ADVICEFROMTHE VET
If these conservativetherapiesare noteffective
or the horse is toosoretodothem then medicating the sacroiliac and lumbosacral area with anti- inflammatory steroids canbevery helpful. Medication mustbeperformed along with the other treatmentsmentioned above to be effective.
WHATSHOULD ILOOK OUT FOR IN MY HORSE?
The mostimportant thing to look out forinhorses with anykind of lameness or performanceproblem is achange in their behavior or wayofgoing. If your horse startstostruggle with maneuversthey previously found easy this is an indication of a problem. If youhaveanew horse who youdon’t knowthat well then look out forany resistance behaviorsthat arenot improving. Particular signs of pelvic pain caninclude struggling to maintain canter,inability to travel in the canter,stopping at fences (particularly if theyare big enough to necessitatecreatingabascule overthe fence) and lack of hind limb musculaturedespitework.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ultrasound scan of the lumbosacral joint.
pelvic pain comesfromdeficienciesinmovement and poor posturesosimilar to human’s, horses need to improve their posturetoresolvethese issues. In humans, we tend to do Pilates or yoga to manage lowerback pain or pelvic pain. The same kind of approach canbeusedinhorses onceany underlying issuesare resolved. This includesteaching your horse to work long and lowonthe
lunge.Working them overtheir back
whilstinridden work. Ensuring that youasa rider aresat squarely and exerting even pressure with both limbs. Hill work and pole work arealso very beneficial to get ahorse to engage the hind quarterseffectively.Engaging the services of a qualified physiotherapist, massage therapistor manual body worker canalso be very beneficial. Alongside their sessions youcan work on stretching and postural exerciseswith your horse.
ClaireSawyer BVet Med MSc Cert AVPESO MRCVS ClaireSawyerisaDirectoratAvonvale and an Advanced Practitioner in Equine Orthopaedics. She spends mostof her time assessing horses’ movement and addressing performanceand lameness problems. She is keen to see anyhorse who isn’tmeeting their full potential whether that be forlight hacking or high-levelcompetition. Clairealso enjoys doing pre-purchase examinations. Claireiscurrently on maternity leave, but will be returning to the practiceinthe Spring of 2021. •AvonvaleEquinePractice, RatleyLodge,Ratley,Banbury,OX156DT
www.avonvaleequine.co.uk T
el:01295670501
Ultrasound image of aneedle being placed in the sacroiliac joint.
PleasementionCentral HorseNewswhen respondingtoAdvertisementsWINTERSPECIAL2020
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