MBG Equine Vets

MBG Equine Vets We are the Equine team of a mixed vet practice based in Droitwitch.

Feeding horses prone to laminitis:The summer grazing season has begun in earnest. Many of our clients have changed from ...
15/06/2026

Feeding horses prone to laminitis:
The summer grazing season has begun in earnest. Many of our clients have changed from winter to summer grazing and the fields are well covered this year.
Sunshine means more photosynthesis which means more sugar production by the grass. After rainfall, short new growths can be very rich, and your horse is likely to notice them before you do! Mature grass that has been topped or not gone to seed is higher in fibre and lower in sugar than young grass but can still be problematic if your horse eats too much.
Limiting grazing and increasing exercise to improve metabolism can be key in reducing the risk of laminitis.
Grazing muzzles are a great way to reduce grass intake whilst still allowing your horse or pony to go out and socialise, but they need to be checked regularly to make sure they stay on without causing rubbing and discomfort to the face. Using track systems or strip grazing can help to limit grass intake even if you can’t get your horse or pony to keep a muzzle on.
If your horse needs to come off the grass to manage their weight and laminitis risk aim to give them 1.5% of their bodyweight in hay over 24hrs. Soaking the hay for around 3 hours will reduce the sugar content, just be careful about where you dispose of your very sugary wastewater! Split the hay between several small-holed nets and place it in different areas to slow down consumption.
If your horse cannot go on grazing for a prolonged time, they may benefit from a good quality balancer to maintain normal nutrient balance.
Our team is always happy to discuss management with you if you would like further advice on diet for laminitis prone horses.

Some of you will be well clued up on the signs of laminitis and be able to recognise early on if your horse seems a bit ...
08/06/2026

Some of you will be well clued up on the signs of laminitis and be able to recognise early on if your horse seems a bit ‘footy’. However, if your horse hasn’t suffered from laminitis before or has a more unusual presentation such as hindlimb laminitis the symptoms can be trickier to recognise.
The main symptom is lameness. This isn’t necessarily obvious in all cases and may be as mild as a slight reluctance to trot, increased tripping or a shortened stride on the turn. In severe cases it can develop into a ‘sawhorse stance’ where the horse tries to take weight off the affected feet or needing to lie down for prolonged periods of time.
You may notice your horse shifting weight between legs as they rest.

Most (but not all) horses suffering from laminitis will have an increased digital pulse in the feet affected. The hoof can feel hot to the touch and as you run tour hand up the side of the leg you may be able to feel the blood vessels as the run over the inside or outside of the fetlock with your fingers. It can be difficult to feel pulses in breeds with thicker skin or feathers.
Your horse will be reluctant to stand on the affected limbs, trying to pick up other legs for a few minutes can give you an idea of your horse’s pain level, especially if you are struggling to find a digital pulse.
Early treatment with anti-inflammatories can reduce the severity and length of a laminitis episode.
🤳 If you think your horse may be suffering from laminitis, please call the office on 01905 773262.

Whilst there has only been 1 confirmed case of equine flu in Worcestershire in the last month, there have been 45 outbre...
05/06/2026

Whilst there has only been 1 confirmed case of equine flu in Worcestershire in the last month, there have been 45 outbreaks of flu reported in the last 4 weeks across the country.
Clinical Signs of Flu:
🤧Nasal discharge
😮‍💨Coughing - dry/harsh/hacking
🤒Fever (≥38.5 C)
🫩Lethargy/poor performance
🤢Loss of appetite
Horses with flu can infect others for 10 days after symptoms start through coughing.

