20 / 24
19
EQUINE MATTERS
VETER INARY HOT
TOP I C!
Hot Potato Topic:
Sore back - who should see your horse?
Back pain is extremely common in horses but it
is often difficult to accurately diagnose the
cause. Specific clinical signs are often lacking
and it is therefore important to rule out causes of
lameness and poor performance which may be
leading to secondary back pain before coming
to a diagnosis of primary back pain
(figure 1)
.
Because of the frequent difficulties in giving a
highly specific diagnosis in back pain cases,
this has paved the way for many non-vets to
provide services offering a great variety of
therapies with no veterinary involvement.
I believe that the vet should always be
involved in the initial diagnostic process,
but treatment plans in back pain cases
should never exclude appropriately trained,
qualified and insured paraprofessionals,
including ACPAT registered physiotherapists,
chiropracters, osteopaths and sports and
remedial massage therapists. Each offer
varying forms of therapies which may be
beneficial depending on the cause. Please,
always be wary of the untrained, unqualified
and uninsured individuals offering diagnostic
information.
Graham Hunter BVM&S, GPCert(EqP), Cert EP,
CertAVP(ESO), MRCVS
,
Ardene House Veterinary Practice Ltd.
So your horse
has a sore back?
Kate Sheppard,
Professional Saddle Fitter
Rebecca James -
horse owner
It would depend what I believed to be the
root cause of the sore back was. If I felt the
horse was just tight, I would use an equine
physiotherapist. If I thought there was more
to it (i.e. lameness, behavioural issues when
under saddle or poor performance), or a
routine physiotherapy appointment has not
solved the issue, I would call the vet. I
would then get the necessary diagnostic
tests done and depending on what was
found either get appropriate veterinary
treatment and/or a referral to a specialist
physiotherapist or osteopath. If my horse
had changed shape recently, or I hadn’t
done so within the last six months, I would
also get the saddler out to check the saddle
was not the primary issue.
Who should treat your horse’s sore back?
From the point of view of a saddle fitter,
here is my opinion. If your horse hasn’t
seen a saddle fitter in the last six months
you are overdue an appointment. It’s
entirely possible that an ill-fitting saddle
can cause some superficial soreness. You
might have felt a difference in the balance
of your saddle while you have been
riding. If you can feel it your horse will
certainly feel it!
A good check-up will hopefully rule out
any obvious root causes. Assuming your
saddle hasn’t been a contributing factor,
I recommend picking up the phone to
your vet. Communication is key, and your
horse’s welfare and soundness is the main
focus for all the professionals who work
together with you and your horse. If your
saddle has been a contributing factor, it is
still worth ringing your vet to discuss the
options of soft tissue treatments or
physiotherapy, as these go along with the
correctly fitting saddle to take your horse
forward comfortably.
With any problem in a horse, a vet should
be consulted in the first instance as no other
practitioner can legally treat a horse without
veterinary consent. I have a good working
relationship with many local vets and at the
vet’s discretion I will often be the first to see a
horse with ‘a sore back’ particularly if it is a
horse I see routinely.
Once the vet has given consent, choosing a
‘Back Person’ can be a minefield! Unlike
'Veterinary Surgeon' the title 'Animal, Equine
or Veterinary Physiotherapist' is not protected
meaning anyone can use it regardless of their
qualifications.
I am an ACPAT Physiotherapist. ACPAT is the
Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in
Animal Therapy. All ACPAT members have
completed rigorous training to be qualified
as Chartered Physiotherapists before training
to be Veterinary Physiotherapists. We are
regulated by a governing body and required
to do a set amount of CPD every year to
maintain high standards of practice. By using
an ACPAT Physiotherapist you can be assured
they have a high standard of training, expert
knowledge, full insurance and are up to date
with current research and best practice. They
will work closely with your veterinary surgeon to
ensure your horse receives a high level of care.
Careful examination by appropriately
trained, experienced and insured
paraprofessionals is critical
Ensuring the saddle has been regularly
checked and fitted correctly is important
Tamsyn Lafferty
BSc MSc MCSP
ACPAT
Category A
Veterinary
Physiotherapist
Figure 1. Ultrasonography can help in
the diagnosis of back pain