If you are looking to book a cat vaccination, please be aware that there is an ongoing shortage of some cat vaccines affecting all UK Veterinary practices. Find out more here.

Services for Equine

Pilgrims is a countryside vets and one of our main services is treating horses, ponies and donkeys. We have a dedicated equine vet with nearly 20 years experience of practice, as well as a team of knowledgeable and experienced equine support staff.

We can visit you at your premises in Dorset or the New Forest, and our modern diagnostic and surgical equipment is all mobile and top-of-the-range.

  • Equine Emergency Care
  • Equine Health Check
  • Equine Rounds Visits
  • Equine Surgery
  • Equine Vettings
  • Lameness Investigation
  • Routine & Advanced Equine Dentistry

Equine Emergency Care

You can access our emergency equine care service for clients by calling us on 01424 656600 out of hours

At Pilgrims Veterinary Practice, we’re on call for you and your horse or pony day and night. Rest assured that when your animal needs emergency attention after working hours, you will see the same Pilgrims veterinary team that treat them during the day.

For Pilgrims’ equine owners, we can come to your stables to minimise the stress on your horse or pony when they are unwell. 

We want to be here for you and your animals during those critical and stressful times, 24/7, 365 days a year.

Concerned about your horse or pony? Get in touch right away

If you have any concerns that your horse or pony might need to see a vet out of hours, or want advice, phone the normal Pilgrims Blissford Practice number on 01425 657700 and follow the instructions, where you’ll be diverted directly to the on-call vet’s work mobile.

Please remember, if the duty vet is not immediately available to pick up the phone, leave a clear message with your phone number, send a text or retry in 5 minutes.

Equine Health Check

Preventative healh care is a vital aspect of keeping a horse or pony.

Routine visits for equine vaccinations are an important part of preventative health care, as are having regular health checks so that any issues can be spotted and dealt with early.

During an equine health check with a vet, our experienced team can also offer advice on diet, worming programmes, dental issues, and any other healthcare concerns you may have. 

At Pilgrims Veterinary Practice, our vets are able to visit your horse or pony anywhere in the Dorset and New Forest area. If 4 or more horses are seen at the same yard, the visit is FREE.

We recommend that all horses and ponies are vaccinated against influenza and tetanus routinely.

As well as equine health checks, Pilgrims Vets in the New Forest can provide you with the below equine services:

  • Equine Vettings to help you purchase the right horse or pony for you
  • Rounds Visits to provide fundamental health care
  • Lameness Investigation is common for our experienced equine team
  • Routine & Advanced Dentistry from basic rasping to extractions
  • Equine Surgery for routine and more complex procedures
  • We provide Emergency Equine Care for our clients

Equine Rounds Visits

Looking for affordable health care at your premises?

Fundamental preventative health care for horses and ponies should be made affordable and our vets focus this work in different areas on different days to give you discounted visits.

Our experienced team conduct rounds visits that cover equine vaccinations, dentistry, bandage changes and prescription checks for your horse or pony.

Monday – Fordingbridge area

Tuesday – Downton area

Wednesday – Verwood area

Thursday – Cranborne area

Friday – Ringwood area

The cost of Rounds Visits is £22 per visit.

If 4 or more horses or ponies are seen at the same yard, the Rounds visit is FREE of charge.

  • Pilgrims Vets in the New Forest can provide you with the below equine services:
  • Equine Vettings to help you purchase the right horse or pony for you
  • Routine & Advanced Dentistry from basic rasping to extractions
  • Lameness Investigation is common for our experienced equine team
  • Regular Equine Health Checks are important when keeping a horse or pony
  • Equine Surgery for routine and more complex procedures
  • We provide Emergency Equine Care for our clients

Equine Surgery

Equine surgical procedures include castrations, lump removals and wound closures.

Many routine procedures can be performed on your premises, anywhere in the Dorset or New Forest area. Our vets at Pilgrims perform these surgeries on a regular basis, and will be happy to come out to assess your horse, pony or donkey for surgery.

Standing sedation vs general anaesthetic

Horse and pony castrations, lump removals and wound closures can usually be performed under standing sedation. This depends on the procedure and also the temperament of the animal. In some cases, a short general anaesthetic is used, especially in more detailed surgical situations, such as with donkey castrations.

Horse colic surgery

Colic is the most common cause of premature death in domesticated horses. Major abdominal surgery is normally required to treat colic. Talk to our team about the cost of colic surgery for your horse.

