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Equine Performance Evaluation
J.S. Mitchell
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The last decade has seen a dramatic increase in the emphasis on equine performance. Prior to the 90’s most of us would have associated equine performance with race horses. But today there is pressure on all breeds to perform at a higher level. Three day eventing, show jumping and dressage are examples of the very competitive nature of the English sport horses. Cutting, reining, rodeo, and team penning are just some of the Western performance horse events. From endurance riding to chariot racing we are asking horses to perform. Purchase for performance, and performance evaluation has become an important part of many of our equine practices.
Equine performance evaluation can be on an individual case basis or on a stable management level. Most of us deal with performance evaluation on an individual case basis and that is where we will spend most of our discussion today. Equine performance evaluation can also be at the stable management level. My work is primarily at a Standardbred Race Track, Pompano Park, in Pompano Beach, Florida. I am a private practitioner hired by the trainers to provide veterinary care to the horses in their stables. Being part of the stable management team of owners, trainer, and the veterinarians, I feel it is part of my responsibility and is definitely good business to be proactive in the decisions that affect the performance of my patients in that stable. Performance evaluation at a stable level may involve many aspects of the operation. The stable employees, communication, nutrition, shoeing, sanitation, and training schedules are many of the areas that I try to facilitate my equine patient’s performance. Good equine performance makes for happy owners and trainers, while providing job security. Many or these same stable management principals apply to non racing performance horse stables.
Equine performance evaluation or should we say poor performance evaluation, usually begins with a complaint. The owner or trainer contacts the veterinarian with a problem. Often the horse is presented with a diagnosis and not a problem. For example “my horse has a bad knee” or “my horse has sore feet” instead of reporting that “my horse is limping and not performing well” or “my horse has trouble walking out of the stall each morning”. When a horse is presented for poor performance evaluation with a diagnosis, the veterinarian must be careful not to focus just on the presenting diagnosis and miss evaluating the whole horse. While it is important not to be influenced too much by the presenting problem it is very important to write down the owner’s complaint and in the final analysis and consultation be sure to address the presenting complaint. This complaint is real to the owner/trainer and even if you find other significant findings, you should address their presenting complaint.
The patient’s history is very different from the complaint and should be taken seriously. Listen to the horse’s story. Ask questions and be sure to listen closely to the answers. Respect that owners usually give you good information that may guide to a diagnosis.
Establishing good communication with the owner and/or trainer is very important:
- Discuss the overall diagnostic plan and explain the difference between noninvasive and invasive diagnostic procedures.
- Discuss the cost estimates and ask about any financial limitations.
- Set realistic expectations for a time table and results.
Performance Evaluation Guidelines
The performance evaluation I use at the race track can be divided into five segments:
- Proper Use/Genetic Potential
- Physical Exam/Blood Chemistry
- Respiratory/Cardiovascular System
- Lameness/Neurological
- Environmental/Management Issues
Proper Use/Genetic Potential
The proper use notation mostly applies to non racing horses being examined for poor performance. In my initial examination I look at the overall quality and type of horse presented. Sometimes you must discus with an owner that the horse just does not have the body type or genetic potential to perform the type or level of required performance. I sometimes use the comparison that you can not buy the best Volkswagen Beetle and compete on the NASCAR circuit. The genetic potential is sometimes hard for owners to comprehend. Especially new owners that buy race horse yearlings and want to compare yearling cost to performance. Royal bloodlines or full sibling pedigrees do not ensure top performing horses. A young green horse is often more difficult to evaluate for poor performance than a proven class performer. Age and maturity must also be assessed in a young green horse. The proven class performer has already established his athletic ability and competitive attitude, traits that may be difficult to evaluate in the green horse. Also worth noting is that the class performer may have still not reached his genetic potential so it may be rewarding to find correctable problems.
Physical Exam/Blood Chemistry
A basic physical exam is done on the horse and blood may be drawn for laboratory analysis. I like to draw the blood early in the exam so that I am examining blood results on all resting horses. I also think it is important to draw the blood early so that the owners do not feel any of the abnormalities were iatrogenic. The three most common problems at our Standardbred track are elevated muscle enzymes, elevated fibrinogen levels, and hepatic enzyme elevations. The muscle enzyme elevations are diagnostic for the common performance limiting exertional rhabdomyolysis. The creatine kinase (CK) enzyme elevates very rapidly (4 to 6 hours) after a tying-up episode and will regress to normal in three to four days post event. The aspartate aminotransferase (AST) enzyme elevates slower and will take 10 to 21days to return to normal after one rhabdomyolysis episode. Thus a common finding is a normal CK and elevated AST indicating a tying-up episode more than three days ago but within the last two weeks. Some cases of exertional rhabdomyolysis are sub clinical so the blood analysis can be valuable in identifying this reason for poor performance.
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