Linkswood Equine Vets

28/05/2026

An awesome second day being vets at the Suffolk Show (Official) and I know we are horse vets…..BUT…….can we just share this amazing video of a champion pig doing his lap of honour, living his best pig life! It really had us laughing and we hope it makes you smile too!

Fabulous show, awesome organisation, stunning horses, amazing animal handling and demonstration of true farming values, lovely polite competitors, brilliant and patient stewards, obviously a top vet team (shout out to our equine vet colleagues from Paton and Lee Equine Veterinary Surgery and Ryder Davies And Partners Vets equine vets whom it’s been great to catch up with too!)

Sleep is now required but if you were there and have any photos pop them in the comments below!

And yes- I did wave at the pig! 🐷

27/05/2026

Day 1 of the Suffolk Show complete for our vet Carolyn who is enjoying being one of the equine vets on duty for the 1000+ horses there strutting their stuff! Under a perfect blue sky and a lovely breeze, the scurry driving ponies , show jumpers and Welshies have been a favourite (no surprise there!!) ! If you are around please come say hi and if you are competing then please let us know which ring and what time and we would love to come and cheer you on!


suffolkshow

14/05/2026

‼️🦠IMPORTANT - EQUINE INFLUENZA🦠‼️

We are seeing a rising number of cases of equine influenza at the moment across the country, and have diagnosed one within our own client base. Since the beginning of April 2026, there have been 44 laboratory identified outbreaks in the UK but more still being confirmed.

Equine Influenza is an airborne virus and therefore can be spread without direct contact. It is also spread by contact with other horses, handlers, shared equipment, stables and grazing.

Movement of horses is strongly associated with the spread of Equine Influenza and we are encouraging people to be vigilant. High traffic areas like show grounds with many horses travelling across large distances are much higher risk. However, it is important to note that equine influenza virus can spread over several kilometres under suitable conditions and therefore even areas with no horse movement are not risk free- especially if you are in a region with other horses nearby.

We are encouraging owners to assess risk when choosing to move horses between premises, events or venues. Careful monitoring for early clinical signs, maintaining up to date vaccination status, and isolation for new horses is essential for controlling spread of the disease.

🦠What can you do?🦠

• We are recommending as a practice that if your horse is over 6 months from their last vaccination, it would be sensible to booster early. Vaccination is still the most effective way of controlling the spread of influenza virus. 💉
• Monitor closely for early clinical signs: increased temperature (normal 37.5-38.5c), nasal discharge, cough, dullness, inappetence, lethargy, enlarged lymphnodes. If your horse has any of these signs isolate and call us immediately. 🌡
• Consider the risk associated with travel prior to moving your horse.
• Isolate any new horses to the premises.
• Biosecurity between horses is of utmost importance- not sharing equipment, washing hands between handling horses, changing clothes between yards etc.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to call us. If your horse is over 6 months since their last vaccine we would strongly recommend that they are given a booster now and not to wait until 12 months.

12/05/2026

We couldn’t resist sharing gorgeous young horse Finn on his first outing since being backed, posing very beautifully beside one of our banners! 🐴😁

Finn saw Emma today for his routine dental and was having such a lovely snooze that he didn’t even notice the vet had arrived! 😴

Thank you to Finn’s owner for letting us share, he is such a lovely horse with a very bright future ahead of him, and we’re very excited to be looking after him on his journey! 🫶

09/05/2026

Hello! We hope you are enjoying this sunny Saturday. We have had a phone call about a Shetland that has been found in Glemsford. It is safe, but if the owner would like to make contact we can put you in touch with the people that have it. Proof of ownership will be required. Many thanks. Unrelated picture so we are noticed!

04/05/2026

How do your vets like to spend a bank Holiday Monday? Torturing ourselves by running 🏃🏼‍♀️ 🤪

THANK YOU to all you amazing people who have donated so far, we are nearly at £1000 now and would love to reach and pass this if we can! Please share far and wide and thank you ALL for your support 🌟

https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/team/linkswood-equine-vets

02/05/2026

🌟Veterinary Nurse Awarenenss Month🌟

May is a special month in the veterinary industry, because it is time to celebrate and appreciate our nurses. Most of you will be familiar with the warming voices of Hailey and Eyrin on the phones, and their beautiful smiling faces when they are caring for your horses in our clinic and out on yards.

