EquiBreed Oz

22/10/2026

Nice day of scans today. Not only did I have a cute helper, I also had 6 out of 6 postive pregancy scans. Given that I don't do the big numbers that we used to do up in Scone, its a nice day to see so many nice black circles 😁

13/04/2026

31/12/2025

** *EDITED***

* After starting the process with 3 people, and had them all not even start in the end, I am asking for NO TIME WASTERS PLEASE. Contact us, and if the shoe fits, then immediate start is available.

We are seeking a part timer for a position to share shifts with 2 others at our equine veterinary reproduction and dentistry facility on the Central Coast.

Position will involve ~2 weekdays plus every second saturday. Horse duties and help with general farm duties.

Looking for a RELIABLE, honest and responsible person with some horse handling skills and able to work without supervision.

Nursing skills not essential and will be taught.

Please SMS dr Pete on 0428218888.
***DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS PLEASE***

Please do not send messages to this page on Messenger as I may not see them.

04/11/2025

***IMPORTANT MESSAGE***

PLEASE DO NOT SEND A MESSAGE TO THIS ACCOUNT. PLEASE SEND ALL ENQUIRIES (during business hours) TO SMS: 0428218888 or email us at [email protected]

The messenger service attatched to this facebook account has always been very unreliable. Many times, I can see via notifications, that a message has been sent to us, yet the system struggles to switch accounts from my personal account to the business one and access the message. After multiple attempts, we usuially have to give up trying to access that message.

13/10/2025

Equine 'Strangles' on the Central Coast.

*** EDIT 1***
I have subsequently been advised that a grouo of horses inmediately adjacent to the the initial case, but on a differnet property, were removed from the area when they were forst advised of the strangles case. We do not know where they went or who the owner is, but have been informed that at least one potentially infectious horse from there has been seen at a local sporting. I have also been told that some at risk horses have also been seen to attend pony club. So please, be vigilent, but I would recommend vaccinating at least for the strangles alone of you are attending ANY local horse events.
***end edit**

Recently, there has been a lot of concern expressed by coasties with horses in the Jilliby area regarding a 'Strangles Outbreak'. As the attending veterinarian, we thought that some accurate information would be beneficial for all concerned.

About 3 weeks ago, a sick horse at an agistment paddock in Jilliby was taken to Newcastle Equine Centre for some diagnostic testing. The horse was diagnosed with Strangles and then taken to the owner's home in Cooranbong, well isolated from any other horses.

The owner and the agistment property owner immediately took steps to quarantine and isolate the paddock of horses where the sick horse originated.

Subsequently, 6 out of the 8 horses in that herd showed signs consistent with strangles, but none became very sick or needed any treatment and they have all recovered.

Due to the prompt diagnosis obtained by the owner of the first horse and the responsible action of the property owner who also alerted the adjoining and nearby horse properties, this 'outbreak' has thus far been limited to only one property.

However, strangles is very contagious, and most likely to be transmitted by vectors - especially people - so we are asking everyone to be extra cautious and vigilant with general hygiene and sanitation.

Please take a moment to read the PDF issued by the DPI. It is 10years old, but the information is still current and accurate.

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/158456/Strangles.pdf

For anybody participating in or organising local equestrian activities, please feel free to contact your equine vet for advice on how to take some precautionary measures around the events (pony club days etc).

If your horse shows any signs, please contact your vet as testing is very important. If in doubt, please do not take them out🙏🏻.

Strangles vaccines are also available (Vets and saddleries) and whilst they are not 100%, it would be a prudent measure for anyone who is out and about with their horse or if you are located in the vicinity of Jilliby.

Strangles is not nearly as transmissible by air as viral diseases such as influenza which can aerosolise the infective agents and spread it through coughing etc. The biggest risk is people coming and going... and the bacteria getting to the next horse on someone's hands or feet. So please exercise good hygiene!

**EDIT - I should add that the BIGGEST risk of ongoing spread is probably the 10% of infected horses that become carriers and continue to shed the bacteria even though they may be totally free of clinical signs. Testing is important, but not foolproof.

Thankyou.
Pete the vet 🐴

05/08/2025

Monthly dental post:
The importance to 'flip the lip' and to start dental check ups from an early age.

Case: 18month old filly in for her first dental check up.
She has been regularly handled several times weekly her entire life but clearly she has, at some stage in the past year, sustained an injury to her upper jaw which has led to her baby incisor's root getting infected and the development of a non-healing wound... all going undetected.

08/07/2025

Whoops! We forgot the June Dental Case:

Actually this is just to show you some images from our new oroscope. It is always so tricky to be able to show the pathology at the back of the mouth to owners. With good lighting and mirrors, we can see what we need to see. But taking a photo, or showing the owner the problem is a whole other problem.

This camera makes such a difference!

10/04/2025

A few years ago, I decided to reduce equine dentistry posts. But the fact remains, I do dentals every day.... and everytime I see some new patients, I get cases that just saddens and angers me.

Take this week's sad case..... 😢

This 25yo mini pony mare has terrific owners that have always looked after her and their other riding horses very fastidiously. She wants for nothing and is on daily meds for her Cushing's as well as for her mild arthritis. She has had regular yearly, then more recently 6monthly, dentals for years/decades and has always been told that she had great teeth. That is until 6months ago, when she was found to have broken a tooth in half. The lay dentist (using sedatives illegally) then extracted the other half...... problem sorted🤞... or so they thought.

I saw her along with some other horses for the first time. The owners were advised of the issue and they promptly brought her to the clinic the next day to ease her suffering.

You can see in the first 2 xrays, that she indeed had a broken tooth.... a slab fracture of the 209 molar. Half of the tooth is missing.... presumably this is what was 'extracted'... the broken off loose bit. Whilst the other half, with roots and exposed necrotic pulp was still very firmly fixed in position....

So what made them decide to NOT get the pony the help she needed and to 'cowboy' the problem themselves then LIE to the owner?

Don't know..... but usually, they just don't want to admit that they can't fix the problem. And they already know that they are working illegally by sedating the horse themselves... so they don't want the issue attended to by someone else. Whilst your own doctor, vet or dentist, are licensed and regulated professionals who are both willing and obligated to refer any cases or procedures to others that can get the work done appropriately. Sometimes they are just trying to help owners with a cheap fix. There are no winners here.... either horse or owner. 🤬

The remaining tooth was extracted at the clinic, under sedation and after specific local anaesthetic nerve blocks to make the surgery painless. The last xray confirms the absence of any remaining fragments. 👍

Incidentally, this horse also has/had many other issues. There are only 4 cheek teeth in each of the other arcades and had 5 teeth in this one that we worked on. Xrays show that those arcades would have had at least 5 teeth (a 'normal' horse usually has 6 cheek teeth) as well, but that they'd probably lost them earlier with the adjacent molars migrating into the space left by the missing teeth (which is normal). So much for a horse that always had 'great teeth' according to her previous dental care providers 🤷‍♂️.

Choose your equine dental care provider wisely please 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
I have worked with some wonderful dental technicians like Chevy Hoskins who have impecable ethics. And I will also happily work in with others if they have the morals to always put the horse's needs first.

Do not let lay dentists sedate your horse.
Its not a question of power tool or hand tools. It is about the ethics and morals of those that are wielding the tools and who you have to trust... as I'm pretty sure most clients do not have the means to check on the work done. If in doubt, it is preferable to engage a licensed and regulated professional like a veterinarian.

Rant over. Sorry
.... for the pony that is 😢.