Frome Equine Vets

04/04/2025

This is a really important message we want everyone to know about! Please read through to find out more, but we want to preserve all the anthelmintic drug groups as much as possible, to treat those animals who really need it.
As with a lot of horse management - worms and worming - needs a multi factorial approach and we will be covering more on this topic in the following week. Stay tuned 👀
Now is the time to start monitoring your horse’s worm burden so samples can be dropped into the practice for testing.
And if this all seems a bit complicated, rest assured that our Horse Health Programme includes 4 x worm egg counts, a saliva tapeworm test and winter wormer if required - plus the advice of our SQP and vets at the end of a phone!

06/03/2025

If you've had to restart your vaccinations and unsure of the vaccine timelines 🤔, we've put together this summary to help make it clear.
Don't forget to save this to make sure you don't go over for your next jab 💉!

More information on vaccinations can be found on our website: https://fromeequinevets.co.uk/vaccinations/

17/02/2025

⚠ We have had a report of a missing pony from the Trudoxhill area, he is a Dartmoor x Shetland with very distinctive markings. ⚠
Any sightings please let us know!
Please share so that we can get this little chap home.

14/02/2025

Happy Valentines Day ❤️

To celebrate Valentines Day, we would love to hear what it is you love most about your equine friends. Is it a little whicker in the morning to greet you, the feeling you get when spending quality time with them or is it the sense of freedom they allow you? Whatever it is let us know in the comments 🥰

10/02/2025

Wow, what a team 🤩✈️!

We absolutely love seeing posts like these, showing what you have been up to with your horses, so please do tag us or send them in!

A great weekend competing starting with Stephanie Horton’s Tigga coming 1st at Chard Equestrian arena eventing!
Then Uno did two super double clears at Dorset Showground BS coming 3rd in the 1.20m and then 2nd in the 1.30m!! 🥇🥈🥉

Frome Equine Vets
Equine Splendour
Donna's Personalised Neck Straps
LHrehab
Alice Frampton Veterinary Physiotherapy
Devoucoux

31/01/2025

Does your horse suffer with sweet itch?
If so, now is the time to start thinking about preventative measures before the fly season begins 🦟. There are a few things you can to do to help reduce the effects of sweet itch, if you would like to discuss potential treatment options and measures you can take to keep your horse as comfortable as possible give us a call on 01373 310277 or email [email protected]

13/01/2025

Do you know how to take your horse’s pulse? ❤️Sophie demonstrates the best places to take the heart rate. Having the ability to take your horse’s temperature, pulse and respiratory rate, and knowing what is normal for your horse can help hugely in detecting the early onset of illness.

07/01/2025

Cold weather can mean that your horse is more at risk from colic, this can be due to a number of reasons, here's a few tips to help prevent a winter colic:
💧 Encourage your horse to keep drinking as much as possible. Ensure water buckets and troughs are free from ice, adding a little warm water to a bucket can help as very cold water may not be appealing to your horse. Adding diluted fruit juice, or apples can make water more enticing.
Adding water to feed and forage will also help to get a little more water into your horse, a sloppy bowl of mash or soaking hay (where possible).
🐎 Keep your horse moving. If your horse's turnout is reduced then try and get your horse out their stable and hand walked as much as possible, or hand grazing can be a great way to encourage intestinal movement, extra dietary moisture and promoting intestinal movement.
🌱 If your horse does still have turnout, be sure to provide adequate forage so that your horse isn't left without food for long periods of time during periods of hard frost or snow.
🦷 Ensure your horse is up to date with dental treatments, horses that have trouble chewing properly may mean that food is not broken down properly which can cause digestive issues or impactions. There are hay replacement options which are fed as a mash which could be an alternative if your horse struggles with long stem forage.
⚠️ Know what is normal for your horse - reduced faecal output or a change in volume or consistency of droppings may indicate a problem.

As always if you have any queries or concerns feel free to contact the office on 01373 310277 or [email protected].

