Veterinarians have been upgrading their skills at both communicating information about their research and in making their research more accessible to the public. Laminitis prevention is an area that is in critical need of more outreach. Navigating the literature on laminitis research can be confusing and overwhelming.
At last week's British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress in England, the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) gave an award for video interpretation of equine research. The video abstract they presented is remarkable on two counts: The winning author is an American, and the subject is laminitis prevention and education of horse owners.
"Keeping the sport horse on the road" will be the theme for the final day at this year’s British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress, to be held September 11-14, 2019, in Birmingham, England. The session on Saturday, September 14th will bring together leading vets, farriers and physiotherapists for an holistic look at keeping the sports horse at the top of its game.
Links between equine obesity and laminitis are well documented, but veterinarians still report an increase in obesity; latest estimates are that as many as fifty percent of all horses in the United Kingdom may be overweight and at risk for related health problems. Today the British Equine Veterinary Association issued an official warning to owners that is valid all over the world.
Many ponies and horses suffer from pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), known in the past as equine cushings disease. Among the common clinical signs of the endocrine-related condition, seen commonly in older (but not exclusively older) animals are long, non-shedding coats and chronic laminitis. PPID can, in most cases, be successfully managed by the medication pergolide mesylate, which is currently only FDA-approved in a poorly palatable tablet. A recent presentation on an alternative form of the medication has been recognized with a prize from the British Equine Veterinary Association.
Research into what may one day be a significant advance in options for the treatment of horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), once known as equine cushings disease, has received an award in the United Kingdom.
Professor Renate Weller (center) of the Royal Veterinary College in the United Kingdom announced this week that she is leaving academia for a career in corporate veterinary education. Weller has been a magnet in the equine industry for her inclusive and inspiring dialogues with students, horse owners, farriers and the public. She is shown here during a demonstration for an equestrian group touring the RVC's Structure and Motion Laboratory where she conducts research. (RVC publicity photo)
Professor Renate Weller, Drvetmed, PhD, MScVetEd, ACVSMR, FHEA, NTF, ECVSMR, MRCVS, has announced her decision to leave her academic teaching role at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), University of London in the United Kingdom.
The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress is only six weeks away, and the time has come to make plans to attend this world-class event. Touting itself as "organized by horse vets for horse vets", the BEVA Congress is Europe’s largest equine veterinary conference. This year it will be held at Liverpool Arena Convention Centre from 13-16 September.The Hoof Blog has dissected the schedule to pull out interesting speakers and topics of interest to veterinarians and farriers.
Speaking of farriers, this year the BEVA Congress is hosting a full day of farriery speakers, moderated by Professor Renate Weller of the Royal Veterinary College, on Saturday, September 16. Farriers may attend the one-day session at a special rate, but the rate ends on August 4.
The schedule for BEVA Farriery Day:
Anatomy and biomechanics of the foot | Jean-Marie Denoix
How do nerve blocks help in the management of foot pain? | Michael Schramme Radiography of the foot – how does it help farriery management? | Renate Weller MRI of the foot – how does it help farriery management? | Tim Mair
How does arena surface modify distal limb biomechanics in sport horses? | Nathalie Crevier-Denoix
How to read the hoof capsule | Grant Moon Farriery of the foal | Simon Curtis
The natural balance approach | David Nicholls
Kinesitherapic shoes | Jean-Marie Denoix
Managing the Thoroughbred foot | Declan Cronin
Keeping the dressage horse sound | Haydn Price
Guidelines for trimming and shoeing the sport horse | Grant Moon
Farriery panel and case discussions on The Barefoot Revolution--Fad, Fiction and Facts with panelists Renate Weller, Michael Schramme, David Nicholls, Simon Curtis, Haydn Price, Grant Moon, Declan Cronin and Jonathan Anderson
Here's a message from Professor Weller about the farriery event:
Early registration rates close on August 4, 2017, however direct online registration is not available for those registering for the Farriery Day only. The form can be filled out and emailed to Verity at BEVA.