These two woman are the backbone of our practice. Quite simply, Linkswood Equine Vets would not function without them! Us vets would not be able to do the jobs we do without Hailey and Eyrin alongside us. Whether it be lameness, x-rays, colics, gastroscopes, prescriptions, worm egg counts... you name it, these women are involved (even when you don't always see them!)

⭐️ Hailey Harvey REVN and Practice Director has got more years of nursing under her belt than she would like me to publicly say, and what she doesn't know about being a nurse isn't worth knowing! Her dedication to her job is astounding, her patient care is exceptional, and her clinical skills are frankly better than us vets most of the time. She is a mind reader and has things prepped that we haven't yet asked for, will have anticipated and packed for what the vet hadn't even realised they might need prior to a visit, and will somehow produce anything required as if by magic when asked. Hailey has a remarkable calm about her and even the most anxious horses settle when she's handling them. Her secret weapon of polos works wonders, but her gentle demeanour and soothing conversation with the patients makes their experience in the vets as pleasant as it can be. She has the patience of a saint, and the running joke of her magic hands fixing the horses is no lie. Anytime of day or night, Hails will jump into action with 110% enthusiasm and put her absolute all into the task at hand- even if this means a poo dance at midnight- she will fire me if I dare provide evidence of this, but I promise it is incredible! Not only is Hails the most brilliant nurse, but she is also a truly wonderful human who lights up every room she walks into. Veterinary has good days and bad days, and on those harder days, having someone like her around is what keeps us going. She is a natural comedian and her giggling personality is infectious. She is a very modest person and will squirm when reading this, but we are so blessed to have her as part of our lives and Linkswood team. This incredible woman is an amazing nurse, boss, director, Mum and friend and does not give herself credit for just how inspirational she is. Her protégé, Eyrin, really does have the best mentor in the world.

⭐️ Eyrin Griggs SEVN is now officially a student equine veterinary nurse, and we are immensely proud of her putting the hours into getting her qualification. Eyrin is a fantastic horsewoman and this is proven by the patients when they are with her- I have lost count of the number of times a client has said their horse doesn't lunge and Eyrin has it calmly trotting and cantering around before they can finish the sentence! She is an exceptionally fast learner and naturally skilled for this profession- and regularly shows up the vet she is working with when she can find a vein and they can't. Gastroscopy is her secret talent, there is no pyrlorus too hidden for this girl to drive to! She is an absolute machine at tidying the choas us vets create and keeping the yards and clinic spotless for examinations. Her inpatient care is amazing, and no task is ever too big an ask. She puts her absolute all into everything she does and impresses us every single day. This includes in car entertainment on visits- there is never a journey with her that doesn't end in hysterical laughter! Eyrin also has the future-sight like her mentor and will frequently be 10 steps ahead of the vets, patiently waiting for us to catch up to where she has prepped us and the patient to! Hails is a living legend but it would be fair to say she is now sharing her podium- in her own words "Eyrin is my right arm and I cannot do without her".

Both these incredible women deserve to be told just how amazing they are, as neither of them will ever say it themselves. As a practice we would be completely lost without them, both as nurses and friends, and they make going to work something to look forward to every morning, come rain or shine. We love you both dearly and feel immensely lucky to have you by our sides every day ❤️

Please join us in saying an enormous THANK YOU to Hailey and Eyrin for everything they do- your horses would surely say it if they could! 🥳

01/05/2026

🥳WE ARE HOLDING A FOOT BALANCE CLINIC on the 1st of June 2026 here at the practice 🥳
We’re excited to offer a dedicated Foot Balance Clinic designed to support your horse’s long-term soundness and performance.

Why is foot balance so important?
🐎Correct foot balance plays a vital role in your horse’s overall health. Imbalances in the hoof can lead to uneven weight distribution, strain on joints and soft tissues, reduced performance, and even long-term lameness issues. Regular assessment helps detect problems early and supports better collaboration between your vet and farrier.

What’s included?
✔Annotated radiographs or either just front or all four feet.
✔ Sedation included if needed
✔ A detailed report by our vet Ben Tench
✔ Annotated images sent directly to your farrier
✔ Nurses fee included

🐎Clinic Pricing (Special Offer):
• 2x radiographs of front feet: £200 (normally £349.57)
• 2x radiographs of all four feet: £250 (normally £495.57)

Important Information:
• A minimum of 3 bookings is required for the clinic to go ahead
• No set-up fee will be charged if more than 3 bookings are secured

•Payment required at time of booking to reserve space.

