Equine Med Surgery Lesson 1
What can performance issues entail (beyond lameness)
Respiratory, GI, Respiratory, Behavioral
What are the 7 steps of a lameness examination
1) history
2) Evaluation-conformation
3) Palpation
4) evaluation in motion (walk, trot straight, trot circle)
5) Flexions
6) Diagnostic blocks
7) ancillary diagnostics
How should every lameness exam be performed
The same every time (develop you method and stick to it)
What should you do to every horse during a lameness evaluation
Evaluate and palpate
What are the 3 broad categories we can classify lameness into
Musculoskeletal
neurologic
metabolic
What information should you gather for a lameness evaluation
Signalment
Use (workload/performance)
management (stall/pasture, days of work/type)
Duration of lameness (acute/chronic)
what is the horse doing when lameness is apparent
What are we looking for during our conformational evaluation
, ALD, FLD, overall body conformation, asymmetry (pelvis, limbs, muscles), foot
size and consistent "square" weightbearing
What do we palpate during a lameness exam
Poll, neck, back, hips, front limbs, hind limbs
What specifically do we palpate on the front limbs
All joints, upper limb muscles, lower limb muscles and tendons/ligaments,
coronary band, heal bulbs, hoof capsule
What specifically do we palpate on the hind limb
Same as fore limb, plus stifles (patellar ligaments), Hocks (medial aspect and
cunean tendon)
When palpating what are we looking for?
Heat, pain, swelling
When evaluating a horse at a walk what are we looking for
Coordination, tracking in a straight line, asymmetrical movement, lameness,
foot flight/landing
When evaluating a horse in tight circles what are we looking for
Proprioception and gait abnormalities
When evaluating a horse back up what are we looking for
Gait abnormalities
What is the grading scale of equine lameness
1-5
Lameness grade 1
What can performance issues entail (beyond lameness)
Respiratory, GI, Respiratory, Behavioral
What are the 7 steps of a lameness examination
1) history
2) Evaluation-conformation
3) Palpation
4) evaluation in motion (walk, trot straight, trot circle)
5) Flexions
6) Diagnostic blocks
7) ancillary diagnostics
How should every lameness exam be performed
The same every time (develop you method and stick to it)
What should you do to every horse during a lameness evaluation
Evaluate and palpate
What are the 3 broad categories we can classify lameness into
Musculoskeletal
neurologic
metabolic
What information should you gather for a lameness evaluation
Signalment
Use (workload/performance)
management (stall/pasture, days of work/type)
Duration of lameness (acute/chronic)
what is the horse doing when lameness is apparent
What are we looking for during our conformational evaluation
, ALD, FLD, overall body conformation, asymmetry (pelvis, limbs, muscles), foot
size and consistent "square" weightbearing
What do we palpate during a lameness exam
Poll, neck, back, hips, front limbs, hind limbs
What specifically do we palpate on the front limbs
All joints, upper limb muscles, lower limb muscles and tendons/ligaments,
coronary band, heal bulbs, hoof capsule
What specifically do we palpate on the hind limb
Same as fore limb, plus stifles (patellar ligaments), Hocks (medial aspect and
cunean tendon)
When palpating what are we looking for?
Heat, pain, swelling
When evaluating a horse at a walk what are we looking for
Coordination, tracking in a straight line, asymmetrical movement, lameness,
foot flight/landing
When evaluating a horse in tight circles what are we looking for
Proprioception and gait abnormalities
When evaluating a horse back up what are we looking for
Gait abnormalities
What is the grading scale of equine lameness
1-5
Lameness grade 1
