Find out more about the teams in our small animal, equine and farm animal departments below.
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Small Animals
Small Animals King Street Practice
Small animal Veterinary Surgeon
Rachel Costello
BVetMed MRCVS
Rachel graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2024, she later joined our Small animal team here at our main branch and enjoys all aspects of her job.
After starting at Hirds back in 2022 as a newly qualified RVN, Danni has grown her passion in Veterinary Nursing all things practical - whether it be cuddling your pets or partaking in surgeries Danni loves her job as a nurse and the team at Hirds. Out of work she loves all things animals, food and playing games in her spare time.
Molly joined Hird & Partners in 2017 and qualified in 2019. She enjoys all aspects of nursing but inpaticular enjoys looking after the inpatients. In her spare time Molly enjoys horse riding, baking and time with her family and walking her 2 dogs Teddy & Pip.
Peter Scholefield graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1986 with a degree in Veterinary Science. After qualifying, he worked in mixed practice in Colne and Suffolk before returning to Yorkshire to join the team at Hird and Partners, where he soon went on to become a Partner.
As an experienced orthopaedic clinician Peter brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into lameness and poor performance veterinary care.
Having spent several years working as a veterinary anaesthetist at both Liverpool and Cambridge Veterinary Schools, John achieved the Diploma in Veterinary Anaesthesia awarded by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and took over the veterinary practice based at Blackwall, Halifax, in 1977
Although working as a general practitioner, John has always maintained his interest in anaesthesia, and during his career has received the Melton Award from the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) for his contributions to the improvement of anaesthesia in small animal practice, and his contribution to the speciality was further recognised by the award of the Francis Hogg Medal by the RCVS in 1999. He is now the Senior Consultant Anaesthetist working at both the Cheshire Equine Clinic and at the Equine Hospital at Shelf
Sally joined Hird and Partners in June 1991, after spending two years working in mixed practice in Staffordshire. In 1993, Sally attained her Certificate in Veterinary Anaesthesia and holds a Certificate of Advanced Veterinary practice (Anaesthesia). She contributes to the anaesthesia service at our Shelf Equine Hospital both clinically and overseeing staffing, funding and training of anaesthesia staff. Her other clinical interests include routine preventive horse health care, stud medicine, equine dentistry and ambulatory farm practice.
Tim graduated from the university of Bristol in 2005 with a degree in Veterinary Science. Following his studies, he undertook charitable work with SPANA in Morocco, providing veterinary care to working animals. After this Tim joined an equine clinic based in Devon where he gained valuable experience, before joining Hird and Partners in 2008. He then went on to earn a certificate as an advanced practitioner in Equine Orthopaedic Surgery. Tim is an FEI treating vet at events such as Bramham, Badminton and Frickley and has been on tour Vet for the GB Pony Eventing Team. Tim became a Partner in the practice in 2013 and has since played a key role in the growth and development of the practice, contributing significantly to its attainment of Hospital status.
Chris graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1991 and joined the practice in 1993 after two years working in the Lake District. He is primarily involved in large animal ambulatory work and enjoys treating a diverse range of farm animals, horses, and alpacas. In addition to his clinical duties, Chris contributes to the financial management of the practice, overseeing debt collection and insurance claim processes.
Christian returned to the Hird & Partners in 2022 after completing a surgery residency at the University of Glasgow to become a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS). He is a European & RCVS Specialist in Equine Surgery. He is based at our Shelf Equine Hospital and is interested in all aspects of orthopaedic surgery and soft tissue surgery.
Maja graduated from the University of Copenhagen with a degree in Veterinary Science in 2004. Maja began her career with a 2 year internship at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, before working as a locum for an equine practice in Yorkshire . Maja joined the practice here in Halifax in 2006. Maja is one of our clinic vets whose main focus is that of poor performance and lameness work ups. Maja also interprets the images from our MRI results and is continually keeping up to date with the advancements in diagnostic imaging.
Sophie graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2017 before joining the team at Shelf as an ambulatory vet, where she gained invaluable experience across a varied caseload. In 2019, she moved to our Sheffield branch, playing an integral role in establishing and developing the new practice.
She returned to the Hospital in 2023 as one of our main clinic vets and continues to enjoy a diverse and challenging workload. Her key clinical interests include poor performance, lameness, and internal medicine, and she is currently working towards an Advanced Practitioner Certificate in this field.
