EQUINE SPINAL PAIN UK SPECIALISTS

• Is your horse an absolute dream in-hand or on the lunge? Then as soon as the tack comes out, you see it in their eyes and off to the back of the stable they go!!
• Do they buck when you sit to ask for canter?
• Do they periodically shoot off under saddle which is pretty damn terrifying?
• Do they plant their feet? Refuse to go forwards and vocalise their distaste when you squeeze with your leg?
• Every time your physiotherapist visits, do they say that your horse is sore through his/her spine, but you’ve had your saddle checked and that is fine??

These amongst many other signs could indicate that your horse has pain coming from the spine. This can be from the underlying bone structures, nerve pain or pain coming from the many muscles and ligaments which interact with the spinal column. This includes pain coming from the sacrum, pelvis and sacroiliac joints too!

These cases can be extremely frustrating for you as an owner to overcome. However, we deal with these cases every, single day. We have developed a thorough, systematic approach to the investigation of these cases, so that no stone is left unturned.

Spinal imaging is performed through a combination of X-ray and ultrasonography assessments. From an X-ray perspective, due to the size of the horse, a lot of powerful radiation is required which comes from a large X-ray machine in a controlled setting! These are not images that can ever (or should ever) be obtained in a yard situation, it’s simply not possible!

To visualise the soft tissue attachments of the pelvis and spine you also need powerful ultrasound machines that have a lower frequency and a specialised probe very different from a musculoskeletal ultrasound machine. The soundwaves need to penetrate much deeper tissues without losing detail and believe me these machines are very expensive and must be kept within a clinic setting.

At Oakhill Equine Vets, we can confidently boast that we have the best imaging equipment for visualising pathology of the equine spine. We also have an arena to observe the horse ridden, with or without a rider dummy on board to help us understand the kind of symptoms your horse is displaying without putting you or anyone else in a potentially dangerous situation.

Once the problem has been identified, then we can create an appropriate, specific therapeutic approach. This may consist of conservative management through a combination of physiotherapy, injectable or anti-inflammatory medication, acupuncture with Equine Director Rosie and hydrotherapy. In the unlikely event that surgery is required you can be safe in the knowledge that we have two European Specialist surgeons on hand to perform the latest surgical techniques proven to help relieve the symptoms of spinal pain in the horse. The most common techniques are interspinous ligament desmotomy (ligament snipping) and dorsal wedge ostectomies (bone shaving). Our surgeons have all of the latest knowledge to be able to discuss these options with you depending on what your horse needs.

We are proud of the fact that we can perform all investigations and start treatment in your horse within a few days of your horse’s arrival at our clinic in Goosnargh, no waiting around for test results or for the next steps to take place. We can do it all and do it all well!!

We have no preference as to whether your horse holds an insurance policy or not, we treat all horses exactly the same. There is transparency with costings throughout regardless of your insurance status. If your horse is insured, our insurance team are on hand to make the process as stress-free as possible for you.

If you simply want to start the dialogue with regards to how we may be able to help you and your horse, just give our team a call and ask to speak to one of our spinal experts.