The BEVA Congress has a wide-ranging program of events; in addition to the packed multi-track lecture schedule, the Congress hosts a large trade show of equine veterinary products and some innovative specialty topics are covered in depth, such as an afternoon session on equine "end of life" decision making. The pros and cons of incorporating a veterinary practice will be debated.
In addition to the farriery day, there is also a dentistry day and a nursing day. Derek Knottenbelt will present the 2017 John Hickman Memorial Plenary Lecture; his topic: Using the past to make the future better. Tom Divers of Cornell University is one of the US veterinarians who will be speaking at Liverpool.
This video offers some reactions to the BEVA Congress from 2016 attendees:
Some lameness highlights from the main Congress lecture schedule:
Thursday Lameness Topics and Speakers from the Main Congress Schedule
Dealing with excessive granulation tissue | Yvonne Elce
Chronic progressive lymphoedema | Marianne Sloet
CAT: What is the risk that corticosteroid treatment will cause laminitis? | Edd Knowles
Skin problems of the distal limb | Marianne Sloet
Foot conformation and placement | Thilo Pfau
Training aids | Russell Guire
Pelvic movement asymmetry | Thilo Pfau
Tendon properties | M. Verkade
Sole packing and impact vibrations | Amy Barstow
Wounds | Jonathan Anderson
Acute Laminitis | John Keen
Common fractures | Matthew Smith
Lymphangitis/cellulitis | David Rendle
Choice of intra-articular medications for treating joint disease | Andrew Bathe
Use of stem cells in treatment of osteoarthritis | Michael Schramme
Use of bisphosphonates in bone disease | Olivier Lepage
Complications of biologic therapies in the treatment of musculoskeletal disease | Roger Smith
CAT: Is it worth me operating on a DIRT lesion in a juvenile Thoroughbred intended for racing? | Richard Reardon
Imaging the proximal suspensory ligament | Jean-Marie Denoix
Medical treatment of proximal suspensory desmitis | Kent Allen
Surgical management of proximal suspensory desmitis | Andrew Bathe
Acupuncture in the management of equine lameness | Dietrich Von Schweinitz
CAT: What is the best treatment option for a medial femoral condylar subchondral bone cyst? | Etienne O’Brien
Diagnosis of PPID and EMS | Kelsey Hart
CAT: Does pergolide therapy prevent laminitis in horses diagnosed with PPID? | Edd Knowles
Fractures secondary to kick injuries | A. Schreier
Friday Lameness Topics and Speakers
from the Main Congress Schedule
Limb and hoof conformation: When do variations affect intended use? | Sue Dyson
PPE of horses intended for breeding. What can be done? | James Crabtree
PPE across Europe – understanding the clash of cultures | Malcolm Morley
PPE and radiology of sports horses. What is the evidence? | Werner Jahn
PPE disasters – and how to avoid them | Malcolm Morley
Resveratrol in osteoarthritis | D. Ryan
Synovial fluid metabolomic profiles | J. Anderson
Computed tomographic contrast tenography | R. Agass
Hock conformation and PSD | J. Routh
Suture patterns for DDFT repair | L. Chapman
Catastrophic condylar fractures – MRI | J. Peloso
Nuclear scintigraphy in sports horses | L. Quiney
Facial expressions and pain | S. Dyson
EHV-2 in tendon | R. Wardle
Return to racing after SDFT injury | R. Alzola
Complications of arthroscopic surgery | Bruce Bladon
Where are we and where are we going with objective lameness evaluation? | Filipe Serra Bragança
Objective lameness evaluation in clinical practice | Michael Schramme
Why I prefer subjective evaluation of lameness | Sue Dyson
CAT: Can I give alpha-2 agonists for blocking and accurately assess the horse’s lameness once blocked? | Michael De Cozar
Pragmatic approach to multi-limb lameness | Luis Rubio-Martinez
Changing disease patterns in an aging equine population | John Marshall
Fasted insulin for EMS diagnosis | R. Olley
Effects of Karo dose on oral sugar test | N. Jocelyn
PK and PD of oral pergolide in horses with PPID | D. Rendle
When nerve and joint blocks go wrong | Bruce Bladon
CAT: Is nuclear scintigraphy helpful in the diagnosis of chronic lameness in competition horses? | Jonathon Dixon
