01 February 2023

Star Patient - Radcliffe

Three-year-old cob Radcliffe has been impressing the Redwings veterinary team with his excellent behaviour during his stay at the Horse Hospital – gaining him the title of this month’s ‘Star Patient’!

Radcliffe was admitted to the Horse Hospital for surgery to remove two sarcoids from his left hind leg.

Equine sarcoids are a common skin tumour found in horses, but thankfully can be removed from the surface of the skin using a laser, in a minimally invasive procedure. Removing sarcoids promptly when they are discovered makes them easier to remove and prevents them growing to a size that could cause discomfort to the horse.

After his surgery, Radcliffe was turned out on to one of our specialist veterinary woodchip paddocks – with the Hospital team monitoring him daily to check how his wound was healing.

During one of these checks, the team were concerned that Radcliffe was lame, and beginning to show signs of discomfort due to his wound. He was checked over and it was observed that he had some swelling around the surgery site, and, due to concerns he may be developing an infection, he was brought into one of our veterinary stables for close monitoring.

Radcliffe was prescribed a course of antibiotics, and his wound was routinely cleaned with saline solution and examined to make sure he was on the mend. The horse care team kept his stable extra tidy, as they do for all their patients, to help keep his wound clear of debris. He was also taken on gentle in-hand walks to ease his swelling.

As Radcliffe is such a young horse and has not needed much veterinary treatment since arriving at Redwings, he was unfamiliar with being in a stable. Our fantastic carers and veterinary staff made sure to make Radcliffe feel at home in this new environment with lots of love and gentle handling, which soon saw him grow in confidence.

Radcliffe is now feeling better, and his wound is healing nicely. His bravery in adapting to being in a stable, and his happy and sweet nature made him a firm favourite amongst our teams!

More about Radcliffe…

Radcliffe was one of 23 horses who came to Redwings from a so-called animal ‘sanctuary’ due to their lack of care.

In November 2019, a total of 137 horses from Whispering Willows were taken into the care of equine welfare charities across the UK after serious welfare failings were uncovered.

After pleading guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the animals in their care, the sanctuary’s former owner was banned from keeping all horses for 10 years.

The horses were in varying states of poor health and some were very fearful. Sadly, four of the 23 horses were suffering from severe pain due to lameness and stiffness, and our vets were unable to relieve their discomfort, so they had to be put to sleep.

Thankfully, the remaining 19 recovered well after receiving basic care - including worming, farriery and dental checks. As the Covid-19 pandemic hit the UK, we named the horses after NHS hospitals in tribute to the country’s frontline healthcare workers.