Coleshill Heath Riding Club

05/01/2026

⭐⭐ Monthly Theme Continued - Signs of Gastric Ulceration ⭐⭐

Gastric ulcer disease in horses can present in a wide variety of ways:

- Girthiness or grumpiness
- Resentment of being groomed
- Reluctance to work
- Unwillingness to jump
- General reduction in performance
- Reduction in appetite
- Weight loss
- Poor hair coat
- Tooth grinding
- Colic signs (a rare symptom)
- Subtle non-specific signs ‘just not quite themselves’

We also find that if we gastroscope horses with no perceived problem as part of a pre-season ‘fitness to work’ routine examination, that significant ulcers may be present. If we treat these horses, it is often then reported that their level of performance increases. EGUS may therefore be performance limiting without resulting in any specific clinical signs, even in horses and ponies considered to be working well.

Large scale studies have concluded that gastric ulcer disease is present in up to 90% percent of performance horses and more than 50% of ponies, affecting all ages, breeds and types and horses and ponies living under all management systems.

Foals are also prone to gastric ulcers and signs in foals and youngstock can be much more severe, including signs of colic, excess salivation, tooth grinding, reduced nursing and diarrhoea.

Next Monday we will look into Gastrosopy.

If you have any concerns regarding your horse or pony, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our experienced equine vets to discuss. We are available for free telephone consultations whenever you need us. Call the practice on 01295 670501.

02/01/2026

⭐⭐ Practice Standards Inspection completed ⭐⭐

We recently had our Practice Standards inspection and we passed with flying colours!! We are once again an approved and accredited practice.

The RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) is a voluntary initiative to accredit veterinary practices in the UK. The scheme aims to promote and maintain the highest standards of veterinary care, with inspections every 3-4 years. It's a fairly gruelling process with every area of the business reviewed and was a huge team effort. A huge thank you to our amazing staff for all their hard work.

We are open to new registrations so please give us a call or register via our website - www.avonvaleequine.co.uk.

01/01/2026

⭐⭐ New Monthly Theme – Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome ⭐⭐

This month we are going to share a few insights into the much-discussed topic of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS).

We will look at the potential symptoms to look out for, what the process of gastroscopy entails, different types of ulceration and their treatment, and management regimes aimed at reducing the risk of recurrence of ulceration.

Look out for our first post next Monday!

31/12/2025

22/12/2025

⭐⭐ Monthly Theme continued - Winter Management ⭐⭐

Worming Control

Worming your horse in the winter can be very important to specifically target small redworm larvae and tapeworm. Neither of these two parasites can be detected via the routine faecal worm egg count.

Parasitic worms have the potential to affect the health and well-being of horses and ponies of all ages, and cause a variety of problems, which may include:

• Irreversible damage to the gut and other organs
• Poor body condition, weight loss or poor growth
• Colic
• Scouring

Small redworm larvae are internal parasites that hibernates within the horse’s gut wall in small cysts. Tapeworm are wide and flat, and reside at a narrow junction between the small and large intestine. They are commonly associated with intestinal blockage, condition loss, colic if the horse has a large burden.

A targeted worming programme is vital for our horses; therefore, we recommend carrying out a tapeworm saliva test in the winter to determine whether or not your horse needs to be treated for tapeworm.

Only wormers containing the active ingredient Moxidectin are effective against encysted redworm and wormers containing praziquantel that are effective against tapeworm should be administered late in the grazing season (usually after the first frost) so that reinfection on the horse’s pasture is minimised. Lately we have noticed an increase of drug resistance to wormer, therefore it is crucial to have a good worming program in place. This should include regular worm egg counts and the correct use of appropriate wormers in addition to the tapeworm saliva test mentioned above.

See our website for more information on our annual worming package - https://www.avonvaleequine.co.uk/our-services/routine-healthcare/

16/12/2025

15/12/2025

⭐⭐ Monthly Theme continued - Winter Management ⭐⭐

Water Supply and Nutrition

The amount a horse should be fed depends on the time of year, age and condition of the horse, workload and quality of feed. During winter episodes of colic and muscle disorders (such as ‘tying up’) are more frequent due to changes in diet, exercise and management. Fibre is essential to maintain normal gastrointestinal function and many nutritionists recommend feeding a prebiotic daily to horses that are susceptible to colic.

Good quality hay or haylage should be fed at regular intervals when there is little grass to pick at in the paddock, or during prolonged periods in the stable. Ensuring your horse has access to adequate good quality forage (grass, hay or haylage) is essential, not only to maintain energy levels but the process of digesting forage produces a lot of heat so will help keep him warm. To alleviate boredom in stabled horses, forage can be fed in small-hole hay-nets or double hay-nets to encourage them to eat more slowly.

Please do not increase their hard feed during winter as this could lead to obesity or conditions such as laminitis and colic.

Older horses may require extra care, with a joint supplement or additional rugs and feed if they are not getting sufficient exercise, are feeling the cold or losing weight.

All horses should be exercised and spend time out of the stable every day. During exercise, ensure that you ‘warm up’ and ‘warm down’ your horses’ muscles correctly – this is more important during the winter months. If you horse sweats during exercise, cool it down correctly with warm water or hot towels and then dry it off use an appropriate wicking rug to wick away any excess moisture and prevent chills.

Ensure your horse has access to a good supply of clean, fresh water at all times – if minus temperatures are forecast, fill up water buckets and keep them in the tack or feed room overnight so you don’t have to worry immediately about frozen taps and pipes in the morning. Putting a ball in the field water trough can prevent it from freezing solid.

15/12/2025