Simon Constable's Equine Vets, Radcliffe (2026)

25/02/2026

Castration is best done at this time of year - traditionally after the frosts and before the flies.
Maybe it’s a bit premature to say Spring is here but it certainly feels that way!

Standing castration is the most common and is generally done before 2 years old and for some immature colts, before 3 years old.

However a general anaesthetic is required for older ones due to the serious and real risk of gut herniation or haemorrhage from the testicular arteries in more mature horses. In these cases the cord is tied off with absorbable suture material to prevent these complications. This isn’t melodramatic, as I’ve seen herniated intestines and massive haemorrhage happen!

24/02/2026

Alper

Alper joined the team in September 2024, bringing with him a strong background in equine reproduction and stud work.
After graduating in 2019, he spent four years working in studs, developing a particular passion for reproduction cases and caring for foals.

He also has now developed an interest in equine dentistry especially enjoying the hands-on, detail-focused nature of his work.
Alper is dedicated to delivering the highest standard of care to both horses and their owners.

Known by colleagues as funny, kind, and everyone’s friend, Alper brings warmth and positivity to the practice team. He is a lovely easy-going chap!

Outside of work, he enjoys gaming and exploring the local area with his wife. At home, life revolves around Osman, their much-loved (and very spoiled!) cat, who definitely runs the household.

23/02/2026

Meet The Team:

Heather

Heather is the friendliest heart of Simon Constable’s, joining the team in October 2022. With a background in pharmacy and 21 years in accountancy, she brings both expertise and a wonderfully caring nature to everything she does.

Known for her warmth and kindness, Heather loves connecting with clients, sharing a laugh with the team, and—of course—making the best brew in the clinic. Her love for animals is clear in everything she does, from cheering on patients to earning the clinic’s unofficial title of “spider catcher,” safely relocating any eight-legged visitors outside.

Outside the clinic, Heather is a devoted mum of two, an avid hiker, and a life-time supporter of Bolton Wanderers. She also loves baking, delighting family and colleagues alike with her treats.

Everyone who meets Heather describes her as genuinely lovely, warm-hearted, and endlessly supportive—the kind of person who makes the clinic feel like home.

20/02/2026

Warm weather is due next week and there may still be enough time to think about the prevention of insect-bite dermatitis (“Sweet-itch”) by using desensitisation injections from allergy tests or the use of the ringworm vaccine which has shown to have beneficial effects against “Sweet-itch”.
We try to avoid steroids especially in the Spring time when there may be an increased risk of laminitis so these alternatives can be useful.

Being pro-active rather than reactive is better , so ideally we use them BEFORE the peak Sweet-itch season starts.
January and February are ideal times- two injections two weeks apart with six monthly boosters if it’s a severe Sweet-itch year (as most seem to be nowadays!!).

19/02/2026

“Meet The Team”
Today:- Jo
Joanne or “Jo”, is our wonderful Office Manager here at Simon Constable Equine Vets and has been a key part of the team for the past four years.

With an impressive 15-year background as a pharmacy checking technician, she brings a wealth of experience, precision, and organisation to the practice.

A self-confessed obsessive for organisation and customer service, Joanne is the one who keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes. From managing the vets’ diaries to coordinating the day-to-day flow of the practice, she ensures everything is in the right place at the right time. Her detail-oriented and professional approach means nothing gets missed.

Jo is incredibly proud of the team we’ve built and values being an important part of creating a supportive and compassionate environment for both clients and colleagues. She’s known for being organised, kind, compassionate, and always someone you can talk to — a true team player and friend to many.

Outside of work, Joanne is just as busy! She has two children, a husband, four horses, and three dogs. When she’s not at the practice, you’ll likely find her reading, out on dog walks, riding and eventing with her teenage daughter, or enjoying football with her son.
We’re so lucky to have her as part of the team!

18/02/2026

“Meet The Team”

First up:- Laura

Equine Veterinary Surgeon

Laura graduated in 2021 from Complutense University of Madrid and has been passionate about horses for as long as she can remember. After qualifying, she spent time working alongside an ambulatory equine veterinarian in Spain, before completing a one-year rotating internship in Belgium (2022–2023), where she gained valuable experience in hospital-based equine medicine and surgery. She joined Simon Constable’s Equine Practice in Manchester in 2023 and has been part of the team ever since.

