Equine sports medicine is a specialized field that combines veterinary medicine, rehabilitation, and sports science to optimize an equine athlete’s health and performance. Our State Ave Veterinary Clinic team explains what equine sports medicine entails. Preventive care is necessary for equine athletes to help maintain their optimal health and ensure their fitness

Preventive care for equine athletes

Preventive care is necessary for equine athletes to help maintain their optimal health and ensure their fitness can withstand their training and performance schedule. Considerations include:

  • Regular wellness exams — Routine veterinary exams help detect potential issues before they become serious problems. These evaluations typically include a thorough physical exam, lameness assessments, overall fitness evaluations, and potentially diagnostics such as blood work.
  • Vaccinations and deworming — Keeping vaccination and deworming schedules current is crucial to prevent diseases that can impair your horse’s health and performance.
  • Dental care — Routine dental care keeps your horse’s teeth healthy and pain-free so they don’t have issues with the bit and can receive the nutrients they require.
  • Hoof care — Our team can work with your farrier to determine your horse’s best trimming and shoeing options.

Lameness evaluation for equine athletes

Lameness is one of equine athletes’ most common reasons for performance problems. The term lameness refers to an abnormality in the horse’s movement caused by pain or reduced range of motion and can involve any part of the body. An accurate diagnosis is necessary to determine the source of the lameness so the issue can be effectively treated. A thorough lameness exam involves a systematic approach which typically includes:

  • History — Our team will gather information such as the horse’s medical history, previous injuries, current medications and supplements, and recent changes in management or exercise routines.
  • Physical exam — A thorough physical exam is important to assess your horse’s temperature, heart, lungs, muscle tone, and overall body condition.
  • Gait observation — We watch your horse in motion to determine which limb is affected. Depending on your horse’s lameness severity, we may watch them walking, trotting, or cantering in a straight line or in a circle.
  • Hoof testing — We use hoof testers to determine whether your horse has foot pain or sensitivity.
  • Palpation and manipulation — Our team will palpate your horse’s limbs and assess each joint’s range of motion.  
  • Flexion tests — We may use flexion tests to help localize the lameness to a particular area. This involves flexing a specific joint for a period and observing their gait immediately afterward.
  • Nerve blocking — In some cases, nerve or joint blocks are necessary to localize the lameness source.
  • Diagnostic imaging — We may recommend diagnostic imaging, such as X-rays or ultrasound, to visualize and evaluate your horse’s bones, joints, tendons, or ligaments.

Endoscopy for equine athletes

Respiratory disorders can cause airway dysfunction, leading to poor performance in equine athletes. Common conditions include pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia, dorsal displacement of the soft palate, pharyngeal collapse, and laryngeal hemiplegia. Using a flexible endoscope, we can see inside your horse’s nose and throat to help determine an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment plan.

Treatment for equine athletes

Your horse’s treatment will depend on their diagnosis. At State Ave Vet, we provide the following treatments options:

  • Laser therapy — Laser therapy uses photobiomodulation to accelerate healing, reduce pain, and alleviate tissue inflammation.
  • Regenerative medicine — Regenerative medicine, such as stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma, can be used to treat certain tendon, ligament, and joint injuries.
  • Surgery — Surgery may be necessary to address some issues affecting your equine athlete’s performance.
  • Prescription medications — We may prescribe medications including oral anti-inflammation drugs like phenylbutazone or injectable glucosamines. 
  • Joint injections–  Injecting local medicine like steroids (cortisone-like drug) and hyaluronic acid to increase lubrication, decrease pain and inflammation for months
  • Therapeutic shoeing– “no foot, no horse” is a well-known mantra among equine enthusiasts. We can work closely with your farrier for the best trimming/shoeing management for your equine athlete.  

Rehabilitation for equine athletes

Historically, equine athlete rehabilitation involved long periods of stall rest, but research indicates that immobilization can negatively affect muscle function, joint flexibility, cartilage health, and scar tissue formation. Our team will develop a controlled exercise program tailored to your horse’s diagnosis to help facilitate and speed their recovery. We will work with you and your farrier, changing the plan as needed to ensure the safest and most effective outcome.

If your horse is experiencing performance issues, contact our State Ave Veterinary Clinic team so we can determine the problem and devise an appropriate treatment plan to get your equine athlete back to performing at their optimal level as soon as possible.