If you are interested in taking part in our clinic please call us on: 01787383171 or email us on: [email protected]

28/04/2026

Why our team is about to train and run for Cancer Research RACE FOR LIFE
“Pretty muddy version”

🐎 Mud? We were born in it. Raised in it.

So when our team signed up for the Pretty Muddy Race for Life, it felt… on brand.

As horse vets, we spend our days knee-deep in fields and perfecting the art of staying upright in conditions that would defeat most humans in under 3 seconds. So yes — we’re ready for the mud. The mud is ready for us.

But this one means more to us than just getting filthy for a laugh.

We’re running for someone who IS Linkswood equine vets.

Our friend. One of our bosses. The backbone of this practice. The best nurse and the calm in the chaos, the voice of reason, the one who somehow keeps everything (and everyone) going — even when things get tough.

And she will hate the public shout out but it’s an important one, so here goes!!. (Sorry Hails!) (she’s so revoking my social media access after this!)

Recently our amazing Hailey has been signed off after battling malignant melanoma- it’s taken 7 years to get signed off, and it’s finally happened…. And if you know her, you’ll know she’s faced those years with the same strength, grit, and quiet determination she brings to everything she does.

During those 7 years she’s had major surgery, chemo, battled and fought for her health, had a 2nd child, opened a business and has never wavered in her commitment to her family or her work. Why do things by half hey? …….but she is now signed off thanks to ground breaking treatment she received!

So, in what can only be described as a questionable life goal, a muddy race has been firmly sitting on Hail’s bucket list for quite some time. Because apparently, spending every working day covered in mud just isn’t enough — she wanted to pay money to do it recreationally.

So really, this is all her fault. We’re just supporting her dreams (and questioning our own decision-making along the way) and what better way than raising money for Cancer Research?!

This race is for her and for all those we know who are fighting their corner with the same strength.

So yes, we’ll be covered in mud. Yes, we’ll probably regret our life choices halfway round. And yes, there’s a strong chance at least one of us will fall over spectacularly.
But every step is for something that matters far more than a bit of dirt.

If you’d like to support us (or just enjoy the mental image of a group of horse vets and nurses voluntarily throwing themselves into even more mud), we’d be incredibly grateful.

A solid 50% of us are not runners — unless you count sprinting after a loose horse or power-walking towards a kettle. So expect more of a determined shuffle, occasional wheezing, and a lot of encouragement shouted between mouthfuls of mud.

And before she fires me, I would add this in: Hails is a tough bird but she’s not exactly an over-sharer and will be mortified about this all…..so pretty please, if you see her, chat about your horse, not her! She wants to fund raise but not be in the spotlight!

Please help us fundraise by donating generously 💕

We know times are tough, but this is such a worthy cause!

Cancer is happening right now, which is why I'm taking part in a Race for Life to raise money and save lives. 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Every single pound you donate makes a difference to Cancer Research UK’s groundbreaking work.

27/04/2026

🥰 A wonderful story for a Monday 🥰

What really makes our jobs worthwhile is making our patients better. Lottie has been a complicated case since we first saw her and her lovely owner Jodie has just spent a weekend away with Lottie, something we weren't sure she would be able to do again a few months ago! Jodie sent us these lovely photos and put some words together about her experience with Linkswood Equine Vets...

"I’ve just come back from a long weekend spent with my horse, and we were lucky enough to enjoy some beautiful canters through the forest, moments like that don’t feel taken for granted anymore.

This journey really wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support from the team at Linkwood. I originally moved there from a larger practice when my concerns about Lottie having ulcers weren’t being heard. From the very first meeting, Carolyn was understanding, empathetic, and willing to dig deeper into what was really going on. Thanks to her, we were able to diagnose and treat Lottie’s ulcers, as well as uncover a few underlying issues.

Not long after, Kita joined the practice and took over the reins in Lottie’s care (excuse the pun). Since then, she has been consistently supportive, honest, and always there when things haven’t gone to plan and there have been a few of those moments. I’m so grateful to her, she’s a truly amazing vet with such genuine passion for what she does.

Last December was one of the hardest. Lottie collapsed in the field and needed respiratory surgery. I remember sitting there beside her, in tears, hoping she’d pull through.

Now, nearly six months on, she’s back out hacking and doing what she loves, what we both love.

I’m so grateful for the care, dedication, and support we have received from such an amazing team at Linkwood Vets. I truly don’t think we’d be here without them. 😍"