Imaging Considerations in the Purchase Examination of the Performance Horse

1. Introduction
The purchase examination of the performance horse should be a carefully orchestrated and repeatable process. The physical examination may be fairly unremarkable or show a number of possible problems, leaving the examiner with more questions. Complete evaluation of the performance horse normally requires a careful look at those regions of the respiratory and musculoskeletal system most often involved in performance-related problems.¹  Potential problem areas can vary somewhat with the discipline for which the horse is used. Some issues discovered during the physical examination may be better examined using a combination of imaging modalities. The veterinarian is frequently faced with the dilemma of gathering as much information as possible while working within a budget and dealing with time constraints. Therefore, the decision for what imaging techniques to use should be based on professional assessment of the patient and sound economic considerations. In the absence of physical problems or lameness, imaging techniques are for screening and are used to look for abnormalities characteristically seen in horses of that age, breed/ discipline, and state of use. In the case of a detected abnormality or lameness, imaging techniques become diagnostic, such as in the case of radiographic evaluation of an extremely sensitive splint callus.² [...]