Sophie is also a certified Racing Veterinary Surgeon and can be seen regularly at Wetherby Races. In addition, she serves as an FEI Treating Vet—an aspect of her career she particularly enjoys.
Alongside her clinical duties, Sophie provides invaluable support to our expanding team of interns, guiding them through their rotations and contributing to their professional development.
Danielle graduated from University of Liverpool 2019. Started at Hird and Partners after seeing the practice for multiple years as a student. Completed an 18-month internship and started ambulatory work and joined the senior anaesthesia team in January 2021.Now she combines ambulatory work along side anaesthetising and being hospital based. Keen interest in anaesthesia and lameness, hoping to eventually complete a Certificate in Equine Anaesthesia.
Amy has worked for Hird and Partners since 2009. Being one of our senior Anaesthetists she is constantly furthering her knowledge and keeping up to date with the latest techniques. Amy is also a member of our ambualtory team and enjoys the varied day to day workload.
Seamus graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2003. He worked as an ambulatory vet for an equine clinic in Lancashire for eight years before spending a further twelve years as a locum, travelling across the country and gaining a wide range of experience. He joined us in 2021 as a temporary member of our ambulatory team.
Grace graduated from Nottingham University and joined Hirds and Partners in June 2022 as a veterinary intern. She joined the senior anaesthesia team in December 2023. Grace has a special interest in equine reproduction.
Hannah started at Hird & Partners in August 2022 after qualifying from Liverpool University with a distinction. Hannah completed an 18 month internship, gaining a strong skill set in anaesthesia, orthopaedics, critical care and medicine. Hannah is a member of the senior hospital anaesthetic team, an FEI permitted treating vet and is a registered official vet (OV) with the government for exports.
Michael joined our practice in 2023 after graduating from the University of Nottingham. Michael enjoys a varied workload and so splits his time between our small animal practice and large animal ambulatory team.
Rebecca qualified from the University of Nottingham in 2023. She is currently one of our intern team, but will soon be joining our ambulatory team after completion of the internship programme. She particularly enjoys the inpatient care, (especially the medical and intensive care cases) alongside anaesthetising the routine and out of hours surgeries.
Holly joined Hird and Partners in 2011 as part of our reception team. It wasn’t long before she developed a keen interest in veterinary nursing, leading her to transition into the role of a nursing assistant.
Driven by her passion for animal care, Holly enrolled in a Level 2 Veterinary Nursing Technicians course, which she completed with distinction. She then progressed to the Level 3 Nursing Diploma and, after several years of dedicated study and hands-on experience, qualified as a Registered Veterinary Nurse, joining the RCVS register.
Today, Holly plays a vital leadership role within the practice. She manages our team of nurses and nursing assistants, and is also responsible for the efficient operation of our in-house laboratory.
Penny joined Hird and Partners in 2015 as a yard assistant. Her dedication and passion for animal care led her to join the team of Veterinary Nurse Assistants in the clinic, and in 2018, she enrolled in our Student Veterinary Nurse Programme. Since then, Penny has successfully qualified as a Registered Veterinary Nurse and is now listed on the RCVS Register of Veterinary Nurses.
Over the years, Penny has taken on various roles within the practice and has earned her certificate as an MRI & CT technician, an area of particular interest to her. She is especially passionate about imaging, as well as ICU and neonate patient care. In addition to her clinical responsibilities, Penny also plays a key role in the day-to-day management of the nursing team, helping to ensure the smooth operation of the department.
Lucy Joined Hird and Partners in 2014 as a yard assistant and shortly after became interested in clinic work and surgical Nursing. Lucy enrolled in our student nursing programme in 2019 and has since qualified and joined the Register of Veterinary Nurses. Lucy particularily enjoys imaging and is a qualified MRI and CT technician. Lucy also manages our pharmacy and is responsible for making sure the hospital has all the equipment it needs to run smoothly.
Chloe Joined the practice in 2016 as a yard assistant and swiftly joined our nursing assistant team. Chloe began studying for her veterinary nursing qualification in 2022 and recently graduated and joined the RCVS Register of Veterinary Nurses. Chloe is particularly interested in neonate care and ICU cases, and enjoys being an integral part of our surgical nursing team.
