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New slimming club for horses launched
"We all need to work together to tackle the problem." - Clare Barfoot RNutr.
The initiative is run by Redwings and Spillers. 

A new slimming club has been launched to help owners of overweight horses and ponies support their pet to get them to a healthy weight.

Run by Spillers, and supported by Redwings Horse Sanctuary, the initiative is hoped to help horse owners recognise the dangers to welfare of an overweight horse. 

Clare Barfoot, registered nutritionist and development director at Mars Horsecare UK, commented on the issue of overweight horses: “Some horse and ponies simply appear to get fat on thin air.  

”Reduced exercise and less rigorous management regimes due to COVID-19 restrictions haven’t helped and we are perhaps becoming guilty of normalising overweight horses. 

“We all need to work together to tackle the problem, for the future health and welfare of our horses.”

The slimming club will provide horse owners with information and advice including tips to help their horse lose weight, explanations on to body condition score and use a weigh tape, diet plan advice and weight loss records. 

Redwings is also working to support the initiative, sharing literature on helping horses to keep a healthy weight to those who take on a Redwings horse or pony, and will also be sharing tips and answering practical management questions on the Facebook page set up for the slimmers club. 

Horse and pony owners can join the slimmers club here. 

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."