Thistle Equine Referrals

29/09/2025

26/09/2025

Patient Story:

Lily came to us in May'24 to have a right hind lameness investigated. After a physical exam, nerve and joint blocks, and diagnostic imaging, the pain was localised to the stifle joint. Lily had a stifle arthroscopy to look inside the joint and was diagnosed with a meniscotibial ligament tear, she was given a 50% chance of returning to ridden work. Her owner very slowly and cautiously followed a rehabilitation plan, with a couple of set backs including right fore limb lameness requiring corrective farriery, eventually managing to get her back into consistent ridden work. At her most recent visit this month, Lily has returned to competing at dressage and has a win under her belt! This has been a really long journey for Lily and her owner but finally that work is paying off. Well done Team Lily! 🎉

24/09/2025

Patient Update:

You may remember our post from last month about what a difference one cycle of corrective farriery made to this horse. She's now been out competing and won! We love getting these updates, well done! 🎉

23/09/2025

19/09/2025

Don't forget that we can see clients in the north of Scotland too!

18/09/2025

John and Victoria were working at Ayr races today alongside vets and nurses from MBM Vets Equine Avondale Vet Group - Equine Clyde Vet Group Equine Hospital A real team effort from the veterinary and medical professionals.

16/09/2025

Body Condition Scoring is a term that you are probably aware of, but it is the polite term for fat scoring your horse. Similarly to humans, equids being over or under weight brings an increased risk of illness. Generally, people are more shocked by the sight of a skinny horse but a horse being fat can cause life threatening conditions such as laminitis and equine metabolic syndrome. When trying to treat lameness in horses, being overweight can rule out certain treatments. Steroids can cause laminitis, especially in overweight horses, so these can not be injected into a joint of an fat horse. If your horse requires surgery, being obese can cause complications such as problems breathing during the anaesthetic, a myopathy or neuropathy due to the weight being put on the muscles and nerves when lying down, and trouble standing in recovery which can include fractures. There are lots of body condition and fat scoring guides online, World Horse Welfare have lots of helpful advice online: https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/advice/weight-is-your-horse-the-right-weight
If you think you will be biased when scoring your horse, get a friend to do it for you the first time!

12/09/2025

This week John and Victoria are attending the British Equine Veterinary Association congress in Birmingham. This is an annual event that has 3 days of equine lectures for veterinary practice staff. This year John has been invited as a speaker👏👏