Evaluation of flexion tests | John Marshal
Owner perceptions of equine obesity | T. Furtado
Regional anaesthesia of the distal limb | Luis Rubio Martinez
Ultrasound of the distal limb | Roger Smith
Regional anaesthesia of the distal limb | Luis Rubio Martinez
Distal limb dissection Parts 1, 2, and 3 | Jean-Marie Denoix
Saturday Lameness Topics and Speakers
from the Main Congress Schedule
Emerging methods using ultrasound for detection of soft tissue musculoskeletal disease | Valeria Busoni
Is MRI of the proximal metacarpal or metatarsal region worth it? | Lucy Meehan
Body condition scoring – how to do it and how to engage horse-owners | Lizzie Drury
Use and abuse of NSAIDs | John Marshall
Live Horse Ultrasound with Jean-Marie Denoix | Sponsored by The International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology
Basics of medication of competition horses | Andrew Bathe
Do vets need to understand the rules of competition, showing and racing? | Jonathan Pycock
Read this blog's headlines on the Hoofcare + LamenessFacebook Page
Disclosure of Material Connection: The Hoof Blog (Hoofcare Publishing) has not received any direct compensation for writing this post. Hoofcare Publishing has no material connection to the brands, products, or services mentioned, other than products and services of Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Professor Renate Weller of the Royal Veterinary College, London, will be president of the British Equine Veterinary Association in 2018, following results of an election held this year. (BEVA photo)
The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) issued a press release this week with some news about a British veterinarian well-known to everyone exposed to equine hoof research. The Hoof Blog is happy to share this news.
Professor Belknap surveyed farriers in the United States and Great Britain about their involvement with veterinarians in the treatment of laminitis and asked for their feedback about working relationships with veterinarians on foot cases. The survey also asked how farriers perceived the level to which the success or limitations of the farrier-vet relationship may affect the outcomes of cases or the perceptions of clients.
A new study published today in Great Britain sorts out what is likely to send horses to vets and farriers for treatment there, and you have to look pretty far down to find hoof-related problems (other than laminitis) on the list.
Great Britain's National Equine Health Survey (NEHS), held annually every May, has confirmed for the second year that lameness is the most common syndrome affecting the UK’s horses and ponies. This year’s top results, compiled in this report, have also revealed an apparent increase in laminitis compared with previous years.
The 2014 "BEVA Congress" or annual convention of the British Equine Veterinary Association, has announced the addition of a full day program on farriery and foot lameness for Saturday, September 13. The Congress will be held at the ICC in Birmingham, England, where five separate scientific programs will run concurrently in five lecture halls over the three days of congress,.
Canker is the common name for what most horse owners describe as an “ugly, smelly growth” on the bottom of a horse’s foot. People describe it as looking like jellyfish, or cauliflower, and they always mention the foul odor that hits them when they lift the horse’s foot.
Canker in horses’ hooves is one of the most confounding problems in equine podiatry today. Most horse owners have never seen it, let alone smelled it. They know something is wrong, and treat it like thrush. While thrush progressively destroys the tissue of the frog, canker appears to grow out of the bottom of the foot. Treatment with thrush medication is futile.
If canker is left untreated, the horse becomes lame and the owner eventually calls the veterinarian, who may or may not have seen it before, either--but who can deduce what it probably is. Medication and topical treatments begin, but the problem may persist, and owners’ resources may not extend to surgical debridement or repeated procedures.
