Equus Veterinary Services

09/09/2025

🌟 Breeding Season is Here! 🌟

Dr Brad is back to head up the Equus breeding department again this season. The AI roster is filling up fast so if you are planning on breeding you mare please get in touch ASAP!

We offer a full range of breeding support, including:

✅ Mare cycle tracking & ovulation timing
✅ AI with fresh, chilled, or frozen semen
✅ Pregnancy scanning & follow-up care
✅ Stallion collection & semen processing (fresh or chilled)
✅ On-farm or agistment options available

🚑 If you haven’t yet organised semen for your mare, now’s the time. We have secure onsite storage to keep it on hand for when your mare is ready. 🐴

Dedicated equine veterinary practice based in South Australia. Our focus is on providing elite performance, dentistry and preventative care to keep your horses happy, healthy and sound.

28/08/2025

🐴🍼 Is Your Mare in Foal? Be Ready When the Time Comes! 🍼🐴

Breeding season is in full swing, and preparation is key to ensuring a safe and successful foaling. Our Foaling Due Date Calculator helps you estimate when your mare is due, so you can plan vital health checks and be ready for the big day.

👉 https://www.equusvets.com.au/services/reproduction/foaling-calculator/

At Equus Vets, we offer on-farm foaling checks and carry portable IGG and SAA machines, so we can assess your newborn foal’s health immediately and start any necessary treatment right away.

Don’t leave it to chance — know when to expect your foal and be ready.
Because prevention is always better than cure.

Our foaling calculator is designed to help you easily track important dates for your pregnant mare. By inputting the date your mare was bred, the calculator estimates the due date based on an average gestation period of 340 days. It also provides key reminders for your mare's health, including the r...

21/08/2025

📖 Equus Evidence: New Australian Guidelines for Worm Control

The 2025 Australian Guidelines for Equine Internal Parasite Management mark a big shift in how we manage worms in horses. With resistance now reported to all available wormer classes, the days of routine blanket drenching are over.

✅ Key Take-Home Points for Horse Owners:
• TARGET PARASITES: Small strongyles (cyathostomins) are the main concern in adult horses. Parascaris spp. are the primary risk for foals and young horses.
• USE FAECAL EGG COUNTS (FECs) to identify high egg-shedders and guide treatment decisions.
• QUARANTINE NEW ARRIVALS with appropriate worming and manure management to avoid introducing resistant worms.
• NON-CHEMICAL TOOLS such as manure removal, mixed grazing, spelling pastures, and BioWorma® can help reduce worm burdens.
• EVERY HORSE still needs at least one annual treatment to control tapeworms, bots, and reduce the risk of Strongylus vulgaris.

🔑 The new goal is sustainable parasite control: keeping infection at manageable levels, reducing pasture contamination, and preserving the effectiveness of our limited worming options.

📚 Reference: Beasley A, Abbas G, Hughes K, et al. Australian guidelines for equine internal parasite management. Aust Vet J. 2025; doi:10.1111/avj.13424

20/08/2025

🌟 We had a special visitor at Equus Veterinary Services today! 🌟

Gin and her horse Fable dropped by for a checkup during their incredible journey across Australia! 🐴✨

It was inspiring to hear about their adventures on the way to Perth.

Follow along on their journey and join us in cheering them on! Gin & Fable ❤️

13/08/2025

🦷 August is Dental Month! – Did You Know? 🐴💡

1️⃣ Horse teeth keep erupting at \~2–3 mm a year until the reserve crown is gone. Any imbalance in wear can worsen over time if not corrected.

2️⃣ More teeth than you think 🦄 – Adult males usually have 40–44 teeth, mares 36–40. Some horses even grow extra “supernumerary” teeth that can cause crowding.

3️⃣ Jaw health starts at the teeth – Uneven wear can alter how the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) moves, affecting comfort, performance, and even behaviour.

4️⃣ Cheek teeth aren’t meant to be flat 🏔️ – The enamel ridges act like grinding plates to break down fibre. Over-floating can reduce efficiency and digestion.

