US Equestrian asked Dr. Rick Mitchell–chair of the Foundation for the Horse, part-owner of Fairfield Equine Associates, and longtime equestrian–what he would like to see in the future of equine veterinary medicine.
His list included everything from imaging improvements to stall-side tests and better anesthesia for horses undergoing surgery. Mitchell said he would like to see additional funding for veterinary research, specifically for osteoarthritis, which can affect horses no matter their breed, discipline or use.
The veteran practitioner would like the industry to learn more about why arthritis begins and what can be done to prevent it from occurring; specifically, whether there are ways a horse can be managed and conditioned that might alleviate some of the risk of arthritis development. Mitchell notes that additional funding for this topic – and others – would do a lot for equine welfare.
Mitchell also said that owners and managers of sport horses would do well to learn more about soft-tissue injuries. He noted that suspensory ligament injuries are often not recognized early on, and that these injuries are easy to miss until the horse is chronically lame. Awareness of subtle soundness issues is key; Mitchell said that catching these issues early may require more frequent visits from the vet and a more critical look during an exam.
Read more about Mitchell's thoughts at US Equestrian.
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