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The UK’s equine veterinary sector is one of the most advanced and demanding fields in the wider veterinary industry. Specialist equine vets provide complex, mobile, and often emergency care for horses across the country — from routine yard visits to referral-level diagnostics and surgery. To deliver this level of service, equine practices require not only highly trained staff but also specialist vehicles, diagnostic tools, and infrastructure.
Gable Business Finance works closely with equine veterinary practices across the UK, providing bespoke financial solutions to fund essential assets such as diagnostic equipment, practice refurbishments, and specialist horseboxes or trailers. By combining in-depth industry knowledge with flexible finance structures, Gable enables veterinary professionals to grow sustainably, expand mobile services, and meet the welfare and logistical demands of the modern equine industry.
Specialist equine veterinary practices often face significant capital expenditure. From mobile imaging units and surgical theatres to vehicles for ambulatory work, the equipment required to maintain professional standards is both costly and rapidly evolving. Financing allows practices to acquire or upgrade these assets without large upfront payments, helping preserve working capital and maintain steady cash flow.
Gable Business Finance provides structured funding options such as:
Whether financing a new digital X-ray system, upgrading a CT scanner, or commissioning a bespoke equine veterinary horsebox, Gable structures finance to match the life cycle and operational needs of each asset.
“Equine veterinary horseboxes” refer to vehicles used by equine vets for mobile and on-site services, as well as for transporting injured or sick horses to a clinical or referral setting. These vehicles serve as both mobile clinics and safe transport solutions, allowing vets to deliver professional treatment directly at stables, raceyards, or farms.
Equine veterinary horseboxes are designed for dual use: transporting horses safely and serving as mobile treatment units. They enable vets to carry diagnostic and medical equipment — including portable X-rays, ultrasound, dental tools, and pharmaceuticals — directly to clients’ premises. They are also crucial for emergency callouts where an injured or colicking horse needs immediate transfer to a hospital or surgical centre.
Because horse welfare and safety are paramount, specialist equine vet horseboxes are built to rigorous standards. Common features include:
Gable Business Finance offers tailored funding solutions to support equine veterinary businesses at every stage — from independent ambulatory vets to established referral centres. Financing is designed to align with operational needs, allowing vets to invest in vital assets while maintaining healthy cash flow and financial flexibility.
Whether purchasing a new bespoke equine veterinary horsebox or upgrading an existing fleet, Gable structures finance to match build schedules, usage patterns, and budgets. Many vehicles are built to order — meaning payments must be staged across manufacturing milestones. Gable’s Stage Payment Finance ensures funds are released exactly when needed: at chassis acquisition, during conversion, and upon completion.
Gable can finance:
Finance terms are flexible, and options can include both hire purchase and lease purchase structures to align with ownership goals. For many practices, Gable’s funding of horseboxes and trailers has enabled significant growth in mobile veterinary service coverage and responsiveness.
Equine vets rely on high-cost equipment to provide diagnostic and surgical care. Gable’s equipment finance covers assets such as:
By financing this equipment, Gable allows practices to spread the cost over the asset’s lifespan while generating revenue from day one. This structure also enables faster upgrades to new technology, keeping practices competitive.
For clinics expanding into new facilities or upgrading existing ones, Gable provides access to capital through business loans, refinance options, and commercial funding. This can include:
Finance structures are customised to balance growth investment with ongoing operational expenses, ensuring financial sustainability throughout expansion phases.
Client: Independent equine vet practice in the Midlands
Objective: Acquire a 3.5-tonne horsebox fitted with digital X-ray and ultrasound equipment for on-site diagnostics.
Solution: Gable arranged stage payment finance across three build phases (chassis, conversion, delivery).
Outcome: The practice expanded its coverage radius by 60%, offering rapid diagnostics and emergency response across regional yards.
Client: Large equine referral hospital in South England
Objective: Replace outdated imaging systems with new digital DR and portable CT units.
Solution: Gable provided hire purchase finance with fixed monthly payments and a five-year term.
Outcome: The clinic improved case throughput by 35% and increased referral volume, achieving ROI within three years.
Client: Veterinary group specialising in emergency equine transport
Objective: Expand fleet with two DEFRA-authorised 7.5-tonne horseboxes for welfare and surgical transport.
Solution: Lease purchase agreement with balloon payment at end of term to maintain cash flow.
Outcome: Fleet operational within six months; increased emergency service capacity and gained DEFRA transport certification.
Gable can finance a wide range of assets including horseboxes, trailers, imaging and diagnostic equipment, laboratory tools, surgical theatres, rehabilitation equipment, and general practice infrastructure.
That depends on the finance type. Hire Purchase agreements end with ownership after final payment, while Lease Purchase agreements include an optional balloon payment to gain ownership at the end.
Yes. Gable specialises in Stage Payment Finance, where funds are released during different stages of the build, ensuring timely payments to coachbuilders or conversion specialists.
Absolutely. Gable can refinance existing horseboxes or diagnostic equipment to release equity for reinvestment or expansion projects.
Terms typically range from 12 months to 7 years, depending on the asset’s lifespan, usage, and business cash flow.
Yes. Gable can support start-up equine vets with tailored entry-level financing for initial equipment and mobile horseboxes, subject to appropriate credit and business planning.
Yes. All financed horseboxes and trailers are compliant with DEFRA and DVSA regulations, provided they are built or converted by approved coachbuilders.
Yes. Gable can bundle multiple assets (for example, a new horsebox, X-ray system, and ultrasound unit) into a single finance agreement for convenience.