As well as equine surgery, Pilgrims Vets in the New Forest can provide you with the below equine services:

  • Equine Vettings to help you purchase the right horse or pony for you
  • Rounds Visits to provide fundamental health care
  • Routine & Advanced Dentistry from basic rasping to extractions
  • Regular Equine Health Checks are important when keeping a horse or pony
  • Lameness Investigation is common for our experienced equine team
  • We provide Emergency Equine Care for our clients

Equine Vettings

Our experienced equine veterinary team can help you with horse & pony vetting and practical advice.

Purchasing a new horse or pony can be a daunting decision. Pilgrims Vets’ experienced equine team are available to help you make the decision and reduce potential risks around purchasing a new companion.

A horse vetting, or pre-purchase examination, is a thorough assessment of the animal which follows RCVS guidelines, and after which we can provide the best practical advice on whether the horse is fit for purchase and suitable for your specific needs.

A standard Horse Vetting usually involves 5 stages:

  • Stage 1 – Preliminary examination
  • Stage 2 – Trotting up
  • Stage 3 – Strenuous exercise
  • Stage 4 – A period of rest
  • Stage 5 – The second trot and foot examination

In many cases, a 2 stage Pony or Horse Vetting is requested, in which case stages 3-5 are omitted, with acknowledgment of the limitations in doing so.

Once you have purchased your horse, Pilgrims Vets in the New Forest can provide you with the below equine services:

  • Rounds Visits to provide fundamental health care
  • Routine & Advanced Dentistry from basic rasping to extractions
  • Lameness Investigation is common for our experienced equine team
  • Regular Equine Health Checks are important when keeping a horse or pony
  • Equine Surgery for routine and more complex procedures
  • We provide Emergency Equine Care for our clients
     

Lameness Investigation

Of all the equine health problems we encounter, horse lameness is among the most common.

Our equine vets are well experienced in lameness investigations and have a range of diagnostic equipment and treatment options to help tackle the problem.

What causes horse lameness?

Equine lameness is an abnormal gait or stance of a horse or pony that is the result of dysfunction of the locomotor system. We commonly see lameness in racehorses, sports horses, and pleasure horses. Equine lameness is often caused by pain, but can also be from neurologic or mechanical dysfunction.

With the use of nerve blocks, flexion tests, hoof testers and our fully ambulatory digital X-ray machine and M-turbo ultrasound, our equine vets can get to the root of the problem quickly and put together an appropriate treatment plan.

As well as equine lameness investigation, Pilgrims Vets in the New Forest can provide you with the below equine services:

  • Equine Vettings to help you purchase the right horse or pony for you
  • Rounds Visits to provide fundamental health care
  • Routine & Advanced Dentistry from basic rasping to extractions
  • Regular Equine Health Checks are important when keeping a horse or pony
  • Equine Surgery for routine and more complex procedures
  • We provide Emergency Equine Care for our clients
     

Routine & Advanced Equine Dentistry

Looking after your equine companion's teeth is important for their overall wellbeing

Just like us, poor dental health can affect your horse or pony’s overall health & wellbeing, as well as causing pain. Untreated dental problems can make it difficult for your horse or pony to eat, may affect their mood, and could lead to secondary infections in other areas of the body.

Our equine vets are qualified and experienced in all aspects of routine dentistry, from basic rasping to standing extractions. They are also trained to look for signs of dental disorders and diagnose appropriately.

A thorough examination

The most important part of equine dentistry is actually examining the mouth, just like with humans. As well as looking after your horse or pony’s teeth, our equine vets are trained to examine the whole of the mouth for signs of any problems, and also to examine the animal as a whole as the mouth is just the beginning of their digestive tract.

An appropriate knowledge of dental anatomy and disorders enables our team to diagnose quickly and start treatment as soon as possible. Under the Veterinary Surgeons Act (1966) a “diagnosis” can ONLY be reached by a qualified veterinary surgeon.

Many ponies and horses will tolerate basic rasping without the need for sedation, however, we will usually recommend sedation to allow a more thorough dental examination, and reduce the stress on your animal.

Equine dentistry equipment

We are equipped with a battery powered Dearson mechanical rasp for targeted and precise work, and a variety of hand rasps to suit any sized patient.

Our mobile digital X-ray unit also allows us to investigate dental issues further, and treat appropriately where necessary.

As well as equine dentistry, Pilgrims Vets in the New Forest can provide you with the below equine services:

  • Equine Vettings to help you purchase the right horse or pony for you
  • Rounds Visits to provide fundamental health care
  • Lameness Investigation is common for our experienced equine team
  • Regular Equine Health Checks are important when keeping a horse or pony
  • Equine Surgery for routine and more complex procedures
  • We provide Emergency Equine Care for our clients
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