Dr Nicole Laurence created a practice where animals could feel at ease
Dr Nicole Laurence didn’t want to treat scared and stressed animals. She wanted to create a practice that makes them feel relaxed, safe and happy.
Learn MoreHe discovered when just an infant, what would one day transform his interesting hobby into a successful Sydney practice.
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Introduced to performance horses almost from birth, the Gippsland-born youngster competed in numerous equestrian disciplines. This led to his first job as a stablehand at a local racing stable.
After making a move to the Victorian capital in his late teens, Dr Garth completed a bachelor’s degree in radiography and medical imaging at Monash University in 2003. A period at Barwon Health (Geelong Hospital) taught him the disciplines of general radiology, CT, emergency and theatre before he was persuaded to head back to the books to undertake a veterinary science degree at Melbourne University.
Immediately after his graduation in 2009, Dr Garth was offered employment with Flemington Equine Clinic where he was afforded the opportunity to combine his past equine experience with his medical imaging background. While a stint of mixed practice followed, he was drawn back to equine practice. David sought the assistance of BOQ Specialist to help fund Sydney Equine Practice. He turned to BOQ Specialist consultants Paul Catanzariti and Sam Knowlton for help. Dr Garth describes his dealings with BOQ Specialist as “fantastic”.
“They made everything really easy,” he says. “As soon as I wanted to grow the business, they offered to get everything sorted”. Like most business owners I’m very time poor so having Paul easily accessible saved a lot of time. Great service is very important to me and that’s what BOQ Specialist is exceptional at.”
Learning from the best
David’s previous equine experience meant he was ready to create his own equine practice which he did so under the guidance of previous colleagues and mentors.
Dealing with everything from beloved ponies to group one race horses, his service operates regularly throughout metropolitan Sydney, the Hawkesbury, the Southern Highlands and Illawarra regions, where it offers everything from podiatry, lameness examinations and castrations to pathology, radiology, ultrasound and endoscopy.
Having made the decision to seek further financial assistance from BOQ Specialist to fully fit out his small fleet of work vehicles has given his business a distinct advantage over his competitors, Dr Garth says.
“We have the ability to service our clients’ needs on the spot, which is really important. We have the ability to examine and perform diagnostic tests at the horse’s stable. I know [having immediate access to this type of equipment] is important to our clients. Yes, it’s hard work but you can’t afford to service them any other way.”
Dr Garth says his clients expect answers so it is essential to have the equipment to provide a diagnosis so a management plan can be made.
Staying expert
To help ensure this continues to be a priority, Dr Garth has recently employed a new vet to start in the practice, who will work alongside himself and colleague Dr Fiona Cox, who joined the practice early in 2018 and is herself a high-level dressage competitor.
Racing and performance horses remain the focus of the practice, in the longer term Dr Garth hopes to expand into reproductive work, which is where the new charge comes in. “We’re growing and growing reasonably quickly. I’ve already got clients for [our new vet] to start with.
“I guess long-term it will then be a matter of adding some mid-level vets. We’ll always be more top heavy because of the clients we service who demand and expect the highest level of expertise.”
Thinking about starting or growing your practice? Click on the link to find out more about our tailored financial solutions for setting up a practice. Or ready to take the next step? Contact us to find out how we can tailor a practice finance solution for you, or call us on 1300 160 160.
