As flu-jab season approaches, horses in the east of Scotland are also getting ready to be vaccinated as part of a pilot trial for a new inoculation against equine grass sickness.
A total of 100 horses have been enrolled in the project which is being carried out by the Animal Health Trust and the School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh.
Money for the project has been raised by the Equine Grass Sickness Fund, which hopes to begin a full nationwide trial of the vaccine involving around 1,000 horses in 2014, if enough funds can be raised.
The Animal Health Trust says it is delighted with the support being shown by horse owners and veterinary surgeons in the region where the pilot trial is taking place, and the fund's spokesperson Kate Thomson is now appealing to horse-lovers around the country to donate money to the cause so that the full trial can go ahead.
Keeping a horse happy and healthy can be a tough but very rewarding job, and requires a lot of grooming, a well-balanced diet and other medical supplements such as worming tablets.
