Independent practice – owned and run by vets!
As an independent practice, we deliver the highest standard of veterinary care for your horses and donkeys – supported by exceptional facilities and a highly experienced team.
Veterinary services for your horse
Lameness/MRI
From simple to advanced diagnostic tests and imaging modalities, we are fully equipped to treat and manage all aspects of lameness in your horse. Our equine clinic has the most technologically advanced standing MRI machine available
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Surgery
Lead by a specialist team of equine surgeons, our operating theatre is designed to provide the optimum care for anaesthetised horses, using the latest monitoring technology and safety procedures upon induction and recovery.
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Internal medicine
Our internal medicine team, led by an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Equine Internal Medicine, are pleased to offer a full range of medical services for your horse in addition to accepting medicine referrals from other practices.
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Dentistry
From routine dentistry on your yard, to advanced dentistry procedures performed in clinic, our team of equine dental experts are here for your horse.
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Ambulatory
Our large team of experienced, ambulatory equine vets are available for affordable, routine and emergency appointments.
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Preventative
Prevention is certainly better than cure, so maintaining your horse’s routine healthcare is an essential and important part of what we do.
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Vets you can trust
Your horse is in safe hands with our knowledgeable and experienced team who have all been horse owners themselves.
Excellence as standard
High level competition horses through to the much-loved family pony all receive the same care and attention.
Ethical referrals
Complex or specialist cases can be referred with confidence to our friendly and ethical referral service.
Advanced techniques
State-of-the art facilities, latest techniques, and advanced diagnostics enable us to deliver the best clinical outcomes.
Who are we?
Our independent, vet-owned practice is home to an experienced team of 16 equine-only vets you can trust – including Orthopaedic and Equine Surgery specialists – supported by highly trained registered veterinary nurses and dedicated yard assistants.
We’re passionate about keeping your horse sound, healthy, and able to enjoy the work they love for as long as possible. By combining expert knowledge with the most advanced diagnostics, techniques, and state-of-the-art facilities, we deliver five-star care for every horse, pony, and donkey entrusted to us.
At Oakhill, independence means we can focus solely on providing exceptional, personalised care — led by vets, driven by experience, and guided by what’s best for your horse.
Why we are independent and what it means to you
Oakhill Veterinary Centre is one of the few remaining independent veterinary practices in the Lancashire area, but what is an independent vets?
There are two main business models in the UK for veterinary practices: independent and corporate. When choosing a veterinary practice for your animal’s care it’s important to know the difference.
Historically, the most common model was the independent practice, like Oakhill Veterinary Centre, founded in 1974, some 50 years ago. Independent practices are owned and run by an individual or small group of vets who work within the practice.
Corporate practices are owned by a corporation and are one of many branches in a chain; regionally or nationally and run to a formula often remotely dictated.
We have created a practice where we take care of our team through consistent communication and viewing them as the passionate, talented individuals they are, rather than a system to be used. A practice where your pet is treated as a member of the family, and you are considered a partner in your pet’s care. Transparency about care options and costs are a guiding principle.
How many vet practices remain independent?
Independent practices in the UK are Increasingly becoming less common as corporates are buying up independent practices and competing against each other for market share. Corporates in the UK currently have around 65% of the market, often continuing to use the original practice identity long after a buyout, and effectively reducing choice in a given area.
Hopefully, this has helped to explain why we believe that an independent practice will always be your best choice.