Localrider Magazine
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April/May 2018
Interview with Top Trainer & Dressage Rider
04
April/May 2018 • VOLUME XVIII NUMBER 3
Andrew Gould
SHOW REPORTS & NEWS from Across the Region www.localrider.co.uk
We visit the new Sussex Equine Hospital
COVERING KENT, SUSSEX, SURREY, HAMPSHIRE, BERKSHIRE & THE ISLE of WIGHT
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FEATURE Using the bone scanner
One of the purpose-built surfaces used to assess the horse’s movement
Sussex Equine Hospital
The MRI scanner is useful in identifying problems in the soft tissue and bone in the horse’s lower leg
In summer 2017 the Sussex Equine Hospital moved from its original home in Arundel (formerly known as the Arundel Equine Hospital) to a purpose-built site in Ashington, near Pulborough. Fiona Rafferty went along to tour the impressive facilities.
T
he Sussex Equine Hospital was founded in 1951 and since that time has grown to a team of 55 including 20 specialist equine vets, veterinary nurses, grooms, laboratory technicians, pharmacy dispensers and a whole team of administrative staff who help with the smooth running of the busy hospital. Sitting in reception waiting for Ed Lyall BvetMed Cert EM MRCVS, who was going to give me a tour of the facilities, I was surprised at just how busy it was. It was late in the afternoon, so there were horseboxes arriving to collect horses who had been in for the day, while others were being dropped off ready for the next day’s procedures. With each new arrival the large iron gate at the top of the generous car park rolled back automatically before closing and once again securing the premises.
A long-term plan
As we started our tour Ed told me that the new hospital had been a long term plan, originally buying the land, 35 acres and farm buildings, seven years ago. Once planning permission was obtained the site was flattened and it took 17 months from start to completion. What is clear as I start walking with Ed around the site, is the attention to detail that has gone into the planning, not just into the medical facilities, but the stables, the farrier’s box and even the parking bay outside the pharmacy, which is covered over to ensure the vets can load up their cars out of the wind and rain. The mare and foal boxes have been split, so in the case of a sick foal, the foal can be dealt with safely in a padded crate, yet the mare can keep an eye on her foal and when it is safe to do so, a window in the bars can be opened, so that she can put her head through the bars and nuzzle her foal. Equally if the mare is sick, the foal can be kept next to her, yet safely separated. When appropriate the milk will be expressed from the mare and bottle
Betty, the stallion teaser used for collecting semen The hospital also provides a sports horse management service
fed to the foal. There are two long barns each with ten large stables which are used to house both day visitors and those who need to stay a bit longer. Once again, great thought has been given to the design and layout of the stable blocks, with some completely sealed to head height stables, suitable for stallions and colts who like to be nosey. There are bars to the front, so that they can see out.
In isolation
An isolation unit, has been designed specifically for that purpose, so that once the horse is in situ, the stable doors aren’t opened again until the horse has recovered. Entry to the unit for the staff is to the side and leads to a room where the vets and grooms can change into veterinary clothing which can later be disposed of. The unit is stocked with everything one needs to look after the horse including feed and bedding, medical supplies etc. Ed told me that they try to avoid having horses at the hospital with airborne diseases such as strangles, and the isolation unit is commonly used for horses with diarrhoea. Often the diarrhoea occurs as a result of the horse’s immune system becoming overloaded during its time at the hospital. Horses naturally carry e-coli and other bacteria in their digestive tracts and for this reason they need to be kept in isolation if diarrhoea occurs.
Sports horse performance
Outdoor facilities also include a 40m x 20m fenced sand school, a fenced hard surface lunge pen and both a hard and soft trot strip. There is also an indoor trot strip, which can be used in bad weather or at other times when needed. Whilst all these surfaces are perfect for diagnosing lameness, they are also regularly used in the hospital’s routine assessment of horses and sports horse
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performance management. The morning of my visit a local event rider had brought seven horses to be assessed before the start of the season. Knowing the horses are all fit, sound and ready for the season ahead can be a confidence building exercise and it also means that if a horse does start to drop in performance the vet will have a clearer idea of the timeframe within which it has occurred, as well ass being more familiar with that horse’s way of going. Whilst not every horse will warrant a pre-season assessment, it is worth considering talking to your vet if your horse isn’t quite performing to his normal level, even if he isn’t exhibiting any clinical signs of lameness or illness. The Sussex Equine Hospital has a number of very specialist diagnostic tools and the chances are if there is something not quite right with your horse, but you can’t put your finger on it, they will have a way of finding it.
