on it - this might be exactly what you've been looking for.

Sleip is the AI motion analysis tool we've recently introduced at HorseMed SA Hills, and it's giving us a whole new level of detail when it comes to assessing how your horse moves. We're talking 2mm accuracy, over 100 anatomical tracking points, and objective data that removes the guesswork from lameness assessment.

What we love most is that horse owners can access it too — for just $30 with no lock-in, you can upload videos of your horse from anywhere and get professional gait analysis in minutes.

We've put everything you need to know in our latest blog post - what it does, how it works, and how to get access for your own horse.

https://www.horsemedsa.com/ai-powered-lameness-detection-has-arrived-at-horsemed-sa-heres-what-it-means-for-your-horse/

What a big day out at the Kuitpo Endurance Ride last weekend! Our very own Dr Kyra was on the ground providing veterinar...
04/05/2026

What a big day out at the Kuitpo Endurance Ride last weekend!

Our very own Dr Kyra was on the ground providing veterinary services at this fantastic event, organised by the South Australian Endurance Riders Association and run through the beautiful Kuitpo Forest. With distances of 15km, 25km, 40km and an impressive 80km - with the longest distance starting at 5am! — it was a full and demanding day for horses and riders alike.

We were also delighted to have Megan, our veterinary student on placement with us, along for the day — events like this are such an incredible learning opportunity and a brilliant way to experience equine sports medicine in action. The team was joined by Dr Amie Kapusniak and final year students from Adelaide University's Equine Sports Medicine elective rotation, making for a fantastic day of veterinary education alongside the competition.

Endurance riding places unique demands on horses and their physiology, and having experienced veterinary support on course is so important for the welfare of these incredible equine athletes. We love being part of events like this in our local community!
A huge congratulations to all of the riders and horses who took part on the day - what an effort!

Did you know that sand accumulation in your horse’s intestines is one of the leading causes of colic — and that it can b...
27/04/2026

Did you know that sand accumulation in your horse’s intestines is one of the leading causes of colic — and that it can be detected before it becomes a serious problem? 🤔

Horses that graze on sandy soils or are fed on the ground can gradually accumulate sand in their large intestine over time. In many cases there are no obvious signs until a significant amount has built up and your horse is already unwell.

At Horsemed Hills, our vets are able to take abdominal radiographs (x-rays) to assess the amount of sand present in your horse’s intestines. This is a simple and effective way to identify a problem before it develops into a life-threatening sand colic.

If sand is detected, treatment can be started promptly — giving your horse the best possible chance of a full recovery and helping you avoid the stress and cost of an emergency colic situation.

We recommend speaking to one of our vets if your horse:

🟢 Grazes on sandy soils or is fed on sandy ground
🟢 Has a history of colic
🟢 Lives in a dry, sandy environment

Don’t wait until your horse is showing signs of colic — early detection really can make all the difference. Call us on 08 8391 9400 to make an appointment with one of our experienced equine vets.

22/04/2026

We finished the breeding season on a high note last week! 🤩

During the last scheduled pregnancy scan of the season, our team discovered something that always raises eyebrows — triplets! While not unheard of, finding three embryos on a single scan is still a surprising and unusual find, and certainly made for a memorable end to a great breeding season!

This particular mare is a high quality performance mare on her first breeding cycle, bred with a small dose of expensive frozen semen from an elite show jumping stallion — we can’t wait to meet this very special foal! 💚

While triplets might sound exciting, unfortunately they are not a viable option in horses. The equine uterus is simply not designed to carry more than one foal, and triplet pregnancies carry an extremely high risk of loss of all three embryos, as well as serious risk to the mare herself.

The good news is that our experienced reproductive vet was on hand to perform an embryo reduction procedure, reducing the pregnancy down to a single embryo. ✂️ This is a delicate procedure that requires skill, experience and precise ultrasound guidance — and we are pleased to report it was carried out successfully.

What a weekend at the Adelaide Equestrian Festival! 🐴As the only 5* eventing competition in the Southern Hemisphere — an...
19/04/2026

What a weekend at the Adelaide Equestrian Festival! 🐴

As the only 5* eventing competition in the Southern Hemisphere — and one of just seven in the world — the Adelaide Equestrian Festival is truly a world-class event, and we are so proud to be part of it.

As usual, our Horsemed Hills and Horsemed Morphettville vets joined forces to keep horses safe on course. Our team has been associated with this prestigious event for many years, and their experience and expertise in competition veterinary work is second to none. Dr Holly took on the role of Veterinary Services Manager for the event, while Dr Andrew, Dr Jacinta, Dr Jacqui and Dr Ruth were out on the cross country as sector vets — ready to respond at a moment’s notice to keep our equine athletes safe.

We were also delighted to have some talented veterinary students join us across the weekend. Events like this are such a wonderful opportunity to give the next generation of equine vets a taste of what performance horse veterinary work looks like at the very highest level — and our team loved having them along!

We love being part of this incredible event and getting to support the horses and riders of our community at the highest level of the sport. A huge thank you to all the competitors, owners, organisers and our wonderful student volunteers for a fantastic weekend!

📸 Pictured left to right: Dr Jacinta, Dr Jacqui, Dr Andrew, Dr Ruth and Dr Holly

Don’t forget to come and visit us at Adelaide Equestrian Festival over the weekend! Our nurses Lucy and Olivia will be ...
18/04/2026

Don’t forget to come and visit us at Adelaide Equestrian Festival over the weekend!

Our nurses Lucy and Olivia will be around to answer any questions you might have about horse health and performance and the 4CYTE team are on hand too!

Find us in the trade village and don’t forget to spin the wheel for your chance to win!

Adelaide Equestrian Festival is nearly here! We’re so excited - the best of the best will soon be in our city and our ve...
09/04/2026

Adelaide Equestrian Festival is nearly here! We’re so excited - the best of the best will soon be in our city and our vets will be working there throughout the week as usual. We love supporting the festival as well as our clients and patients who will be participating.

Don’t forget to come and visit us at our 4CYTE marquee in the shopping village - we’re also looking forward to being a part of a session in the new education hub focusing on joint health.

We’ll have amazing deals on the 4cyte range, as well as our experienced nurses and vets on hand to discuss any concerns you might have with your horse.

Keep an eye out for our very own Hills nurse, Lucy, on the stand on Friday, whilst Dr Ruth will be there on Thursday afternoon!

Address

43 Old Mount Barker Road
Echunga, SA
5153

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+61883919400

Website

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