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Sidewinder Gait: A Poor Prognosis No Matter The Cause

Sidewinder gait in horses looks as odd as its name: An affected horse walks with his body and pelvis drifting out to one side; a severely affected horse may spin or circle with their hind legs moving in one direction and their thoracic limbs moving differently to compensate.

The disease is poorly understood, in part because it's difficult for the horse to stand in one place or symmetrically load his hind limbs. Sidewinder gait can come on gradually or suddenly.

Drs. Monica Aleman, Emily Berryhill, Kevin Woolard, Charlotte Easton‐Jones, Tania Kozikowski‐Nicholas, Sue Dyson and Isabelle Kilcoyne hypothesized that the gait might be caused by neurologic or musculoskeletal issues. They completed a retrospective study of 37 horses that were seen for sidewinder gait at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California, Davis, and the Centre for Equine Studies at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, England, between 2000 and 2019.

Some horses were excluded from the study for a variety of reasons; the scientists used a total 24 horses for the study. They found that the average age of the affected horses was 18.9 years old and that sidewinder gait came on suddenly in 10 of the cases.

In total, 16 cases were caused by neurologic issues, including dynamic thoracolumbar spinal cord compression (five cases), equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (four cases), thoracic myelopathy (four cases), gliosis (two cases) and thrombosis of thoracic spinal cord segments (one case).

Eight cases of sidewinder gait were caused by non-neurologic reasons: osteoarthritis of the hip (four cases), multiple displaced pelvic fractures (two cases), rupture of the ligament at the femoral head (one case) and severe necrotic damage of pelvic muscles (one case).

The scientists reported that though short-term improvement was reported, the sidewinder gait remained unresolved in all horses. The fatality rate was nearly 80 percent (19 of the 24 horses). Of the horses that lived, not one resumed the level of previous activity.

The researchers determined that sidewinder gait is normally seen in older horses of any breed or sex and can have neurologic or musculoskeletal origins. The condition has a poor prognosis for function and life.

Read the study here.

Decoding Hoof Cracks

Horse owners can attest that the old adage “No hoof, no horse” is one truest about equine care. Any defect in a hoof wall can be worrisome as the health and integrity of the hoof wall is imperative for overall horse health. Some issues can look concerning, but be non-issues, while others may require intense care to rectify.

Here are some types of cracks and what the level of concern they should elicit:

Though hoof cracks can look scary, small, vertical cracks that start at the ground and extend only an inch or so up the hoof wall are of minor concern. The farrier will most likely take care of these when he or she is out next.
Horizontal cracks less than an inch wide that start at the coronet band and grow down are typically the result of a minor injury to the coronary band that briefly inhibited hoof production. It's rare that intervention is needed for these cracks; they will grow out on their own. \
Vertical cracks at the bottom of the hoof that wrap around to the underside of the hoof and involve the sole could be more than just a superficial defect. If it looks like any other structures than just the hoof wall are involved, this could become a significant issue.
Long, vertical cracks that don't ever seem to grow out are a sign that a hoof is chronically unbalanced. Even if the crack is thin, it is worth having a conversation with the farrier to see if a new manner of trimming or shoeing may be necessary.
Cracks that flex and open each time the horse takes a step, cracks that bleed or cracks that make a horse lame requires an immediate call to the veterinarian and farrier. Both professionals will need to work together to resolve the issue, but time is of the essence and these cracks need to be addressed immediately.

Miniature Horse Has Complete Hip Replacement

Veterinarians at the University of Liverpool have totally replaced the hip of a Miniature Horse. Duncan arrived at the clinic in July severely lame in his hind leg; a CT scan showed that he had dislocated the left hip joint and damaged the head of the femur beyond repair.

Duncan's vet, Dr. Dave Stack, discussed treatment options with some small-animal surgical specialists. As Duncan weighed under 200 pounds, they felt that a total hip replacement was an option to offer pain relief and a good quality of life.

The procedure had been tried before in small ponies but had failed. To be a success, teamwork between equine and small animal surgeons was paramount; anesthesiologists and internal medicine were also integral to a successful outcome.

The surgery team placed a hip implant used on large dogs in Duncan. The gelding stayed in the clinic for over three weeks and required 24/7 supervision. He also required intensive physiotherapy to return to normal function. He is now able to walk and trot almost normally, the vets report.

Identifying Lameness Focus Of Cornell’s December Equine Seminar

Subtle lameness can be extremely difficult to see, sometimes even for trained veterinarians. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine will present a Zoom presentation on how to spot lameness in horses given by Dr. Heidi Reesink will explain how to spot lameness, even subtle, in your horse during the December Cornell Equine Seminar Series.

Taking place on Tuesday, Dec. 8, from 6 to 7 p.m., this seminar is part of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine's Equine Seminar Series. Though the event is free and open to the public, access to high-speed internet is encouraged as part of the seminar does involve video.

For more information and to register, click here.

The post Identifying Lameness Focus Of Cornell’s December Equine Seminar appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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