History of the practice
The practice was originally founded in the mid 19th Century in Friar Street, Reading by Mr G Wheatley. At the time of his death in 1908 it had become a well established equine practice. He was followed by his son Mr Albert Wheatley, who wrote the classic text on farriery and shoeing ('Horseshoeing and the Horse’s Foot' by Dollar MRCVS & Wheatley FRCVS ). During that time there was a large blacksmith shop with 4 fires and 8 blacksmiths at the Friar Street premises.
Peter Scott Dunn's father joined the original practice in 1908 a year before Mr Wheatley's death. In 1909 it was purchased by Mr G P Male who had been Houseman to Sir Frederick Hobday (1870–1939) at the Royal Veterinary College and it has remained a specialist equine practice to this day.
Peter Scott Dunn CVO MRCVS, until recently the principal of the Straight Mile Farm Clinic, joined the practice in 1950. Due to a lack of space in the Friar Street premises and the need to accommodate larger horseboxes the practice moved to Earley, Berkshire in 1958.
After the death of Mr G P Male and the retirement of his son Mr Norman Male the practice was divided. Peter Scott Dunn and Tony Ward took over the equestrian division and remained at Earley until 1972 when Peter and his wife purchased Straight Mile Farm. By 1974 the practice had become a fully functioning equine centre.
Sadly in 1985, Tony Ward was killed in a car accident after which Peter continued to develop the practice with the help of his wife and his colleague Simon Knapp BVetMed BSc MRCVS until it's recent acquisition by CVS (UK) Limited in 2006.
Simon Knapp is now the Clinical Director and has overall responsibility for running all current practice matters.