Is veterinary care really expensive — or are we undervaluing the expertise that keeps our horses healthy?

Is veterinary care really expensive — or are we undervaluing the expertise that keeps our horses healthy?

In this thought-provoking episode, Liz Somerville and Liz Daniels dive into the online buzz sparked by Loch Leven Equine Practice's recent social media post about vet bills — and the debate it ignited. From pricing myths to the realities behind the scenes, they respond to comments, questions, and strong opinions shared by the equestrian community. Tune in as we unpack: • Independent vs corporate vet practices – is one really driving up costs? • Value vs cost – where does your money actually go? • Why preventative care is more affordable in the long run • How "free" human healthcare might be skewing our perception of vet fees • The power of transparency – even down to the cost of a pair of gloves • Why positivity online matters more than ever Whether you're a horse owner, vet professional, or someone who joined the social media discussion, this episode offers a fresh, honest perspective on what veterinary care truly delivers — and why it's worth every penny.

Everything You Need to Know About the New Strangles Vaccine

WIth the launch of a new vaccination that has the potential to eradicate strangles we sat down with Hugh Somerville MRCVS to ask him all about the new vaccine. We discuss how it is different to the previous one, how often it needs to be given, which horses can have it, any potential side effects and whether it has the potential to remove the need for pre-movement blood testings. If you want to learn more about strangles in general you can listen to our previous episode 'A Conversation about Strangles' [https://lochlevenequine.co.uk/a-conversation-about-strangles/] and you can also download our FAQs PDF here [https://lochlevenequine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Strangles-Vaccine-FAQs_FINAL.pdf]

A Conversation about Equine Dentistry – Updated

It's been 5 years since we released our original episode on equine dentistry so we thought an updated edition was well overdue. Even in the last 5 years things have progressed, we've learnt more, developed better techniques and invested in our dental kit and equipment. Whilst we still have some way to go, more and more horse owners are understanding the benefits of using qualified and experienced people to look after their horses and ponies teeth. In this updated episode Liz Somerville is joined by Jenny Croft MRCVS to discuss dental qualifications, who to use to exam your horse's teeth, what should be involved in a proper dental exam, the different equipment and techniques and why sedation is so important.

LLEP Christmas Special with Liz Daniels & Hugh & Liz Somerville

It's a different but special episode this week as Liz Somerville hands over the reins to Liz Daniels to chat all things 2024 and look forward to some exciting plans in 2025. Hear about some of the different cases the team have looked after this year, from the most satisfying ones, the funniest and the weirdest case and the ones the team are most proud of. A couple of naughty ponies get a mention as well, including one that belongs to the Somervilles....whoops! Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas and we'll see you all in the New Year with more conversations from the Podcasting Equine Vets

A Conversation about Joint Injections

Hugh and Liz Somerville are back this week chatting about joint injections. A slightly emotive topic that lots of owners have a lot of very different opinions on so this episode covers some of the more common threads that we are seeing across social media channels, including the recent coverage of Arthrimid as well as some of the questions that our own clients at Loch Leven Equine Practice are asking. The epsidoe covers: What is a joint injection? What happens when a horse gets a joint injection? What are the risks of joint injections? What are the different treatments we can inject into joints? What happens after my horse has had a joint injection? What should owners be looking out for after a joint injection? What happens if a horse goes lame after a joint injection? Arthrimid - was it really a 'bad batch'?