Equine services at Alnorthumbria Veterinary Group

The merger has allowed the formation of a strong team of equine veterinary surgeons providing a wide range of knowledge and expertise.

Our veterinary surgeons attend regular Continuing Professional Development courses to ensure our clients receive the most up to date information and treatments. In the practice we are able to discuss and assist each other with more challenging cases within our areas of expertise.

In addition, we now have access to consultant veterinary surgeons, allowing us to treat and operate on a more extensive range of cases at our own facilities. However, we do recognise that in some instances referral is required and for this we can choose the most appropriate specialist centre for your horses needs.

Lesley Barwise-Munro (BSc, BVM&S, CertEP, MRCVS) graduated from The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (RDSVS) in 1986. Since then she has worked as an equine practitioner with the Aln Veterinary Group. In 1992 she completed her RCVS Certificate in Equine Practice. In 1998 Lesley joined BEVA Council and was elected as President in 2005. During her time on Council she worked with the Government and the major animal welfare organisations developing the recent Animal Welfare Act 2006. This work was recognised with the presentation of The BEVA Equine Welfare Award by HRH the Princess Royal in 2006 (see photo).

Lesley is currently Honorary Vice President of The National Equine Welfare Council and still serves as an advisor to BEVA Council. Lesley is Senior Veterinary Surgeon for Newcastle Racecourse and also carries out local point to point duties. Her main areas of clinical expertise are lameness, respiratory disease, dentistry and how they influence performance. As time allows, Lesley enjoys hunting and has two daughters who are active members of the Percy Hunt Pony Club.

Rosie Mould (BVSc, GPCert (EqP), MRCVS) qualified in 1983 from Liverpool and returned to her native North East, to work in Alnwick in 1988. She is an approved Riding Establishment Inspector, and her main areas of clinical expertise include medical diagnostics, clinical pathology, reproduction and lameness. Rosie has recently achieved her European Practising Veterinary Surgeons Certificate in Equine Practice. She has enjoyed hunting and Riding Club activities previously and in the last 4 years has turned her hand to driving. One of her Welsh driving ponies is home-bred. Outside work, Rosie spends time skiing, mountain biking and hill walking.

John Macfarlane (BVM&S, MRCVS) comes from Perthshire in Scotland. He graduated from Edinburgh in 1984 and then joined Aln Veterinary Group. He enjoys all aspects of practice and is an approved Riding Establishment Inspector. John is especially interested in equine respiratory medicine and lameness. Outside work, he relaxes by hill walking, cycling and sailing. In September, John plans to join the elite few who have climbed all of the Munroes.

Edward Chinn (BVetMed, MRCVS) qualified from the Royal Veterinary College, London in 2001. Edward worked for five years in East Sussex in a mixed practice with an equine bias. He is especially interested in equine dentistry, lameness investigations and wound management and is currently studying for the RCVS Certificate in Equine Practice. Edward comes from a Herefordshire farm where he enjoyed hunting and working with home-bred point-to-pointers. He now looks forward to the hunting season in Northumberland.

Sophia Chinn (BVetMed, MRCVS) qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 2001. Sophia has worked in mixed practices in Hertfordshire and East Sussex; predominantly involved in equine work. Sophia enjoys all aspects of equine practice but is particularly interested in internal medicine, neonatal medicine and diagnostic imaging. Sophia plans to complete the RCVS Certificate in Equine Medicine. She has ridden from an early age and progressed through the ranks of North Northumberland Pony Club taking part in showing, hunting and eventing.

Vicky Robertson (BVM&S, MRCVS) graduated from the RDSVS in 2003. After doing predominantly equine practice within a mixed practice in Fife, Vicky has moved to Alnwick to specialise in horse work and is aiming for the RCVS Certificate in Equine Practice. Her main interests include orthopaedics, performance related problems, and equine medicine. She rode throughout childhood and followed the Pony Club system, enjoying eventing, tetrathlon and bringing on young horses. Vicky completed her BHS teaching exams and taught at Pony Clubs and local riding schools to fund her way through University.