5️⃣ Fractures happen 💥 – Trauma, decay, or weak spots can lead to fractured teeth, sometimes with subtle signs like feed packing or gum swelling.

6️⃣ The figure-8 chew 🔄 – Horses naturally chew in a figure-8 motion. Sharp points or hooks can block this movement, leading to uneven wear and poor digestion.

Stay tuned! We have some exciting news that will take dental care in South Australia to the next level!

06/08/2025

Equus Evidence: Join us for a regular feature summarising an interesting scientific paper and how it might influence the care of our horses 🧐

Less Stress, BetterPerformance: The Power of Relaxation forHorses 🎶💆‍♀️

This study shows that relaxing music or massage isn’t just a luxury—it's a proven way to reduce stress in horses.

A study of 120 young racehorses found that both gentle massage and calming music significantly lowered levels of cortisol, a key stress hormone. Horses that received massage not only felt better but also performed better on the track, with more wins and higher earnings! 🏆

But this isn’t just for elite athletes—**any horse can benefit**. From paddock ponies to competition horses, regular massage or carefully selected music can support calmness, recovery, and overall wellbeing.

🎼 **What kind of music works best?** Soothing, instrumental “New Age” music—composed to match horses' sensitive hearing range—had the strongest calming effect. Interestingly, **talk-back radio was shown to increase stress**.

📉 Lower cortisol isn’t just about calmness—**it’s linked to a reduced risk of equine glandular gastric ulcer syndrome (EGGUS)**, making these simple interventions important for long-term health.

At Equus Veterinary Services, we're all about keeping your horses happy, healthy and sound—because prevention is better than cure.

📰 Source: Kędzierski et al. (2017), *Pferdeheilkunde – Equine Medicine*, "Massage or music meant to be relaxing, result in lowering salivary cortisol concentration in race horses."

16/07/2025

🌾 Is Your Horse at Risk of Laminitis? Let’s Talk EMS! 🌾

Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is a common cause of laminitis in South Australian horses and ponies, often developing quietly before signs like lameness or “founder rings” on hooves appear.

💡 What is EMS?

A condition involving insulin dysregulation (often linked to cresty neck, regional fat deposits, or obesity).

Triggered by genetics, high-sugar pastures, and diet.

Increases risk of painful, often chronic laminitis.

⚠️ Any horse can develop EMS if exposed to high-risk factors.

What can you do?
✅ Feed a low-sugar (NSC) diet and manage weight.
✅ Restrict grazing during high-risk periods (spring/autumn flush).
✅ Use regular exercise (if sound) to improve insulin sensitivity.
✅ Watch for early signs of laminitis (mild lameness, heat in hooves, or changed hoof growth rings).
✅ Test for insulin dysregulation to assess your horse’s risk.

🩺 We are the only practice in the area offering on-the-spot insulin testing to diagnose and monitor EMS, providing immediate insights to help manage your horse’s risk effectively.

Prevention is better than cure – EMS management helps keep your horse happy, healthy, and sound.

📞 If you are concerned your horse may be at risk of EMS or laminitis, contact Equus Veterinary Services to discuss testing and diet planning specific for South Australian conditions.

15/07/2025

🐴✨ Check out this helpful video featuring Margot, our resident myotherapist at Equus Veterinary Services! 🎥🌟She takes horse owners through a few quick checks you can easily do at home to keep an eye on your horse’s health. 🏡❤️🐎Remember, prevention is always better than cure! 💪🌼

21/05/2025

💥 4CYTE Get 250ml for just $128.59 or 1L for $398.95 ‼️

🐎 We have partnered with PetPA to give our clients unbeatable prices on 4CYTE🐴

Comment below, and we’ll DM you a code for an extra 5% off your order! 🛒

Follow the link: https://yourpetpa.com.au/collections/shop-other/4cyte?utm_source=Taguchi&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=IntroductionEmail_Practice&ref=equusveterinaryservices

16/05/2025

At Equus Vets, we’re horse experts, but we always make time for our other equine buddies! 🐴😍🐎

Here’s Dr. Dan cuddling this super cute baby donkey today! 🥰🫏

🌟 ❤️”