The UK’s equine veterinary sector relies heavily on mobility, innovation, and clinical precision — all of which demand investment in specialist vehicles and equipment. With rising expectations for horse welfare and rapid diagnostics, financial flexibility is key.
Gable Business Finance provides the expertise and resources to help equine vets acquire the tools they need — from cutting-edge imaging systems to bespoke-built veterinary horseboxes and trailers. By offering bespoke finance structures, stage payment options, and deep industry insight, Gable ensures equine veterinary practices can expand their reach, upgrade facilities, and deliver the exceptional standards of care their clients expect.
For more information about finance solutions for equine veterinary professionals, contact Gable Business Finance today.
The specialist equine veterinary sector in the United Kingdom has evolved significantly over the past decade. As competition horses, performance ponies and leisure mounts all demand higher standards of care, equine veterinary practices have expanded their services, adopted advanced diagnostic equipment, and invested in ambulatory outreach and referral capabilities. With this expansion comes greater cost, capital investment and therefore financing needs.
In this article we examine the size and growth of the UK specialist equine vet market, key trends shaping the sector, the kinds of equipment and infrastructure required by practices, and how equine-veterinary businesses are meeting their finance requirements to stay competitive and deliver premium care.
The market for specialist equine veterinary services in the UK includes ambulatory first-opinion work, referral level hospital services (surgery, diagnostics, reproduction, internal medicine), mobile specialist clinicians, and allied services such as imaging, dentistry and rehabilitation.
According to workforce modelling from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the number of vets practising in the equine sector is projected to grow by approximately 63% between 2023 and 2035. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} This growth underlines growing demand for equine services.
Larger multi-site groups such as IVC Evidensia and CVS Group Equine have invested heavily in equine referrals and specialist networks. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4} The result is a marketplace where owners of sport, competition and elite horses expect more advanced care, more rapid diagnostics, and more mobile capability – all of which drives investment.
For example, the referral centre at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies includes dedicated services in orthopaedic surgery, diagnostic imaging, ophthalmology and reproduction for equidae. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6} This kind of advanced infrastructure requires high capital investment.
To meet modern expectations, a specialist equine veterinary practice will typically invest in:
When you combine high-end imaging machines (often several hundreds of thousands of pounds), ambulatory vehicle builds, surgical theatres and lab facilities, capital requirements for a well-equipped specialist equine practice can easily run into the millions. Practices also need to maintain equipment upgrades, service contracts and meet compliance/regulation standards. Therefore, financing these assets is an essential element of business strategy.
Given the scale of investment required, equine vet practices must structure financing in a manner that preserves working capital, allows growth and maintains flexibility. Here are the key finance requirements and how they are typically addressed:
Equipment such as CT scanners, digital X-ray systems, and ambulatory/ mobile vehicles is ideal for asset finance. Practice owners will often use:
Mobile units are increasingly important for specialist equine practices. Whether it’s a custom-built horsebox, imaging vehicle or ambulance-style van, funding these assets requires a tailored approach:
When practices expand—adding surgical theatres, rehabilitation facilities or labs—they often require:
Equine veterinary demand can be seasonal (e.g., breeding season, competition season). Practices may require finance solutions such as:
As diagnostic equipment and mobile units age, practices may want to upgrade. Financing strategies include:
Client: Large referral equine hospital based in East England
Situation: The hospital required a new CT scanner and digital radiography suite costing £420,000 plus installation.
Solution: They structured a Hire Purchase agreement over five years with fixed payments. Operating budget was preserved, and the new equipment enhanced diagnostic capacity, increased referrals, and improved client service.
Outcome: Return on investment achieved through expanded case referrals and higher throughput of complex lameness cases.
Client: Specialist equine practice offering ambulatory and yard-based diagnostics across Midlands & South.
Situation: Needed a 3.5-tonne horsebox conversion with mobile DR, ultrasound and endoscopy equipment. Total cost £150,000.
Solution: Finance arranged via Stage Payment model: deposit, mid-build payment, final payment on delivery. Lease Purchase structured with balloon payment to maintain monthly flexibility.
Outcome: Vehicle operational within six months, secured high-value contracts with studs and competition clients, improved coverage and revenue streams.
Client: Mid-sized equine clinic in Northern England
Situation: The clinic wished to add a hydrotherapy treadmill, aquatrainer pool, rehab stabling and upgraded physiotherapy room. Cost approx. £300,000.
Solution: Business loan secured combining equipment finance and facility upgrade. Structured repayments aligned with increased service income from the new rehab offering.
Outcome: The new facility attracted new referral clients, enabled longer post-surgery care services and improved profitability within twelve months.
The UK specialist equine veterinary industry is experiencing strong growth driven by advanced diagnostics, mobile outreach, higher welfare expectations, and elite equestrian demand. As the market evolves, equine veterinary practices face substantial equipment and infrastructure requirements — from CT scanners and theatre suites to mobile diagnostic horseboxes and rehabilitation centres.
Meeting these financial demands calls for structured and flexible finance solutions. Asset finance, vehicle funding, stage-payment models, business loans and refinancing strategies are all part of the toolkit. For practice owners and managers, carefully aligning finance structures with service growth, cash-flow cycles and asset lifecycle is key to building a successful, future-proof equine practice.
By understanding the investment landscape and financing options available, equine veterinary businesses can confidently expand their capabilities, maintain industry-leading equipment and deliver the high-level care expected in today’s competitive equestrian environment.