Teamwork makes the dream work, straight from the horse’s mouth!

The Horse Trust works closely with equine professionals to help improve the care and welfare of all horses. This was proven when our recently retired Scottish Police Horse Kilsyth was suffering from an infected tooth that needed surgery to remove it.

Based in the beautiful Chiltern countryside; it is here that we provide respite and retirement for working horses and ponies. Some of our residents have also been rescued after suffering from cruelty or neglect and have found the love and care that they so desperately needed.

During one of the many routine visits from Colin Hill of Equine Dentist services, he discovered that Kilsyth had a nasty, rotting tooth that needed surgery. Horses are grazing animals; therefore good dentition is essential to survival. Colin referred this issue to Bryan O’Meara, an equine vet who specialises in Equine Surgery and was perfect for the job. It was a complex and lengthy procedure as horses teeth are constantly erupting which make removing a tooth like this a difficult task. Extraction such as this requires proper sedation, analgesia, visualization, specialized equipment, and most importantly, assistance!

Our Vet Tony Collins from Hall Place Equine Veterinary Clinic kept him comfortably sedated, monitoring his vital signs, whilst Bryan aimed to remove Kilsyth’s problem tooth from inside his mouth. It was clear after a few minutes that this was not going to be the best route therefore Bryan had to go with plan B. An alternative way to remove a problem tooth for horses is by making a small hole in the cheek area and pushing the horses tooth from the gum. Surgical extraction procedures are an excellent option for all cheek teeth where other techniques would prove impossible or less ideal for the horse with a damaged tooth. Thanks to Bryan’s appropriate method and all the team helping out, Kilsyth’s rotten, broken tooth was successfully removed in two pieces.

Due to our facilities and the advancement of surgical techniques, surgeons such as Bryan and vets and dentists such as Tony and Colin can treat our horses, ponies and donkeys onsite. As you can imagine, our vet clinic is worth its weight in gold as it is used daily by our range of patients from our young rescue residents like Gabriel, to our mature residents such as Commando, who is enjoying his retirement after a hardworking career with the Household Cavalry.

It’s only thanks to donations and legacy’s that we have these facilities. Our clinic means we can carry out surgical procedures that would otherwise mean horses travelling to external veterinary clinics which is more stressful and increases recovery time. Kilsyth’s surgery carried out in-house meant his recovery time was reduced and he could come around from his surgery in a familiar environment with no travelling needed. Kilsyth has recovered well from his surgery with no sign of infection, and is now awaiting a visit from the tooth fairy!