Laura enjoys all aspects of equine practice and is always eager to keep learning. She has a particular interest in internal medicine, surgery and orthopaedics, and she is also responsible for anaesthesia within the clinic. She especially enjoys working through complex cases, understanding the underlying pathology, and finding practical solutions. For Laura, one of the most rewarding parts of the job is communicating with clients and helping them fully understand what is happening with their horse.

She is currently working towards her Certificate of Advanced Practitioner in Internal Medicine with the University of Liverpool, further developing her knowledge and clinical skills.

Working with horses has been Laura’s dream since she was very young, and she feels incredibly proud that this is now her everyday life. As her father always says, “If you work at what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

Outside of work, Laura previously owned her “soulmate” horse for 15 years, competing together in dressage — an experience that shaped both her career and her love for the profession. She still misses him greatly. When she’s not at the clinic, you’ll likely find her singing… or enjoying a very strong cup of coffee

17/02/2026

A client visiting the clinic today mentioned that it was good to put a face to the voice when she met some of the office staff.
Following on from this conversation we decided to do a “Meet the Team” feature for the next few weeks.
Despite the mischief makers in the photo, these two don’t answer the telephone nor do they make a cup of coffee! Well, not yet………..

14/02/2026

An interesting article from the Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance (EIDS) showing a large increase in Strangles cases month per month compared with the previous four years.

https://equinesurveillance.org/landing/resources/reports/dsr20253.pdf

This is despite an increased awareness of bio-security and many yards asking for testing of new horses before arriving on a new yard.
Luckily we now have a very effective vaccine and hopefully with the increased uptake of vaccination this awful disease will be better controlled.

Eradication seems much too optimistic because may horses are not vaccinated against other serious diseases such as tetanus so unless Strangles were to become a notifiable disease it is unlikely that all horses would be vaccinated.

Protecting your own horse is still possible……

11/02/2026

Although most topical products for horses have a disclaimer to “spot-test” on a small area of hidden skin, I think most people don’t do this before applying.
However, a horse seen this week had a severe reaction to a human hair oil and was found to lose a large section of mane. Luckily it hadn’t been applied all over and it was a short(ish) section at the base of the neck.
Aloe Vera oil helped to soothe it a little but it is a little reminder to be careful what is applied to your horse’s skin!!!!

06/02/2026

Yesterday Alper had a difficult call with the Fire Service for a horse that had fallen in a ditch and needed help to get out!
After sedation, anti-inflammatories and a lot of careful handling as well as lots of time, the team-work between vet and Fire and Rescue Service managed to get him out relatively unscathed!
Well done all involved.

05/02/2026

The Life of a Horse Vet…………..
Icy cold winds and snow in the air! The joys of working in the North West of England.

It is extremely cold at the moment so don’t forget those older horses and those living out. They may need a little extra help with warm feeds, extra painkilllers (“Bute” or paracetamol) and make sure they’re warm enough under their rugs.

We see horses going down and not being able to get back up in this freezing cold weather especially if they’ve pre-existing conditions such as degenerative joint disease (DJD).

It’s not uncommon to require the Fire Service to help these horses up but prevention is better than having to deal with an emergency!!

03/02/2026

Joint health is a fundamental requirement for our horses because to a greater or lesser extent, they are all athletes.

Luckily we have a number of different options to improve joint health from steroids to stem cells as well as Poly Acryl Amide Gel (PAAG) and hyaluronic acid (HA).

PAAG is used a great deal nowadays with great results, in the whole, although the full benefits may take 4-6 weeks to be realised.

It integrates itself into the joint or synovial lining which reduces its rigidity and encourages the production of better quality synovial fluid.
These effects improve the viscosity of the joint fluid which improves lubrication of the joint thereby improving locomotion and protecting the cartilage.

HA has a similar effect on joint health and can be used instead of PAAG.

Steroids are an excellent anti-inflammatory but also can delay healing and can have adverse effects such as increased risk of infection and laminitis in prone individuals.

Stem cells, as mentioned a few weeks ago, are excellent as anti-inflammatories but also they encourage the production of pro-healing cytokines inside the joint (or tendon/ligament).

Simon Constable's Equine Vets

25/02/2026

24/02/2026

23/02/2026

20/02/2026

19/02/2026

18/02/2026

17/02/2026

14/02/2026

11/02/2026

06/02/2026

05/02/2026

03/02/2026

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