Becky Joined the practice back in 2011 as a yard assistant and soon joined the nursing assistant team. She enjoyed the role so much she enrolled on to a Veterinary nursing course and graduated as a Registered Veterinary Nurse in 2023. Becky enjoys a varied role and regularly rotates between working in the clinic and running our operating theatre.
Peter Scholefield graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1986 with a degree in Veterinary Science. After qualifying, he worked in mixed practice in Colne and Suffolk before returning to Yorkshire to join the team at Hird and Partners, where he soon went on to become a Partner.
As an experienced orthopaedic clinician Peter brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into lameness and poor performance veterinary care.
Alexis graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2011 and completed a six-month internship at an equine hospital in Cheshire before joining Hirds in Halifax in February 2012. For eight years, she divided her time between our Shelf Equine Hospital and attending horses on yards. With a strong interest in equine lameness, she completed an Advanced Practitioner Certificate in 2017 with a focus on lameness assessment.
In 2019, Alexis and Becci played a key role in establishing our Sheffield branch, where Alexis continues to split her time between ambulatory and clinic work, concentrating on lameness and poor-performance investigations. She became a partner in 2021.
Alexis is a member of the Association of Racecourse Veterinary Surgeons and works regularly at Wetherby Racecourse. From 2026, she will also serve as a treating and senior veterinary surgeon at Doncaster Racecourse. In addition, she is an FEI treating veterinarian and works annually at Bramham Horse Trials.
James graduated from Cambridge University in July 2022 and joined Hird and Partners two days later as an intern at the Shelf Equine Hospital. Having completed the 18 month hospital internship, where he gained experience in medicine and critical care cases alongside anaesthesia and orthopaedics, he soon joined the Sheffield Equine Clinic team in a predominantly ambulatory role. He particularly enjoys poor performance investigations, and has undertaken CPD in dentistry, equine reproduction and pre-purchase examinations.
Peter Scholefield graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1986 with a degree in Veterinary Science. After qualifying, he worked in mixed practice in Colne and Suffolk before returning to Yorkshire to join the team at Hird and Partners, where he soon went on to become a Partner.
As an experienced orthopaedic clinician Peter brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into lameness and poor performance veterinary care.
Having spent several years working as a veterinary anaesthetist at both Liverpool and Cambridge Veterinary Schools, John achieved the Diploma in Veterinary Anaesthesia awarded by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and took over the veterinary practice based at Blackwall, Halifax, in 1977
Although working as a general practitioner, John has always maintained his interest in anaesthesia, and during his career has received the Melton Award from the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) for his contributions to the improvement of anaesthesia in small animal practice, and his contribution to the speciality was further recognised by the award of the Francis Hogg Medal by the RCVS in 1999. He is now the Senior Consultant Anaesthetist working at both the Cheshire Equine Clinic and at the Equine Hospital at Shelf
Catharine graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2018. She subsequently completed an internship at the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Kentucky. Upon returning to the UK, she joined the team at Hird and Partners’ Shelf Equine Hospital and later relocated to our Cheshire clinic following its opening in 2021.
She is currently working toward her Advanced Practitioner in Orthopaedic Surgery certificate. In her spare time, Catharine enjoys walking her dog and competing her horse.
Alice graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2019. She began a two-year internship at our Shelf Equine Hospital shortly after qualifying. Following the completion of her internship, she continued working at the practice as an ambulatory vet before moving to Cheshire to join our ambulatory and anaesthetic team. Alice has a keen interest in lameness and diagnostic imaging.
Sarah joined the team at our Shelf Equine Hospital in 2019 as a Nursing Assistant and later relocated to our Cheshire clinic following its opening in 2021, where she played an integral role in its establishment. Sarah is also a fully qualified Equine MRI technician which she particularly enjoys due to her keen interest in lameness workups. She subsequently enrolled in an Equine Veterinary Nursing programme and graduated in October 2024. Sarah is now a registered member of the RCVS Register of Veterinary Nurses. Alongside her veterinary work, she also runs a dog grooming business while caring for her own dogs and horse.
Sarah qualified as a Registered Equine Vet Nurse in 2009. Sarah works part-time in our Cheshire clinic, assisting with Lameness investigations, diagnostic imaging, and the day to day running of theatre.