Reducing your risk:
💉 Vaccination reduces likelihood of infection, severity of clinical signs and risk of spread to other horses, if your horse is at high risk consider a booster at 6months this year.
🐴 Isolation of any new horses for at least 2 weeks, ideally 3
🐴Isolation of any horses who are showing any clinical signs at least 25m away from healthy horses.
🧼 Washing hands between horses and keeping rugs, equipment and feed buckets separate.
💧Never share water or equipment at shows and disinfect transport and equipment when you return.
What to do if you suspect Flu:
☎ Call the office on 01905773262 to book a visit, let us know your horse may have flu so we can take precautions to reduce spread.
⛔ Stop all movements on and off the yard until 10 days after all symptoms have stopped.
🌡Monitor all horses on the yard for clinical signs and record their re**al temperatures daily; they should be less than 38.5° C
💉Booster vaccinate all in-contacts if it’s more than than six months since their last vaccine, this has been shown to provide horses with better protection against flu.

🥇 Exciting News! 🥇 We would like to congratulate Anne on her recent award. 🏆 She is the proud recipient of The Ray Willi...
03/06/2026

🥇 Exciting News! 🥇
We would like to congratulate Anne on her recent award. 🏆
She is the proud recipient of The Ray Williamson Award.
This is a prestigious accolade presented by the Association of Racecourse Veterinary Surgeons (ARVS) to honor individuals for outstanding services and lifelong contributions to racehorse welfare and the British horse racing.
Well done Anne and much deserved!!
🏆

25/05/2026

Feeling the heat this long weekend?
Remember to protect yourself and your horse in the warm weather, sun cream, shade and lots of water is really important this week!

it’s going to be VERY HOT 🥵
DO… apply sun cream to pink skin like the muzzle, horses get sun burned too!
DO…provide several sources of water

DO…give them access to shade and if you have them ,fans!

DO…add water and salt to feeds, this will increase water intake and reduce the chance of colic

DO…soak hay nets

DO…Use cold water to hose your horse off if they seem warm, evaporating water will help them cool down

DON’T… Soak rugs with water, the water in the rug will become trapped and warm up. Midges need water to hatch and a breeze to fly so if you can no fly rugs are best today!

DON’T… Transport your horse unless absolutely necessary, it’s illegal for commercial horse transporters to move horses in temperatures over 30’ C without air conditioning.

DON’T… exercise your horse until temperatures have dropped

DON’T… Hesitate to call your vet if you’re concerned about your horse!

DO…give your vet and yourself some water if you see them in the hot weather, we need to stay cool and hydrated too!! 😎🧊

We’ve been busy doing lots of castrates this spring! Why Castrate?We castrate c**ts and stallions to make them easier t...
25/05/2026

We’ve been busy doing lots of castrates this spring!

Why Castrate?
We castrate c**ts and stallions to make them easier to handle, enable them to be kept with other horses and to prevent the risk of any unwanted pregnancies.

When Should we Castrate?
Spring or autumn are our preferred times to perform castrations to avoid summer flies and the winter mud, if you're currently considering castration we would , if possible, recommend waiting until temperatures drop in the autumn.

Most c**ts are castrated at about 1 year old although they may be sexually mature from 9 months old onwards. We can castrate c**ts earlier but both testicles need to have descended and should be easily palpable.
Stallions over 4 years old have a more developed blood supply and may require referral to an equine hospital as the surgery has a higher risk rate.
Donkies also have a higher risk rate for castration than horses so can benefit from referral, particularly if they are mature.

How are castrates done?
We perform most of our castrates standing with the c**t well sedated, the best place to do this is within a clean, well-lit stable or barn although we can do it in a small paddock.

Local anaesthetic is placed into the area on both sides and both testicles and associated structures are surgically removed through incisions into the scrotal sac which are left open to allow drainage. The blood vessels and other structures are crushed at the same time as they are cut which helps to stop bleeding.
As with all veterinary procedures there are risks associated with castration. We will discuss these with you in detail if you book in your horse for castration.

How should a horse be managed after castration?
Following castration we recommend keeping the horse confined for at least 12 hours so they are easy to monitor and not tempted to do too much running about but after that we recommend letting them move around outside in a paddock to reduce swelling. They should be kept away from mares and fillies for a further 8 weeks following the surgery as they can still be fertile and show stallion like behaviour during this time.