Many cases of canker end in frustration for owners and pain or even sometimes death for horses. Some recover, some do not. The ones who recover may do so only to experience a recurrence of the problem, causing many owners to give up.
What is canker?
Equine hoof canker (known in equine dermatitis texts as pododermatitis chronica verrucosa or chronic hypertrophic pododermatitis) begins in the caudal part of the cleft of the frog and gradually expands to the sole and wall. Equine canker is not lethal in and of itself, but because of where it occurs on the foot, and because it can be so difficult to treat and it recurs so often, it can severely compromise a horse’s soundness. The etiology of equine canker has been a topic of discussion for many years, but the specific cause is not known.
Canker and sarcoids
In many ways, canker is similar to equine sarcoids. Like canker, sarcoids also tend to be difficult to treat and often recur. Both canker and sarcoids often include a mixture of proliferative and erosive changes in the skin secondary to overgrowth and thickening of the tissues.
Due to these similarities, it has been speculated that bovine papillomavirus (BPV) might also be involved in causing canker.
Researchers have documented the existence of BPV in hoof canker in recent research, but it does not always show up in tests. A paper by Angelique Jongbloets et al at the University of Utrecht in 2005 documented a case of a horse with canker in all four feet that without any BPV present. That case was successfully treated as an autoimmune disorder with steroid medication, and successfully recovered.
Last month, the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress in Great Britain included a clinical research abstract authored by Apprich and Licka from the Equine Clinic of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria and Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, respectively.
Apprich and Licka described using topical chemotherapy to treat canker; the same type of chemotherapy has been successfully used on equine sarcoids.
Dr. Veronika Apprich kindly shared photos and updated the study for this blog report.
The study predicted that, if successful, the treatment would both reduce the amount of time a horse would need to be hospitalized and decrease the rate of recurrence.
The initial study tracked results of treatment of three horses (two warmbloods and one draught horse). Two of the horses had canker in one front hoof; the third horse had canker in all four feet.
Laboratory tests on one of the horses identified the presence of bovine papillomavirus DNA.
The canker lesions were debrided in all the horses before treatment, but recurrence required that two of the horses underwent a second surgical debridement before chemotherapy could begin.
The horses were treated topically with a paste of cisplatin ten times, every other day, for about 20 days; the feet were kept bandaged.
In correspondence since the Congress, Apprich shared information that her team has now treated eight horses, with follow-up available on all of them. Only one horse has had a recurrence, which she explains:
“The only (and really small) recurrence (in one front hoof), which was surgically debrided in a really early stage again and by this cured until now, was seen after 13 months only in the horse with all 4 hooves affected by now; but this was also the horse which had undergone quite intensive treatment other than cisplatin chemotherapy before (at the time of cisplatin chemotherapy this horse had the 4th recurrence of canker).”
This clinical research can add to the information bank on equine canker if two ways:
Treating more cases this way and following up on the success of the treatment may lead to a better understanding of canker and how it may be related to equine sarcoids.
The recurrence of canker is a particularly discouraging aspect of the condition; any treatment that successfully decreases the rate of recurrence, or delays recurrence, will make a difference in owner attitude toward initiating treatment of the horse.
Thanks to Dr. Veronika Apprich for her assistance with details of her study.
Please read the full abstract for details about this treatment:
Apprich, V., Licka, T.: Topical cisplatin chemotherapy in three horses affected by canker in British Equine Veterinary Association Clinical Research Proceedings, a supplement to Equine Veterinary Journal, 2012.
To learn more: A few papers and abstracts from the Hoofcare + Lameness library:
Jongbloets AM, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Meeus PJ, Back W.: Equine exudative canker: an (auto-)immune disease? in Tijdschr Diergeneeskd. 2005 Feb 15;130(4):106-9.
Brandt et al: Consistent detection of bovine papillomavirus in lesions, intact skin and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of horses affected by hoof cankerEquine Veterinary Journal (2), 202-209.
