BASED near Tullow, County Carlow, husband-and-wife team Peter Bakonyi and Aoife Byrne are a rapidly growing mobile veterinary practice. Specialising in horse care, they offer all routine services along with more specialised services, such as equine ophthalmology and advanced equine sports medicine.

Both Peter and Aoife spent time training in England and, returning home to Ireland, they have brought their combined years of specialised equine veterinary experience to Bakonyi and Byrne Equine Vets. Now with two children, they have settled well into Irish life, and have built up a strong client base ranging from pony owners to top-end competition and breeding yards.

Aoife grew up in Tullow, Co Carlow, next door to her uncle’s Park House Stud and her family life was filled with equestrian pursuits. “I was a member of the Carlow Hunt Pony Club, along with my sister and brother. We did everything from hunting to showing, dressage and side saddle, so the love of horses was always there,” she said.

She graduated from the University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, in 2007 with her degree and a doctoral research thesis investigating MRSA in horses. An internship at Anglesey Lodge on the Curragh, followed by a year spent at a busy ambulatory practice, gave her an excellent grounding in all areas of equine veterinary medicine and surgery. She then moved to England to work as an assistant vet at the Beaufort Embryo Transfer Centre, gaining experience in specialised reproduction techniques including stallion fertility examinations, gynaecological and pregnancy examinations, pre-breeding bloods and swabs, artificial insemination and obstetric and neonatal emergencies.

Aoife’s next move to Rowe Equine allowed her to expand her knowledge to include ophthalmology through experience gained at their specialised Equine Eye Clinic. “This was an area of veterinary that really interested me and still does,” she said. “We vet a lot of horses and eye problems can be quite common. In my job, I regularly get asked by colleagues to offer advice on ‘unusual’ eye cases. In one case, a colleague approached with a photo of a yearling Arab she’d seen the day before, called Dan. Dan had come in from the field as usual for the night, but his owner had noticed something wrong with his right eye. It wasn’t showing classic signs of pain, like swelling, excessive tearing or closed eyelids, but instead there was an area on the cornea, which the owner described as cloudy.

“My colleague did the usual basic eye examination, diagnosed a trauma to the area and started Dan on topical anti-inflammatory eye drops. She revisited Dan the next day as his owner reported that, despite the medication, the eye now looked very painful. Some more photos were taken and it was at this point that I came in as my colleague asked for my advice on further diagnostics and appropriate treatment. On magnification of the photos, it became apparent that the corneal oedema (cloudiness) was in fact secondary to something far more serious. A penetrating foreign body - such as a thorn or splinter - had punctured through the outer surface of the eye all the way to the front chamber of the eye globe.”

Next steps

From here, Aoife moved to Norfolk to take up an assistant veterinary surgeon role at the Chapelfield Equine Clinic, alongside Peter. Following a stint there, B and W Equine Vets in Gloucestershire offered a new challenge to work in one of the UK’s largest equine veterinary practices, and it allowed Aoife and Peter to expand their knowledge.

Although Peter didn’t grow up around horses, he was attracted to equine veterinary medicine and surgery. He was raised in Hungary and, like Aoife, he graduated from the University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, in 2007. He completed his internship at Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital on the Curragh and subsequently moved to the United Kingdom. There, he worked in an equine clinic in East Anglia for 10 years, followed by a period working at one of the UK’s largest equine veterinary practices.

His particular interest in poor performance and lameness investigations, along with surgery, led him to complete a postgraduate certificate in advanced veterinary practice at the University of Liverpool, while also attaining a certification in equine sports medicine from University College Dublin. He is constantly adding to his resume and is an FEI-permitted treating veterinarian and an ISELP member.

Homecoming

The return home to Ireland didn’t come as a surprise to the family, and Aoife would say it was always on the cards. “While working in veterinary practices in the UK, we noticed how the sector was changing, particularly with the rise of corporate buyouts. We knew this wasn’t a model we wanted to be part of. We also have two children and wanted them to grow up in Ireland. I was fortunate that my family were based here and could support our move home. Drawing on our combined experience across three practices, we knew we could bring real value to Irish clients,” Aoife explained.

“We are a mobile service, so when we go out to visit a client, we offer a full service. If a horse is lame, we can x-ray or scan it there and then, without bringing the animal to a clinic. Our imaging equipment lets us quickly perform radiography, ultrasonography and endoscopy at the client’s premises. We can then analyse these images and offer potential diagnoses of most conditions to allow swift intervention for the best outcome. We understand that the client can be anxious and the fact that we offer this service gives the answers without the wait.

“Veterinary practices are evolving, as is the way people care for their horses,” Aoife said. “One major topic in the spotlight at the moment is the shift in worming practices. We planned ahead for the legislation change by investing in a Micron Agritech machine so we can offer a faecal worm egg counting service, with worming then carried out based on the results of the count. Anthelminthic resistance is a growing problem, so there needs to be changes with how people worm their animals.”

With a shared vision, decades of specialist experience and a commitment to progressive, evidence-based care, Bakonyi and Byrne Equine Vets are carving out a distinctive place in Irish equine practice. By combining advanced mobile technology with a personal, non-corporate approach, Peter and Aoife are delivering high-level veterinary services directly to yards across Carlow and surrounding counties.

As the equine industry continues to evolve, their focus remains firmly on providing practical solutions, clear communication and the highest standard of care for both horse and owner - ensuring a bright future for their growing practice at the heart of Ireland’s equestrian community.