Warm weather makes the perfect environment for flies to flourish. Lots of flies mean we are seeing more conjunctivitis ...
18/05/2026

Warm weather makes the perfect environment for flies to flourish. Lots of flies mean we are seeing more conjunctivitis this year.
Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the tissue surrounding the globe of the eye, it can be caused by irritation due to bacterial growth spread between horses by contact with infected eye fluid from rubbing faces or pesky flies. Horses will usually come in with a closed eye, redness around the eye and increased creamy or crusty discharge.

It can be tempting to treat this problem by yourself by bathing the eye, however if an infection has taken hold bathing alone will not be sufficient and if your horse is holding his eye shut it means that they would benefit from some pain relief! Another reason to get eye issues checked quickly is that if your horse is rubbing their face more due to conjunctivitis they are much more likely to get an ulcer on the surface of their eye which needs careful monitoring and treatment to prevent long term damage to the surface of the eye.

There are several eye problems can cause your horse to hold their eye shut and a careful exam is needed to work out which treatment is appropriate for your horse. For this reason please don’t start your horse on any medication left over from any previous eye treatment before your vet has checked it.

Comment below if you want more posts on eye problems

After talking about strangles last week and with the rising numbers of equine flu cases in the country we wanted to talk...
11/05/2026

After talking about strangles last week and with the rising numbers of equine flu cases in the country we wanted to talk about how you can protect your horses.

As the weathers getting warmer there are more opportunities to take your horses out and about; to shows, fun rides and other events. Whilst you’re having fun remember to take a few steps to make sure you’re not taking anything other than rosettes home with you.

Strangles, flu, herpes virus and other infections can all be unknowingly picked up whilst out and about over the summer.

💉 Vaccinate your horse! Vaccines reduce the severity of symptoms and the likelihood of spreading disease.
🐴 Keep new horses separate (so that they cannot touch noses at all with any current horses) for at least 2 weeks after they arrive, this will give a chance for any infections to breakout without risking spreading them to their new friends. This is also the best time to worm them!
🙅‍♂ Don’t touch other people’s horses whilst out at an event and don’t let other people handle your horses – if you really want to stroke a cute pony when you’re out remember to wash your hands well before handling your horse again.
💧 Take your own water and feed buckets with you and don’t let other horses drink your water. Shared water troughs are a big risk when it comes to picking up viruses.
🧼 Wash your lorry/ trailer when you get home.
🌡 Check your horse’s temperature regularly. This is our earliest indicator of disease. Normal temperature shouldn’t be above 38.5C. If your horse’s temperature is high, then do not take them out and contact your vet.
🤳Go to https://www.bhs.org.uk/horse-care-and-welfare/health-care-management/horse-health/disease-prevention/ for more information

Strangles Awareness Week 2026 has been amazing! Once again, there has been fantastic activity both on and offline. By po...
10/05/2026

Strangles Awareness Week 2026 has been amazing! Once again, there has been fantastic activity both on and offline. By posting, sharing, liking, attending events and asking questions we really are spreading the word, not the disease.

As cases of Strangles continue to affect horses and owners all over the country, giving horses the BEST protection is more important than ever. SAW26 may be drawing to a close, but the threat of infectious disease sadly isn’t. By working together, we really can turn the tide on Strangles.

Because every horse can get Strangles, and every person can make a difference

Did you know that Strangles can survive on clothing, equipment or the sole of a boot? Today, SAW shares some simple step...
09/05/2026

Did you know that Strangles can survive on clothing, equipment or the sole of a boot? Today, SAW shares some simple steps that can help stop unwelcome bacteria hitching a ride with very welcome yard visitors!

Address

MBG Veterinary Surgeons, Dodderhill Court
Droitwich
WR90BE

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 6pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 6pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 6pm
Thursday 8:30am - 6pm
Friday 8:30am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 1pm

Telephone

+441905773262

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