Equine Athlete: Weeks 2-3

My summer with Equine Athlete continues at a completely different pace than the one that was set at the busy Buckeye show during Week 1.  For the next few weeks we are scheduled to visit farms and evaluate horses of various levels and disciplines.  Both doctors are in and out of the state visiting farms around the country, while those of us at home are traversing Michigan and Ohio evaluating and treating as needed.  Most of the horses we are working with are slated to go to the regional shows coming up at the end of the month.  While others are less familiar clients that contact the practice for second opinions or more difficult lameness cases.  Although very different from Week 1, I am getting more time to learn the intricacies of lameness and how to treat different causes.  From young horses in training with training injuries, to seasoned show horses with chronic ailments, to solid children's horses with recurring unsoundnesses, we will be seeing it all over the coming weeks!

Image 1. Pre-purchase from 2015

Image 2. Radiograph from 2017

I have spent most of the past two weeks with Dr. O'Cull, as Dr. Hill has been traveling in and out to various farms around the country.  Our typical day consists of travel to different farms, evaluation of the patients, discussion with the client about treatment options and then performing treatments. Unlike the show cases, where we were treating in order to ensure top performance, these horses typically have more intricate diagnoses.  One of the more surprising cases was that of a gelding with suspected fetlock lameness.  Equine Athlete performed a clean pre-purchase on the horse only two years prior to him going lame during his training.  After performing a flexion test and isolating the source of lameness we opted to take radiographs of the region.  Immediately we identified the problem, advanced arthritis of the fetlock.

Osteoarthritis (OA) results from the progressive degeneration of articular cartilage.  This degeneration can have many causes; including trauma to the joint, progressive wear due to high impact activities, or abnormal/diseased cartilage.  Once the arthritic process has begun, there are no current therapies that can reverse the damage.  Luckily, there are options for slowing the progression of OA.  Limiting impact on the joint by decreasing workload, oral joint supplements, and intrarticular joint injections are some of the more common options for OA management.  Unfortunately for this horse, future top level performance options will most likely be limited due to the fast appearance and advanced stage of its OA.  The owners opted to inject the horses front fetlocks and place it on oral joint supplements.  We will continue to monitor the case and hopefully be successful in making the horse more comfortable and sound for many years to come.

What I am enjoying most about my experience with Equine Athlete thus far, besides the fantastic staff, is the opportunity to problem solve with an objective in mind.  All too often in medicine, we focus on simply 'making the animal better'; patching them up and sending them on their way.  But, what does that mean in the long run?  For the horses we are working with, it is straightforward.  Our job is to locate the source of their lameness and manage their physical well being for a long life of performance.  Then, when their career as a show horse is over, we are ensuring them a retirement into lighter work, lower level showing, or breeding (depending on the situation).  Not only are we helping their immediate ailments, but also providing for their long term soundness.  This is a way that I like to practice medicine and I look forward to my next adventures with Equine Athlete in the coming weeks.