Equine Guelph Lameness - A Great Online Tool for Horse Owners

Newsdate: Thu, 7 Feb 2013 - 06:43 am
Location: ONTARIO, Canada

Equine Guelph's Lameness Lab online tool, sponsored by Pfizer Equine Division, will help you learn about lameness through a variety of interactive activities. Learn what has intrigued over 5,000 Lameness Lab visitors since its initial launch just over a year ago.

Horse trotting out for lameness test

Horse trotting out for lameness test

Equine Guelph's Lameless Lab is a helpful horse owner tool that not only hones your skills for detecting lameness, it also arms you with preventative knowledge.

Spin the lameness wheel and test your knowledge with ten questions about anatomy, lameness, risk factors and more. Put on your lab coat for the video challenge and see if you can pin point lameness in the front end and hind end. Another activity takes you through the layers of a horse with amazing drawings of muscles, joints, tendons, bone and the hoof to learn their functions. This helpful horse owner tool not only hones your skills for detecting lameness, it also arms you with preventative knowledge.

"We think that a visual approach to lameness will greatly help horse caregivers better understand the basics of lameness and how to recognize the signs or symptoms in their horse," says Dr. Cathy Rae, equine Technical Services veterinarian for Pfizer Animal Health. "This understanding should help them detect lameness earlier as well as guide them in knowing when to call their veterinarian."

Video commentary by Dr. Nicola Cribb, assistant professor and equine surgeon at the University of Guelph, and Dr. Ken Armstrong, equine veterinarian and partner of Halton Equine Veterinary Services, explain how vets identify and assess lameness.

"I am pleased to help out with the 'working with the vet' section of the online tool," says Armstrong. "In the videos, I explain to horse owners a typical process that vets go through from lameness assessment to diagnosis. Because it's a team effort between the vet and the owner, it's important for owners to understand what the vet is doing and why."

Learn something new about lameness. Go to Equine Guelph's 'Toolbox' at www.EquineGuelph.ca and click on Lameness Lab. Pfizer Equine Division also sponsors, 'Journey through the Joints' another tool to help horse owners understand inflammation and how it affects the health of their horses joints.

Please note: This information provides guidelines only and should never replace information from your veterinarian.

About the Author

Flossie Sellers

Author picture

As an animal lover since childhood, Flossie was delighted when Mark, the CEO and developer of EquiMed asked her to join his team of contributors.

She enrolled in My Horse University at Michigan State and completed a number of courses in everything related to horse health, nutrition, diseases and conditions, medications, hoof and dental care, barn safety, and first aid.

Staying up-to-date on the latest developments in horse care and equine health is now a habit, and she enjoys sharing a wealth of information with horse owners everywhere.

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