Equine vets up and running and looking after horses all over Craven

Colic, basically stomach ache, can usually be sorted with the horse version of IBS drugs, but can in more serious cases require complicated, specialist surgery and lengthy aftercare.

Horses are flight animals and in the process of running off from the 'bears', 'wolves' and other unmentionable terrors lurking in their fields, can run into barbed wire, get tied up in electric fencing or caught on wooden post and rail.

The resulting injuries, which can be minor, can also be horrific, requiring surgery, box rest and long rehabilitation.

Lameness can be particularly difficult - and not only to diagnose the cause. Slight lameness may go unnoticed for some time by the owner and only detectable when it gets a real problem . Once it is detected, it's a case of finding the exact problem area, which may well take very long and involved procedures such as isolating and testing parts of the leg.

Then there is the complicated business of buying a horse, making sure it is the right one for you, and whether it has any health issues.

One potential buyer may well be able to cope with a sarcoid - an equine skin tumour - while another may not, and an older rider may well be happy with a horse with slight arthritis because of the amount of work they plan to do with it.

Which is why the impartial advice of an expert is invaluable - after all, we may well fall in love with the very handsome five year old thoroughbred, but is it really right for us?

For Craven horse owners, calling a vet out has become much simpler. In the last few weeks, Dalehead Vets, based at Rathmell, has joined with the Westmorland Veterinary Group to create North West Equine Vets.

The new practice has eight vets, based at either Kirby Lonsdale or Rathmell, is entirely dedicated to the care of horses, ponies and donkeys, and operates a 24 hour, seven days a week service.

The administrative base of the practice is at Rathmell, where the well equipped examination room, trot up area, outdoor arena and operating theatre will be in regular use.

The practice also has at its disposal, the therapeutic facilities of next door Horses Health Farm, with its hydrotherapy pool, heat treatment and horse walker.

A smaller clinic is also available at Kirkby Lonsdale for routine diagnostics and more minor surgical procedures, while more complicated, specialist surgery is referred to the equine hospital at Liverpool University.

Paul Smith, one of the directors and formerly of Westmorland Vets, said the new practice would provide the very best veterinary care to owners throughout North Lancashire, south Cumbria and Craven - stretching all the way to Keighley.

"Two dedicated equine vets will be on call around the clock with the aim of providing superb response times for emergencies," he says.

Paul, whose features on horse ailments and conditions have appeared in equestrian journals, has treated all types of horses and ponies from show ponies and sport horses to donkeys and much loved family pets.

And the range of ailments and injuries range from laminitis - where understanding of the condition is developing all the time, and grass sickness to colic, lameness and problems caused by diet.

Laminitis, a potentially crippling and fatal condition, is a kind of diabetes for horses, which has traditionally been thought to effect smaller ponies prone to overweight.

But it can effect all horses and by finding out whether your horse could be susceptible, the right diet could help avoid the condition.

The practice will also be offering equine skills courses at Rathmell. The practical workshop courses for horse owners will cover vital topics such as first aid, equine behaviour, foot care, in addition to feeding fundamentals.

Catherine Speakman, one of the directors, said: "We will be hitting the ground running, and are completely committed to providing a high standard of service top all our clients, old and new."

Practice manager, Nicola Wainwright added: "We hope that this exciting development will allow the new equine only practice to strengthen our core services while expanding our capacity for more specialist diagnostic techniques. The necessary expertise will be retained in house providing a wonderful platform for growth."

North West Equine Vets is also part of the collaborative member organisation, XLEquine.

"Having been a member with our previous practice since the creation of XLEquine, I know what can be achieved in terms of approved practice efficiencies, skills enhance and training opportunities, and client satisfaction and loyalty," said Paul.

"As a new business, we see joining the membership as an important part of becoming established as a top equine practice. It's essential to develop a profitable, efficient business that delivers the highest level of client care, and we believe that joining XLEquine will help us to achieve this."

XLEquine business manager, Dr Emma Batson, said: "We are thrilled that a progressive practice such as North West Equine has joined the group as we know they will bring as much to the membership as they benefit from it, so its a win win for everyone."