Moe et al; Detection of Treponemes in Canker Lesions of Horses by 16S rRNA Clonal Sequencing Analysis in Journal of Veterinary Medical Science. 72(2): 235–239, 2010 Oosterlinck M et alRetrospective study on 30 horses with chronic proliferative pododermatitis (canker).Equine Veterinary Education23 (9), 466-471 Also recommeneded: Canker section in Equine Clinical Medicine, Surgery and Reproduction by Munroe and Weese
Read this blog's headlines on the Hoofcare + LamenessFacebook Page
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned, other than Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Great Britain's Princess Royal addressed the National Equine Forum, where new statistics on horse health were presented.
The 19th National Equine Forum (NEF), held in Great Britain on March 8, 2011, was the launch pad for the results of the United Kingdom’s first public National Equine Health Survey. The event was attended by over 200 of the country’s most influential members of the equestrian industry, including NEF President HRH The Princess Royal, leading equine vets, international riders and trainers, equestrian society figureheads, business leaders and numerous members of the equestrian trade industry.
Josh Slater, Professor of Equine Clinical Studies at the Royal Veterinary College and immediate past president of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), announced the results of the survey, which was pioneered by The Blue Cross animal charity and is supported by BEVA. The survey was conducted in November 2010.
The survey, which was pioneered by The Blue Cross animal charity and is supported by The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), was carried out last November following two years of pilot schemes. The intention was to find out more about endemic non-notifiable equine diseases that have never before been recorded, such as coughs, skin diseases and lameness.
The results were announced at the Forum by Professor Josh Slater, Professor of Equine Clinical Studies at The Royal Veterinary College, who has been working with The Blue Cross on the survey.
Analyzed data from the study will be used to pinpoint current, non-notifiable healthcare issues affecting horses, ponies, donkeys and mules in the UK and is expected to break new ground for all of Europe as well.
Professor Slater explained that the survey should provide a future benchmarking facility for equine disease, welfare, standards of care and codes of practice and it has also confirmed the workability of an important template to monitor the serious threat of infectious and exotic disease in the future.
Laminitis cases still abound in Great Britain; this dramatic photo of a medial sinker from the case files of farrier Jim Ferrie FWCF is evidence of that. Jim provides consulting services at the University of Glasgow's Wieper Equine Hospital. (Jim Ferrie photo)
A total of 306 sets of records were submitted from 3120 horses in mainly private ownership, with a balance of representation from competition yards, riding schools, welfare charities and studs. A broad range of syndromes and diseases were assessed including colic, sarcoids, laminitis, wounds, dental issues, eye disease, lameness and weight issues.
Equine lameness statistics also figure prominently in the survey and show some variation from oft-quoted statistics about soundness problems in horses.
The results showed that lameness was the most common problem affecting horses (11% of horses surveyed) but that, unexpectedly, the foot was not the most common cause of lameness and that laminitis (3%) was less common than the 7-8% total that previous surveys had suggested.
Weight management was the next most common issue for horse owners, with 9% of horses recorded as overweight and 8% as underweight.
The new statistics are not far from those compiled in the study Equine laminitis in the new millennium: frequency, risk factors and assessing a potential new therapy by Claire E. Wylie et al, presented at the 2009 meeting of the Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. Wylie found that laminitis cases contributes to between 0.11‐28.57% of all equine visits analyzed by veterinarians who participated in her study, with a mean of 5.03% and a median of 3%.
The most often quoted statistics from Britain are from Hinckley and Henderson's 1996 paper presented at the 35th Congress of the British Equine Veterinary Association. (See Hinckley, K.A. and Henderson, I.W. 1996. The epidemiology of equine laminitis in the UK in the 35th BEVA Annual Congress Proceedings) That paper stated: From a study involving 113,000 horses in the UK it was estimated that the total prevalence of acute laminitis in the UK was over 8,000 cases annually, giving a prevalence of 7.1%.
