Health and soundness in the horse is crucial to performance and overall longevity. The more time and knowledge that is soundly invested in your horse’s health, the less problems that will be present and inevitably, the lower your overall financial output on healthcare costs. Despite this […]
Horse Health; Herbs versus Medications Read More »
EPM or Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis has plagued horse owners for decades with an estimated clinical prevalence of less than 5% of horses being affected. Despite this being a low number, relatively speaking, impacting less than 5 out of 100 horses, the impact when it does happen
Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) in the Horse Read More »
Navicular syndrome is a very common problem in the equine industry, likely impacting 30% or more of horses, dependent on the breed and discipline. We see this condition commonly in the western disciplines but also to varying degrees in other sports, including jumping, dressage and even racing. There are many factors that contribute to the problem, which can make it difficult at times to manage. All too often, though, we tend to wait until the condition has progressed, with irreversible damage, before we properly intervene. With a better understanding, hopefully we can recognize the condition sooner, see contributing factors and produce better results for the patient in the long term.
Equine Navicular Syndrome and Heel Pain; New Perspectives Read More »
Respiratory conditions in the horse are very common, but present in many forms. As horse owners, you may be familiar with terms including allergies, inflammatory airway disease (IAD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These terms get tossed around quite often and in many cases, despite the final diagnosis, we fail to see the connection between all of them and the possibility that one can progress to another over time.
Is it allergies or COPD?? Read More »
Joint disease is a common manifestation of life, aging and often a result of many contributing factors including conformation, deformities and repetitive overuse. In horses, joint pain is common not only with aging due to deterioration, but is also present in the younger group secondary to high levels of stress to the areas associated with training and competition. In all groups, we have an often daily dependence on pain medications, but in horses, this progresses one step further to include repetitive joint injections to help keep the athlete competing. In many respects, we have come to accept these therapies as the only means of management, but are they really helping and is there more that can be done? Is it also possible that some of these therapies, despite good intentions, may be creating more harm in the end? With further knowledge, we can understand better and consider different options.
Joint Dysfunction; Are Injections the Only Solution? Read More »
Do you have a horse or know of one impacted by EPM? Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) is unfortunately a common disease in the horse, impacting hundreds, if not thousands every year. The outcomes for each case can vary dramatically, resulting in a huge expenditure for the owner and an uncertain future for the horse. Give the huge variability in outcomes despite newer treatment options, one is left asking ‘why’ and what more can be done to aid in prevention and therapy to help increase the success rates. Maybe it is time to rethink our approach to these cases in order to maximize the outcome.
EPM and the Immune System; A clinical perspective Read More »