Steven Bradley (BVMS, MRCVS) Stephen Bradley grew up on a farm in Northern Ireland and qualified from Glasgow University in 1999. He worked for 3 years in mixed practice in Durham before moving to the Aln Veterinary Group in 2003 to concentrate on equine work. He is particularly interested in respiratory disease, dermatology, wound management, geriatric medicine and equine preventive healthcare including dentistry, parasite control and horse health checks. He enjoys providing veterinary cover at racecourse meetings, point to points and other local events and has completed the racecourse casualty management course. His hobbies outside work include cycling, running, playing squash and football.

Clare Riddell (BVM&S, MRCVS) is born and bred in Alnwick and after qualifying in 2004 from the RDSVS, she has returned to her home practice as a mixed vet. Her main interests in the equine sphere include reproduction and medicine. She has ridden from a very early age, and after a short break to complete her university career, she has recently restarted riding. Outside work Clare is a keen skier, enjoys trampolining and going to the gym.

Pam Girdwood (BVetMed, MRCVS) graduated in 2005 from the Royal Veterinary College, London and joined the Northumbria Veterinary Partnership after enjoying seeing practice with them for 3 years. Pam enjoys all aspects of mixed practice and is now based in the Wooler branch. She enjoys vetting at local hunter trials and endurance events. During the winter, Pam exercises hunters, plays rugby for Berwick, and keeps fit by hill walking and running.

Lisa Gregory (BVM&S, MRCVS) graduated from the RDSVS and returned to her home county of Northumberland to work for The Aln Veterinary Group. Lisa has worked as a mixed practice vet for 11 years, and is especially interested in equine medicine, reproduction and foal medicine. Outside work, Lisa enjoys spending time with her young family, riding and hill walking.

Sarah Holmes (VN) has worked with the Aln Veterinary Group since 1992. In 1996 Sarah gained her Veterinary Nurse qualification and now leads the equine nursing team. Sarah is a keen follower of the Percy hounds and is frequently seen at local point to point and race meetings. She enjoys playing hockey with Alnwick Hockey Club.

Visiting Equine Consultants:

Dr Colin Barwise-Munro (BVM&S, PhD, MRCVS) recently retired from the practice. For the first 20 years of his career he worked as an academic in obstetrics and reproduction - firstly at Glasgow Veterinary School, where he gained his PhD in reproductive endocrinology, and then at the RDSVS. During his 19 years at the Aln Veterinary Group he maintained his interest and work in reproduction especially in horses and continued to be involved in student and graduate teaching. He is the veterinary surgeon in charge of the BEVA approved Artificial Insemination Centre at the practice - which we are further developing to offer breeding packages, with substantial savings for hospitalised mares, and increase the awareness and practicality of you using not just chilled but national and even international frozen semen on your mares.

Dr Tim Brazil (BVSc, DipECIM, Cert EM(IntMed) MRCVS) qualified from Liverpool University in 1988. Currently he runs a visiting equine medicine referral service based in the Cotswolds supporting practices throughout the UK and Ireland. His main clinical interests are gastroenterology, respiratory disease and ophthalmology but he deals with a huge variety of medical problems in everything from elite racehorses to donkeys with the same level of diligence and care.

Cedric C-H. Chan (BVSc CertES(Orth) DiplECVS MRCVS) Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons RCVS & European Recognised Specialist in Equine Surgery Cedric is a 1989 graduate of Bristol Veterinary School. In 2002 he formed NW Equine Referrals, UK & France; an equine surgical consultancy practice based in Cheshire.

His specialist skills, include advanced lameness investigation and treatment, general surgery, orthopaedic surgery and soft tissue surgery. Cedric was a member of the international veterinary team at the Athens 2004 Olympic & Paralympic Games. He has again been invited to Beijing 2008 Olympic & Paralympic Games, in the same role.