Blackdown Equine Clinic

20/05/2026

We’re delighted to now offer Alpha2Equine — an advanced orthobiologic treatment created from your horse’s own blood and conveniently prepared and administered right at your yard. 🐴

Designed to help manage:

✔️ Arthritis
✔️ Joint inflammation
✔️ Equine asthma

Alpha2Equine works with the body’s natural healing processes and offers a safe, steroid-free alternative for cases where corticosteroids may not be the best option.

This is particularly exciting for horses prone to EMS or laminitis, where avoiding steroids can be incredibly important while still providing effective treatment and support.

It’s fantastic to be able to bring another innovative, welfare-focused therapy to our clients and their horses. 💙

📞 To find out whether Alpha2Equine could help your horse, contact the team on 01428 656 665 or email [email protected].

13/05/2026

The 2026 polo season is officially underway at Cowdray Park Polo Club 🐎☀️

We’re proud to be back on polo duty, providing pitch-side veterinary support throughout the season and helping keep horses performing at their very best.

A fantastic start to the season with great polo, stunning scenery, and a few dramatic skies over Cowdray!

23/04/2026

✨ PRP Therapy in Horses – What You Need to Know

At our practice, we’re always looking for the most effective, evidence-based treatments to support your horse’s health and performance. One therapy you may have heard about is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP).

🐴 What is PRP?
PRP is created from your horse’s own blood. It’s processed to concentrate platelets, which are packed with natural growth factors that support healing.

💉 What can it be used for?
PRP is commonly used to treat:
• Tendon and ligament injuries
• Joint inflammation
• Soft tissue damage

🌱 Why consider PRP?
• Uses your horse’s own cells – reducing risk of reaction
• Targets healing at the source
• Can support faster and stronger recovery

⏳ What to expect
PRP is administered directly into the affected area by our veterinary team. Recovery plans vary depending on the injury, but controlled rehabilitation is key to success.

If you’d like to find out whether PRP could benefit your horse, feel free to get in touch with us 📩

20/04/2026

Huge congratulations to our wonderful client Coral Hill, whose beautiful Friesian mare has safely delivered this beautiful filly! 🎉👏

After being inseminated last year by our vets, it’s always so rewarding to see these journeys come full circle with a healthy foal on the ground.

Mum and baby are both doing brilliantly, and we couldn’t be happier for them. Wishing them many happy years ahead together 💫🐴

18/03/2026

🐴 Thinking of breeding your mare this season?

At Blackdown Equine Clinic, we’re here to help you every step of the way — from planning and fertility checks to pregnancy care and foaling support.

Breeding can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s important to make informed decisions to give both mare and foal the best start possible.

Before you begin, consider:
✔️ Is your mare in optimal health and condition?
✔️ Have you chosen the right stallion for your goals?
✔️ Are you prepared for the time, costs, and long-term commitment?

Our experienced team can offer:
• Pre-breeding examinations
• Reproductive advice and cycle monitoring
• Artificial insemination services
• Embryo transfer services
• Pregnancy diagnosis and care
• Foaling guidance and emergency support

📅 If you’re considering breeding this year, now is the perfect time to get in touch and make a plan.

📞 Contact us today to discuss how we can support you and your mare.

23/02/2026

We’re incredibly proud to see our own Angus Yeomans recognised as BEVA’s February Member of the Month 🐴👏

Angus is a hugely valued member of the team here at Blackdown Equine Clinic, known for his calm, thoughtful approach, genuine care for both horses and clients, and his enthusiasm for sharing knowledge with colleagues and students alike.

Alongside his day-to-day clinical work, Angus is passionate about education and giving back to the wider equine community — values that fit perfectly with the ethos of our practice. This recognition is a brilliant reflection of the dedication and professionalism he brings to his work every day.

A huge congratulations, Angus — very well deserved 💙🐎

Get up to date with the latest news from the equine veterinary profession.

18/02/2026

🌧️🐴 Year of the Horse: Rainy-Season Care Tips 🐴🌧️

It’s the Year of the Horse, and what better time to give our equine partners a little extra love—especially during these wet, rainy months! Rainy weather can bring unique challenges, but a few proactive steps can keep your horse healthy, comfortable, and thriving all season long.

Our top rainy-season care tips:

🦶 Protect those hooves – Wet conditions increase the risk of thrush and soft soles. Pick hooves daily and watch for foul smells or tenderness.

🏡 Mind the mud – Limit prolonged turnout in deep mud when possible, and provide dry areas for standing and feeding.

🧼 Skin checks matter – Rain scald loves moisture. Regular grooming and early treatment go a long way.

🥕 Support immunity – Proper nutrition and body condition help horses handle weather-related stress.

💦🐎 Now for the fun part!
Rainy season also means… muddy horses! We’d LOVE to see them—please share your muddiest horse photos in the comments below. The messier, the better 😄

This Year of the Horse, let’s celebrate by keeping our horses healthy, happy, and rain-ready. If you have questions or notice any concerns, our team is always here to help! 💚

11/02/2026

When your horse wants to review their own X-rays… 👀🐴

X-rays help us see what’s going on beneath the surface and are a key part of diagnosing and managing lameness and performance issues.

Thanks to portable equipment, they can be done on-yard with no mains power needed — quick, practical, and low-stress for everyone involved.

03/02/2026

🐴 Sweet Itch Season Is Coming – Start Early! 🦟

Sweet itch (also known as insect bite hypersensitivity) is one of the most common and frustrating skin conditions we see in horses. It’s caused by an allergic reaction to the saliva of biting midges, leading to intense itchiness, inflammation, hair loss, and broken skin.

Typical signs include:
• Rubbing of the mane, tail, and belly
• Hair loss and scurfy or thickened skin
• Open sores from persistent scratching
• Worsening symptoms as midge numbers increase

💉 Why start Insol injections now?

Although Insol is not specifically licensed for the treatment of sweet itch, it has been shown to be effective in many horses by reducing their allergic response to insect bites.
Starting treatment before peak midge season gives the immune system time to respond, helping to:

✔ Reduce the severity of itching
✔ Protect the skin barrier
✔ Minimise the need for steroids later in the season
✔ Improve overall comfort and quality of life

Early intervention is key — once severe itching starts, it can be much harder to control.
If your horse has struggled with sweet itch in previous years, now is the ideal time to plan ahead. Please contact the clinic to discuss whether Insol injections are suitable for your horse and to set up a treatment schedule.

📞 Get in touch with our office on 01428 656 665 for advice or to book an appointment.

02/02/2026

⚠️ Important Update: Care About Cushing's Scheme (from 1 Feb 2026)

Boehringer Ingelheim is updating its Care About
Cushing's initiative, which provides free diagnostic testing for Equine Cushing's (PPID). Here's what horse owners and vets need to know:

🧪 Focused Free ACTH Testing
Free annual ACTH lab tests will now be available
during these periods only:

• Spring (March-April)- ideal for assessing laminitis risk

• Autumn (September-October)- when diagnostic accuracy peaks

🐴 New FREE "Dose-Checker" Test
A new 4-6 week post-treatment test will be available to
help check medication doses early on.

👨‍⚕️Ongoing Support Continues
The scheme will still offer:

• One free monitoring test per year for diagnosed &
treated horses available in Spring or Autumn

• Digital tracking tools, educational resources and reminder alerts

📄 Registration & Vouchers
Horse owners must work with a participating
veterinary practice, which will generate a voucher code for the lab tests. Make sure the voucher is requested before or during your appointment and is submitted alongside the blood sample. As always this voucher code will cover the laboratory fees only, not the visit or cost of taking the sample.

For full details, visit the Care About Cushing's website.