Anyone who reads this blog knows enough to see little red flags popping up right away: there is a big difference in a study like Hinckley's that tracks cases of acute laminitis with a study of all cases of laminitis, like the National Equine Health Survey's, as reported by horse owners.
Many horses who suffer from mild chronic laminitis never get treated and may never even have an official diagnosis. (VetMoves photo)
Another study that is often quoted found a much higher prevalence of laminitis in Great Britain around the same time. Katz surveyed the health of horses at a large charity farm with a population of 1140 horses and ponies, and found an average of 148 episodes of laminitis (prevalence of 13%) occurring each year (between 1997 and 1999), involving 113 animals. (See Katz L, DeBrauwere N, Elliott J, Marr C, Pfeiffer D. The prevalence of laminitis in one region of the UK in Proceedings of the 40th British Equine Veterinary Association Congress.)
None of these statistics really add up. I have often heard Katz's 13% quoted as the nationwide prevalence of laminitis in the UK, when he was actually studying a population of horses that might rightfully be expected to have some sort of laminitis, related to age or neglect circumstances that required their removal to a charity farm. Were those horses a suitable population to use as a sample of the entire national population of horses?
Hinckley's statistics have always been shocking, considering that she was documenting strictly acute cases. Wylie's study, presented as a poster at the conference, does not specify how laminitis was defined. Having her statistic closely matched by the much larger population sampled by the National Equine Health Survey's is encouraging, if their parameters were similar.
That said, a lot depends on when a survey is conducted. Some years have much higher numbers of cases because of weather conditions that encourage grass-related laminitis. The problem with this study's result is that it is tempting to say that education, medication and horse-owner awareness are kicking in and more horses are avoiding laminitis than in the past. But then we immediately see that 9% of the horse population is overweight, and can only wonder if that figure is up or down from previous periods. If that number is down as well, then all the hard work of vets, farriers, feed companies and charities is having an effect and horses in Great Britain are in a lot less pain now than they were 15 years ago. Maybe.
Here's a brief slide show summarizing the National Equine Health Survey in Great Britain (click on right to advance slides):
An interesting extrapolation from the study is that 18 percent of the horses had a problem with weight management (either under- or overweight) vs 11 percent who had suffered from lameness. It's possible that the actual weight problem is much higher, since the statistic allowed the owner to judge his or her own horses' weight suitability.
To clarify the location of lameness: it may sound like news that lameness in the foot was lower than expected, but it should be made clear that lameness location was divided into three groups: foot (3.7%), non-foot (4.5%), and laminitis (3%). If you consider laminitis a lameness of the foot, the combined total would be quite a bit higher than non-foot sources of lameness. However, for the purposes of the study, the statisticians were probably trying to keep their categories separate.
Meanwhile, the British Horse Society reports that its 2011 Laminitis Conference, planned for the end of this month in conjunction with Dodson and Horrells, has been sold out and no more registrations can be accepted.
It's so difficult to compare statistics from different studies or to say that one is the definitive measurement of the most pressing equine health issues. It sounds like the new National Equine Health Survey could be on its way to being the one-stop source for horse health statistics in Great Britain. While it's easy to wonder about the validity of horse owners' judgments about things like their horses' conditions, it's more productive to congratulate the Blue Cross and BEVA for undertaking such a massive effort, and for getting it done. And, most of all, for making the results available to the public. Thank you!
About the Forum:The National Equine Forum is chaired by Professor Sir Colin Spedding and is convened by Miles Williamson-Noble. It is usually attended by HRH The Princess Royal, its President, and is supported by the Association of British Riding Schools, Bedmax, The Blue Cross, British Equestrian Federation, British Equestrian Trade Association, British Equestrian Veterinary Association, British Horse Society, British Horseracing Authority, Bulley Davey, Darby’s Solicitors, Dodson and Horrell, Donkey Sanctuary, Equine Products UK, Horse Trust, Jeffress Scholarship Trust, NFU Mutual Insurance, South Essex Insurance Brokers, Weatherbys and World Horse Welfare.
