Musculoskeletal problems associated with lameness and poor performance in cutting horses: 200 cases (2007-2015).
Abstract: OBJECTIVE To describe the chief complaints by owners and the types and prevalences of musculoskeletal problems associated with lameness or poor performance in cutting horses. DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 200 client-owned cutting horses examined at the Texas A&M University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2015, because of lameness or poor performance. PROCEDURES Medical records were reviewed, and data were collected regarding signalment, history, findings on physical and lameness examinations, results of diagnostic procedures performed, diagnosis, and treatment. Distribution of observed proportions of forelimb and hind limb involvement was compared with a hypothetical distribution of 50% by means of a χ2 test. RESULTS More horses were examined because of a recent decrease in performance (116/200 [58%]) than for lameness (84 [42%]). All horses had at least 1 lame limb, with lameness affecting a total of 281 limbs. Of the 281 lame limbs, 189 (67%) were hind limbs and 92 (33%) were forelimbs. These proportions were substantially different from a hypothetical distribution of 50% hind limbs and 50% forelimbs. The most common performance change was that horses would not reverse direction to follow prespecified individual cattle, and the most common cause of lameness was pain localized to the stifle joint region (69 [35%]). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Cutting horses sustained more hind limb than forelimb musculoskeletal problems, and although these horses were more likely to be examined for decreased performance than lameness, veterinarians should be vigilant for problems affecting the stifle joint region.
Publication Date: 2019-02-20 PubMed ID: 30779625DOI: 10.2460/javma.254.5.619Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article discusses a study on the musculoskeletal issues related to lameness and underperformance in cutting horses, focusing on the type of afflictions and how common they are. The most prevalent ailments were seen in the hind limbs and often related to the stifle joint area.
Study Design and Procedure
- The research was centered around a case series study and it involved 200 cutting horses owned by clients who had been examined at the Texas A&M University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital from 2007 to 2015.
- The horses under study were brought for examination due to lameness or underperformance issues.
- Information about the horses’ age, medical history, physical exam findings, lameness exam results, diagnostic procedures, diagnosis, and treatment was collected and reviewed from medical records.
- The proportion distribution of lameness between the forelimb and hind limb was compared with a hypothetical equal distribution using a chi-square statistical test.
Results of the Study
- Most of the horses (58% or 116 out of 200) were brought in for a recent decline in performance as compared to lameness.
- All horses under study had at least one instance of lameness affecting a total of 281 limbs.
- Of the lame limbs, most were hind limbs (67% or 189 out of 281) while the remaining were forelimbs.
- These proportions did not align with the theoretical 50-50 distribution between hind limbs and forelimbs.
- The study found that the most common change in performance was the horses’ inability to reverse direction when following pre-determined individual cattle.
- The leading cause of lameness was identified as pain localized in the stifle joint region.
Conclusions and Clinical Implications
- The research concluded that in cutting horses, musculoskeletal problems were more likely to occur in the hind limbs compared to the forelimbs, particularly focused on the stifle joint region.
- Even though these horses were commonly examined for performance decline rather than lameness, veterinarians should carefully examine for any probable issues affecting the stifle joint region.
Cite This Article
APA
Swor TM, Dabareiner RM, Honnas CM, Cohen ND, Black JB.
(2019).
Musculoskeletal problems associated with lameness and poor performance in cutting horses: 200 cases (2007-2015).
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 254(5), 619-625.
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.254.5.619 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cattle
- Forelimb
- Hindlimb
- Horse Diseases
- Horses
- Lameness, Animal
- Retrospective Studies
- Texas
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