About Us

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Susie

Dr Susannah Hawke

BVSc MANZCVS Grad Dip Animal Chiropractic Racing Dip MRCVS

  • Bachelor Veterinary Science, Bristol UK

  • Member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists by examination, Surgery of Horses

  • Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

  • Graduate Diploma Animal Chiropractic (NMIT)

  • Diploma In Racing (RVL Cert IV)

Susannah is renowned for her knowledge in the area of digital radiography and Pre purchase examinations, is passionate about soundness and injury prevention and is published in prevention of shin soreness in racehorses.

My Dream

Growing up in England, at the age of 6 years, my mother was having fun eventing with an off the track thoroughbred so the cries of ‘me too’ started my path on a Dartmoor pony called ‘Dormouse’ at the local riding school.

Soon afterwards, at the riding school’s pony club, learning what a ‘frog’ was, such a strange word for part of a horse’s foot, I decided I wanted to know all about this and my veterinary dream began.

As a rider with a love of racing, eventing and the equine athlete I found my obsession was in biomechanics. Why does a horse move well and what we can do to stop horses going wrong?

It is still my passion today.

My Journey

After completing her Bachelor of Veterinary Science at the University of Bristol, I moved to Kentucky in the USA then to spend two years Rancho Jonata in California, a large racehorse breeing & training farm, as the sole resident veterinarian & foaling unit manager. As the daily work was undertaken mainly in Spanish I had to learn very quickly and in a another language from the highly skilled Mexican staff.

Returning to England as private vet to William & Maureen Haggas training horses in Newmarket for I stayed three seasons. It is wonderful to see William & Maureen have a number of successful runners recently here in Australia.

I then took some time to study orthopaedics and imaging under the world renowned diagnostician Dr Sue Dyson and under Dr Ian Wright, specialist equine surgeon, at the Animal Health Trust.

I ventured to Australia in 1993, and was lucky enough to immigrate through specialist professional consideration, working at various prominent equine practices around the country.

In 1998, with my husband David, I moved to Romsey in the beautiful Macedon Ranges where we established Brodie Farm Equine Rehabilitation Centre. We provided rehabilitation of injured horses, foaling, spelling, breaking, education and training with a RVL full permit to train.

In 2006 as the sales work and therefore travel increased we made the decision to downsize, moving around the corner to a smaller property in Romsey where David focuses on his work in stride analysis and early injury detection with StrideMaster and StrideSAFE in racehorses and I have a base for my veterinary work.

With a thirst for continuous professional development I love to study completing ISELP (International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology) modules and attending international conferences with particular interests in performance potential, injury prevention and lameness diagnosis and also in equine ethics.