Full Newsletter here - print version

What we have been up to:

• Following on from our very popular talk by Olympian and International event rider Vittoria Panizzon in March, we have arranged an evening visit to her yard on the 27th June - please call the office for more information and to book your place.

• Jo Gillingham volunteered once again at the BHS/BEVA Trust Education and Welfare Clinic, this time in Kent. This charity-run operation provides essential health checks and care, including castration, to horses in need.

• We ran our first ever weigh clinic at our facilities at Garsdon in May - see below for more information.

• We covered the VWH fun ride at Cirencester Park on the 27th and 28th May and sponsored Area Dressage on the 11th June.

• We also sponsored the recent Pony Club dressage qualifiers' show event at Tedworth. "We had a fantastic day yesterday! Lots of beautiful ponies and happy members!" We always love hearing how these events go. Thank you for the appreciation.

• Ali Mead took up her regular post at Badminton Horse Trials providing her expert care and assessment, ensuring the safety of the horses on the internationally famous cross-country course.

Cracked feet

The dry weather recently has resulted in a number of issues - rutty field, dust, pollens and dry hooves. When the feet are dry, they can be more prone to developing cracks which are not only unsightly but can lead to lameness or long-term hoof defects.

How do we avoid this?

• Pick out feet daily
• Keep regular trimming schedule with your farrier (more frequent in summer)
• Wash feet with water and apply hoof oil/moisturiser
• Avoid exercising too much on hard or uneven ground
• Feed a biotin containing hoof supplement if horn is poor quality

For our article on laminitis and other news around the practice please through this link.