Well spring is definitely here and summer is on the way. It's this time of year we are getting our horses up to their peak condition and increasing their fitness. Whether you have a happy hacker, a retired friend or you are heading to Bramham next month it's so important to keep all our horses in the right condition all year round. With all horses having such different nutritional and management regimes and requirements, finding the right one for you can often seem like a complete minefield. It's not just about looking good - the right bodyweight is paramount to the health of our horses with conditions such as asthma and arthritis being more common in overweight horses. Now is a great time to try and make some changes as lighter nights mean we can spend more time with our horses and the ground is (usually!) on our side.

I can't remember an Easter as nice as the one we're currently having but the flies have come out with a vengeance! Poor Charlie gets mithered by flies particularly around his head and eyes which means each year I go through the same process of trying to find a fly spray that actually works! One trip to the saddler's and it is very overwhelming the number of options for fly control. I thought it would be useful to give my top tips when choosing a fly repellent and explain some of the most common ingredients so you can have a bit more knowledge when choosing the best for your horses.

Spring is well and truly here and with it we have seen a spike in emergency call outs. This happens every year but the type of emergencies vary depending on the weather and include foalings, colic, laminitis, wounds, lameness, eye injuries and many more. This year in particular we are seeing a higher than average number of laminitis and colic cases. Here's my thoughts on why we see these conditions more in the spring and what you can do to prevent them.

If you’re planning on breeding from your mare this season choosing the right stallion is one of the most important decisions you will have to make. You have no doubt been reading the stallion catalogues, browsing the internet and visiting the many stallion parades around the country to find the perfect match for your mare.

Despite the wild weather over the last few days the nights are drawing out, the daffodils are flowering, and Spring is definitely around the corner, plus the first events of the season are underway. If you’re still planning your 2019 competition season or you’ve got your first event under your belt, make sure you read the following tips to give you the best possible chance of success!

Colic! It's not a surprise really when 1 in 3 of emergency call outs are due to colic, so it really is worth thinking about what you would do in an emergency. Colic can be a devastating thing as it comes on so quickly and the horse may be otherwise very healthy. Luckily 8/10 cases are mild and non-critical and these can be treated by your vet at your yard.

Well we are finally have some frost and even some snow in Yorkshire this week! It's been very cold and the mud seems to be just about everywhere now. Changing conditions make it difficult for the foot to adapt quickly we are seeing a lots of conditions related to the weather such as foot abscesses, hoof wall cracks and thrush.

For everyone who came to our client night in December - you will be aware of how important controlling equine influenza (flu) is - we now have an update for 2019 flu cases: with four UK outbreaks diagnosed already

Some of you may have seen this article recently, for those of you that haven't we would highly recommend having a look as this is