Inside the hospital’s custom-build operating theatre
Nuclear diagnostic
The diagnostic tools include a nuclear scintigraphy suite, which is particularly useful for assessing the back and pelvis, which can be difficult to image using other techniques. It is primarily used to assess bone inflammation and can be used to identify problems such as stress fractures, joint inflammation and subchondral bone cysts etc. For example, if there is a tiny crack in a bone it may not show up on the x-ray, but it should with a scintigraph. The horse will be injected with a bone tracer, which will be taken up by the skeleton over a period of three to four hours. If the bone is damaged it will take up a higher level of the tracer, which will show up during the scan. Once the vets have identified the problem they can decide what treatment to give. It takes 24 hours for the radioactive substance to leave the horse and after that period the horse, its bedding, etc, are totally safe. There is a separate section of stabling for horses which have had bone scans. The MRI scanner can be used on the horse from the hoof to the knee and hock. It provides lots of pictures in slice form across the hoof and lower leg and is used to identify problems in both the bones and soft tissue.
Moving the horse from pretheatre into the operating theatre
Inside one of the stable barns
Custom built theatre
The hospital has a large custom built operating theatre. Horses which are to undergo an operation will be prepped the previous day, unless undergoing emergency surgery. They will be washed and the area to be operated on clipped and then bandaged to keep it as clean as possible. Just before the operation the horse will go into one of two padded stalls, where they will receive an anaesthetic injection. The horse is watched and safely helped to the ground. They are then lifted and moved to the pre-theatre scrub area, where they are cleaned thoroughly, including having their mouths washed out. The main operating theatre is a completely clean area and only vets and staff wearing scrubs and disposable shoe coverings are allowed into this part of the theatre. There is a viewing area should the horse’s owner wish to watch the operation. After the operation the horse is safely returned to one of the padded stalls, where with the help of pulleys and experienced staff, he will be safely helped back to his feet.
Stud work
As we concluded our tour Ed took me past Betty, the stallion teaser, who will be used in the collection of semen, which will then be taken straight to the laboratory to be checked before being sent to various locations both in the UK and Europe. The hospital is experienced in artificial insemination and embryo transfer and a number of straws from leading stallions are kept on site. The team of five stud vets can also help in choosing the right stallion for your mare and once in foal give advice and where necessary treatment, during the mare’s pregnancy. The hospital run a separate on-call rota for the stud vet team, meaning if you need a vet in the middle of the night or at the weekend a stud vet will attend. I thoroughly enjoyed my tour of the Sussex Equine Hospital, learning lots about the treatment of horses, whilst being extremely impressed by the facilities and services they provide. The hospital is holding an Open Day on Saturday 21st April from 10am to 3pm. Full details can be found on their Facebook page. The day will include demonstrations, refreshments and a raffle. I would highly recommend going along to find out more if you can and keep an eye out for various evening lectures being held throughout the year.
The practice has the back up of the RCVS Accredited Hospital.
We have moved to Ashington
Brand-new facilities. Brand-new name. The Arundel Equine Hospital has now changed to Sussex Equine Hospital. Sussex Equine Hospital (RCVS Accredited) is still one of the oldest dedicated equine practices in the UK. A team of 18 experienced equine vets provide both routine and emergency care 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year throughout Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire.
Sussex Equine Hospital Billingshurst Road, Ashington, West Sussex RH20 3BB Sussex Equine Hospital www.sussexequinehospital.co.uk e info@sussexequinehospital.co.uk t 01903 883050
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SUSSEX EQUINE H O S P I T A L -E S T 1951-
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