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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Equine Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review of the Literature.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2021; 11(6); doi: 10.3390/ani11061508

Equine Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review of the Literature.

Abstract: Injuries to the locomotor system are a common problem in athletic horses. Veterinarians address these injuries using appropriate medical, surgical, and pharmacological treatments. During or after recovery from the initial injury, horses may be treated for functional locomotor deficits using specific rehabilitation techniques aimed at restoring full athletic performance. This study reviews the literature to identify which rehabilitative techniques have been used most frequently in horses over the past 20 years, the protocols that were used, and the outcomes of the treatments in naturally occurring injuries and diseases. Publications were identified using keyword selection (Equine Athlete OR Equine OR Horse) AND (Rehabilitation OR Physiotherapy OR Physical Therapy). After removing duplicates and screening papers for suitability, 49 manuscripts were included in the study. The majority of publications that met the inclusion criteria were narrative reviews (49%) in which the authors cited the relatively small number of published evidence-based studies supplemented by personal experience. Observational/descriptive studies were also popular (35%). Randomized control trials accounted for only 10%. The most frequently reported rehabilitation techniques were exercise, electrotherapy, and hydrotherapy. The findings highlight the need for further information regarding type of intervention, parameterization, and outcomes of equine rehabilitation in clinical practice.
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Publication Date: 2021-05-22 PubMed ID: 34067449PubMed Central: PMC8224607DOI: 10.3390/ani11061508Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Scoping Review

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research study reviews published literature on techniques used for <a href="/equine-rehabilitation-guide/" title="equine rehabilitation with a focus on results and methods employed. The study aims to identify the most common rehabilitation techniques and the outcomes documented in cases of naturally occurring injuries and diseases.

Objective of the Study

  • The main objective of this study was to analyze available literature and determine which rehabilitation techniques are most commonly used for horses over the last 20 years.
  • The researchers also wanted to examine the protocols used for rehabilitation and the outcomes reported in each literature.
  • The goal was to gain insight into the best practices for equine rehabilitation and identify areas where further study is needed.

Methodology

  • The researchers used specific keywords to identify relevant studies. The keywords were ‘Equine Athlete,’ ‘Equine,’ ‘Horse,’ ‘Rehabilitation,’ ‘Physiotherapy,’ and ‘Physical Therapy.’
  • Duplicates were removed and the researchers screened the remaining papers for relevance.
  • A total of 49 manuscripts were found to be suitable for the study.

Findings

  • The majority of the studies included were narrative reviews, accounting for 49%. The authors of these reviews often supplemented the small number of evidence-based studies with personal experience.
  • 35% of the studies were observational/descriptive studies.
  • Only 10% of the studies were randomized control trials, implying a lack of thoroughly scientifically tested protocols in the field of equine rehabilitation.
  • The most frequently reported methods for equine rehabilitation were exercise, electrotherapy, and hydrotherapy.

Conclusions & Implications

  • The study concluded that there is a lack of detailed information on equine rehabilitation interventions, parameterization, and outcomes. This limitation in research is especially significant considering the importance of rehabilitating horses to achieve their full athletic performance post-injury or disease.
  • These findings underscore the need for further research on equine rehabilitation, particularly studies that rigorously examine different rehabilitation techniques through randomized control trials. This additional research could potentially standardize treatment protocols, contributing to improved care and outcomes for horses undergoing rehabilitation.

Cite This Article

APA
Atalaia T, Prazeres J, Abrantes J, Clayton HM. (2021). Equine Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review of the Literature. Animals (Basel), 11(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061508

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 6

Researcher Affiliations

Atalaia, Tiago
  • CICANT, MovLab, Lusófona University, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal.
Prazeres, José
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lusófona University, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal.
Abrantes, João
  • CICANT, MovLab, Lusófona University, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal.
Clayton, Hilary M
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.

Grant Funding

  • PTDC/CVT-CVT/32613/2017 (EquiPerfoRM) / Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare o conflict of interest.

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