Episode 53: Expectations in Injured Sport Horses with Dr Kate Workman
The Horse First: A Veterinary Sport Horse Podcast
Release Date: 12/16/2022
Episode 76: Blog 2 - Case Study 1 - Severe Sciatica in a Sport Horse
The Horse First: A Veterinary Sport Horse Podcast
Dr. Audrey DeClue discusses a severe sciatica case in a high-performance sport horse. The horse, initially winning big, suddenly developed severe sciatica, head shaking, and sleep deprivation. Dr. DeClue highlights the horse's abnormal gait, muscle atrophy, and behavioral change, emphasizing the lack of published papers on equine sciatica and the need for advanced ultrasound skills for treatment. She notes that 40% of humans worldwide have clinical signs of sciatica and that she sees a similar percentage in her equine patients. Dr. DeClue advocates for better veterinary education and...
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Episode 75: Introduction to Body Lameness and Answers
The Horse First: A Veterinary Sport Horse Podcast
Dr. Audrey DeClue brings her blog posts to the podcast with commentary as she discusses the importance of understanding body lameness in horses. 85-90% of lameness has historically been focused on limbs and feet instead of looking a the horse as a whole body. She highlights common performance issues caused by body lameness and explains these issues in terms of biomechanics.
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Episode 74: Dr. DeClue is Interviewed by Elisa Walfish of The EquiScience Podcast (#21 - Rethinking Lameness: Looking Beyond the Limbs)
The Horse First: A Veterinary Sport Horse Podcast
[Description from the EquiScience Podcast #21 with Elisa Walfish] What if many of the problems we label as "lameness" don't actually begin in the limbs? In this episode I sit down with Dr. Audrey DeClue, an equine veterinarian known for challenging long-standing assumptions in equine medicine. Together, we explore the concept of body lameness, why biomechanics should play a central role in every lameness examination, and how collaboration between veterinarians, bodyworkers, farriers, saddle fitters, trainers, and owners can dramatically improve outcomes for horses. Dr. DeClue shares the...
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Episode 73: The Complexity of Treating Body Lameness in Sport Horses with Dr. Gabrielle Martel
The Horse First: A Veterinary Sport Horse Podcast
Dr. Audrey DeClue welcomes Dr. Gabrielle Martel to discuss the complexities of treating body lameness in horses. Dr. Martel, a veterinarian from Montreal, shares her journey of treating horses with body lameness, emphasizing the importance of understanding horse biomechanics and the need for a comprehensive approach. They discuss the challenges of treating horses with conditions like sleep deprivation, idiopathic head shaking, and sciatica, highlighting the veterinary profession's slow acceptance of these issues. Dr. Martel shares her experience of working with Dr. DeClue and learning the...
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Episode 72: A Riders Daily Checklist in the Ridden Horse - An Interview with Dr Sue Dyson
The Horse First: A Veterinary Sport Horse Podcast
Dr. Audrey DeClue and Dr. Sue Dyson discuss the importance of a rider's checklist from the stall, tacking up, and under saddle for assessing a horse’s physical well-being with considerations to determine if your horse is lame. They emphasize the need for veterinarians to better understand that a horse’s consistent behavior is indicative of pain. They stress the significance of proper saddle/equipment fit, gait analysis – including how a normal and abnormal horse “feels” in its body while ridden under saddle – and the impact of these abnormalities that...
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Episode 71: ECVM in Sport Horses with Dr. Kate Workman
The Horse First: A Veterinary Sport Horse Podcast
Dr. Audrey DeClue and Dr. Kate Workman discuss Equine Cervical Vertebral Malformation (ECVM) in horses, emphasizing its clinical significance. They critique various research papers, noting discrepancies, limitations, and methodological issues. Dr. DeClue and Dr. Workman stress the importance of accurate grading and understanding the practical implications of ECVM for horse owners and veterinarians. They advocate for better education and documentation to prevent injuries and ensure safe horse management. They also discuss the need for better communication and data sharing among practitioners to...
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Episode 70: An Impromptu Interview with a Trainer
The Horse First: A Veterinary Sport Horse Podcast
Dr. Audrey DeClue has an impromptu conversation with a trainer discussing the importance of understanding a horse's soundness, the impact of proper body lameness treatment and the lack of mechanical or manufactured training "aides" and "tools" needed for a horse to achieve optimum performance and whole body soundness. The conversation underscores that how a horse "feels" under saddle as a rider is more important than its appearance. It also highlights the biomechanical considerations necessary for practical advancements in veterinary sports medicine that can help trainers and owners with...
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Episode 69: Deep Discussions about Unspoken Problems in Sport Horses: Dr. Audrey DeClue, Dr. Ellen Hillyer and Dr. Brandy Ashman
The Horse First: A Veterinary Sport Horse Podcast
Dr. Audrey DeClue, Dr. Brandy Ashman, and Dr. Ellen Hillyer discuss the top reasons sport horse owners jump between vets. This includes a lack of agreed answers, poor pain recognition, and failure to link behavior with pain/rideability. They cite Sue Dyson’s pain ethogram and note axial lameness is complex, non-limb, and often pelvic dysfunction. Education gaps persist as well, including only one hour of axial lameness in vet school and overlooking saddle fit issues. They emphasize collaboration (vet–owner–trainer–farrier), realistic expectations, and 2026 as a pivotal year for change....
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Episode 68: Sciatica in Sport Horses
The Horse First: A Veterinary Sport Horse Podcast
Dr. Audrey DeClue discusses the impact of stray voltage on livestock and its parallels with sciatica in sport horses. She highlights a 2023 study on stray voltage in cattle farms, noting its effects on animal behavior and productivity. Dr. DeClue emphasizes the lack of research on sciatica in horses compared to humans and other species, where it affects 40% of the population. She describes clinical signs of sciatica in horses, such as hind limb lameness and reluctance to move, and advocates for better recognition and management by veterinarians.
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Episode 67: Recognition and Awareness of Pain in Sport Horses Part 4 with Dr. Daniella Vansteenkiste
The Horse First: A Veterinary Sport Horse Podcast
Dr. Audrey DeClue and Dr. Daniella Vansteenkiste discuss recognizing and managing nerve pain and neuropathy in sport horses. Dr. Vansteenkiste emphasizes the importance of understanding subtle clinical signs like behavioral changes, sweat patterns, and postural alterations. She explains the complexities of nerve pain, including the concept of "wind-up" and the slow healing rate of nerves, which can take weeks to months. They highlight the need for multimodal treatment approaches such as pain management strategies and stress the importance of early detection and long-term management rather than...
info_outlineFollowing a very popular episode previously (Episode 46), Dr. Audrey DeClue talks again with Dr. Kate Workman (Denali Equine in Southern Pines, NC) about cases cases they have treated. They discuss shivers, treatements, lameness, and more with the goal of helping you understand the expectations of performance horses and sport horses that have been significantly injured or have chronic lameness. After proper treatment and rehab, some horses went back into performance or competition.