The Prince of Wales tried his hand at scanning an equine tendon during a visit to a vet clinic – and got a “very good image”.
Pool House Equine Clinic, Lichfield, was “delighted” to welcome Prince Charles yesterday (24 July), to mark the opening of a new multi-million-pound vet hospital.
The prince saw demonstrations of a horse being prepared for surgery, ultrasound scanning, lameness location and dentistry, and unveiled a commemorative plaque.
“It is a great honour and pleasure to have His Royal Highness visit the new premises. Our staff have eagerly anticipated meeting Prince Charles and showing him the wonderful facilities we now have,” said senior partner Richard Stephenson.
(Image credit: Mark Zaccaria)
“HRH was very relaxed and even had a go at scanning a horse’s tendon – getting a very good image.
“The building marks the beginning of a new era for equine care in the Midlands as we can now provide many advanced services, for which formerly clients had to travel many hours to access for their horses.”
The centre has been fully operational for six weeks, with facilities including two operating theatres specifically for standing horses and two for full anaesthesia, multiple surfaces and areas for trotting up and a dedicated dental theatre.
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“The new equine hospital provides us with a fivefold increase in capacity and is already very busy, we had to use the operating theatre for the first time on the day we moved in,” said surgeon Jonathan Withers.
“One important area for clients is that we now have a dedicated colic surgery theatre — long gone are the days when colic meant having to travel hours in a box to get attention.
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“HRH was very interested in how we anaesthetise horses and get them into the operating theatre.”
The work on the new building was completed in eight months by local building firm JJL.
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