Photos of The Princess Royal and Professor Slater courtesy of theNational Equine Forum/Craig Payne Photography.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned, other than Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
by Fran Jurga | 18 September 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog
A 9.2 hand, 12-year-old spotted pony named Firefly suffered from overgrown feet and laminitis in England in April 2007. She couldn't walk properly, but her owner refused to have her cared for, nor would she sign the pony over to the World Horse Welfare. A court case ensued and the owner lost her right to own horses for two years.
Here's Firefly in September 2007, on her way to full recovery and adoption to a new home. The research project funded by WHW at the University of Liverpool suggests that it is difficult to assign an objective body condition score to ponies using the system designed for larger horses.
Researchers at the department of clinical science at Britain's University of Liverpool, with support from the World Horse Welfare charity, presented new research at the annual convention of the British Equine Veterinary Association(BEVA) last week.
The question: how accurate is conventional equine body condition scoring for weight loss management when the equine being evaluated is an overweight pony?
The study, entitled Managed Weight Loss in Obese Ponies: Evaluating Weight Change, Health and Welfare, involved five mature, overweight or obese ponies and aimed to restrict their feed intake (on a dry matter basis) to 1% of body weight of a chaff-based complete diet for 12 weeks.
During this time the ponies' weight change, health parameters and behavior were monitored. All ponies remained healthy throughout the whole trial and an appropriate and safe rate of weight loss was achieved.
Clare Barfoot BSc (Hons) RNutr, registered nutritionist and the research and development manager for SPILLERS® (British horse feed company) explained: “Body weight decreased at a steady rate. However, despite significant weight loss, the body condition scores of the ponies didn't change. This highlights the concern that body condition scoring may not be the most effective way to monitor early weight loss in ponies.”
Even in this well-managed study, the feeding activity of the dieting ponies was decreased by 74 percent compared to ad libitum intake, highlighting the need for a practical feeding system that is both effective at managing weight loss but is sensitive to behavioral needs.
The WALTHAM® Equine Studies group was closely involved with this study as it has been with other groundbreaking work on equine obesity, such as showing that an obese body condition score was associated with increased insulin resistance back in 2003, and developing the cresty neck scoring system.
In response to the study, the research group is in the process of developing a new condition scoring system designed specifically for ponies. “This will involve validating the relationship between actual measurements of body fatness and the external appearance of the pony,” said Alex Dugdale, lead researcher for the study at Liverpool University.
Note: information provided by Spillers was used in the preparation of this blog post.
Dr. James Belknap, associate professor of equine surgery in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, has been awarded the annual Equine Veterinary Journal Open Award for 2007 for his work as senior author of a paper published in the Equine Veterinary Journal. The Open Award is funded by the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Trust and presented to the senior author in recognition of a paper considered by the judges to be of outstanding excellence.
The paper, "Lamellar pro-inflammatory cytokine expression patterns in laminitis at the developmental stage and at the onset of lameness innate vs. adaptive immune response," focused on inflammation of the laminae, which they recognized as present in early forms of laminitis.
"No matter what type of laminitis, inflammation is playing a large role in the developmental process," Dr. Belknap said. "Researchers used to believe that inflammation was not a major component of the disease, and that the disease was mainly caused by a decrease in blood flow."
Dr. Belknap said discovering that inflammation plays a key role in the developmental stages of the disease has caused a paradigm shift in the way the disease is researched worldwide. This opens up new opportunities for discovery of novel treatments for this disease, which commonly results in crippling lameness of affected horses.
"We still have a long way to go to answer the big questions," he explained. "We still must determine which specific pathologic will eventually allow us to formulate an effective therapeutic regimen for this devastating disease."
Dr. Belknap received his veterinary degree from Colorado State University and has worked at Ohio State for four years as a surgeon; he has a special interest in equine podiatry. He grew up in Kentucky on a farm where he developed an early interest in horses.