31/12/2024

⚠️⚠️ We are experiencing technical difficulties with our phone lines, if you are unable to get through at any point please email [email protected] with your name and number and one of the team will phone you straight back. We apologise for any inconvenience, please bear with us while we endeavour to get the issue resolved ⚠️⚠️

18/12/2024

✨CHRISTMAS OPENING TIMES✨
Here are our opening hours over the Christmas period, we will be available 24/7 for emergency cover on the usual line, so rest assured that we will be on hand should you need us at any point.
From all of us at Frome Equine Vets we hope you and your equine companions have a wonderful Christmas 🎄🎅

10/12/2024

🎄Christmas is just around the corner 🎄
Make sure to check you have a good supply of any long term medications for over the Christmas period. If you are running low, be sure to request more in plenty of time for us to get them to you.
Prescriptions or medication requests can be done via the phone on 01373 310277 or email [email protected]

04/12/2024

Tips for caring for your older horses 🧡

👀Pay regular close attention - Monitor changes to body condition, attitude and behaviour, keep an eye on changes to their coat and doesn't begin to look dull, curly or thicker than normal, make sure to address these even if they seem minor.
🦷 Up to date dental checks - problems with the teeth can limit the horse's effectiveness when chewing. Fractured teeth, caries (cavities), diastemata and sharp enamel points can all cause discomfort, and subsequently reduce the ability of the horse to eat.
🌱Good nutrition - Advancing years will affect the horses ability to chew and digest, choose feeds that are easily digestible made with quality ingredients. Also ensure to provide quality forage, that is dust free.
🦶 Regular hoof care - Routine visits from the farrier are still key as horses get older even if they are retired to ensure the hooves remain balanced and healthy. Too long between trims can put extra strain on the joints of the leg and exacerbate degenerative conditions such as arthritis.
🐎 Appropriate exercise - Daily turnout is a minimum form of exercise for retired horses, it is essential for gut health and circulation for the horse to move around as much as possible. For horses that are still ridden make sure to monitor your horses ability to carry out the work being asked, keep it regular so they maintain fitness, consider reducing factors such as height of jumps, speed of work and duration of sessions.

If you would like to book in a health check for your older horse to make sure they are in tip top shape going into winter, give the office a call on 01373 310277 or email [email protected]

22/11/2024

Finding time to exercise your horse when the days are shorter can be challenging, Harriet managed to sneak in a ride during her lunch break making use of the lovely facilities we have access to here at Badgers Cross Equestrian 😍.
Obviously Ruby had to be involved too! 🐶❤️
Let us know how you manage to squeeze in riding around work 💬

19/11/2024

🐴 Desensitizing Needle-Shy Horses 🌟

Having a horse that is needle shy can be an extremely stressful and potentially dangerous situation for you as the owner, the horse itself and the vet. Desensitizing needle-shy horses can be hugely rewarding if done carefully and safely, and will make vet visits much less scary for everybody involved.
By gradually exposing them to needles in a positive way, we can ease their fears and ensure safer vet visits. Patience and consistency are key!
It is important to not go straight in to the moment your horse objects but slowly build up to that point. It is also key to ensure that rewards are given at the correct time therefore a clicker can be extremely useful to mark the behaviour, the timing of the reward (such as a treat) is then less vital.
If you do opt to use a clicker you may start by placing a hand on the shoulder, if the horse remains still and relaxed, click and immediately reward with a treat, repeat this several times until the horse associates the click with getting a treat. Once your horse is comfortable you can move further up the neck, to the point where you can pinch some skin and mimic the sensation of a needle with a pen.
It is suggested that 10 repetitions are needed for the horse to have learned, so make sure not to rush and before moving on to the next step build up duration.
Also try and ask a friend to help and perform the same event so the horse remains calm with someone less familiar.
If you do have a needle shy horse please don't be afraid to let us know so we can allocate more time for your appointment and we can try and make the experience as stress free as possible.

Take it slow, use lots of praise and rewards, stay safe and don't be afraid to seek guidance from a professional if needed.

If you don't know where to start with helping your needle shy horse here's a helpful video to give you some pointers -
https://youtu.be/MRAIdnQmzak?si=H8q_PqzEuMMe_aXL

Share your tips and stories below! 💬

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