The Diagnosis and Management of Conditions of the Foot: An International Approach will be held on Monday, April 14 in Nottingham, England.
The event will feature a Commercial Exhibition, strongly supported by manufacturers of equipment and related products, which presents an ideal opportunity to acquire the latest tools and materials and discuss the application of new techniques.
This conference sold out when last run. The event will be held on a Monday, at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham, a slightly larger venue than in previous years, with tiered seating and enhanced audio-visual aids to improve the ability to present to a large audience.
Speakers and topics include: MRI of the equine foot (Application of a new technique and its implications): Tim Mair Useful foot-related measurements from the horse and its radiographs: Richard Mansmann Advances in diagnostic techniques: Peter Clegg Pressure mat analysis in the assessment of foot balance: Ian Hughes International perspective: Meike Van Heel (replacing Pascal Ebel) Pathological conditions of the donkey foot: Karen Rickards & Colin Goldsworthy Slip and grip (Dynamics of the hoof): Chris Pardoe Foot measurements in approaching clinical cases: Richard Mansmann
Unfortunately Pascal Ebel of The Netherlands,who was scheduled to speak, has been injured and will be replaced by Dr Meike Van Heel. Van Heel is a movement scientist, equine physiotherapist, and part of the same team at Utrecht as Ebel. Meike Van Heel completed her PhD on "the effects of trimming and shoeing warmblood horses" and has developed a prototype horseshoe which benefits the horse’s joint load and limb movement. She has also carried out studies into the development of uneven feet in foals due to grazing behavior and conformation.
Click here to download the updated program schedule. (A one-page Adobe Acrobat pdf file will automatically download from the NAFBAE web site.)
Click here to download the seminar's complete color brochure. (A larger Adobe Acrobat pdf file will automatically download from the NAFBAE web site.)
At the British Equine Veterinary Association Conference in England earlier this month, Equinalysis announced that Robert "Bob" Colborne PhD of the University of Bristol (UK) has joined the firm as Advisor on Equine Biomechanics. He is currently program director of the equine science program at Bristol.
Bob is widely published in the area of joint mechanics and gait energetics in horses, dogs and humans and was part of the ICEL conference at Michigan State in 2004, where many Hoofcare & Lameness subscribers met him. He was an author with Hilary Clayton of the paper "Net joint moments and joint powers in horses with superficial digital flexor tendinitis", published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research.
Bob's role at Equinalysis will be to provide experience to Equinalysis in the continued development of its practices and procedures as well as consult with business partners, horse owners and insurance companies. Bob will advise users of the Equinalysis system on methods of data capture and analysis to ensure standardisation of practice, and to optimise the information yielded by a clinical gait analysis. His biomechanics background will compliment the firm's existing veterinary and farriery expertise from leading practitioners John McEwen and Haydn Price, respectively.
Bob said “I am delighted to be helping to make biomechanical analysis of equine gait accessible to those in the field who will benefit most from it.” He added, “Kinematic gait analysis offers a quantitative way to evaluate equine movement, and to objectively track changes occurring over time as a result of training or treatment.”
Photo: Equinalysis trade stand at BEVA Congress in September. Principals include farrier Haydn Price, veterinary advisor John McEwen, and human sportsmedicine doctor John Davies. Biomechanics expert Bob Colborne of the University of Bristol has now joined the team.
The news is coming in from the British Equine Veterinary Association Congress, which ended yesterday at the National Exhibition Center at Birmingham, England.
Hoofcare & Lameness Consulting Editor Dr. Hilary Clayton, McPhail Chair in Sport Horse Lameness at the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, was a popular speaker. Her lecture "Current Trends in Equine Gait Analysis" was sponsored by Equinalysis and will be summarized here as soon as possible.
Our British correspondent, Mark Andrews MRCVS, was at the conference and will provide his usual succinct reports.
