Do horses have thick skulls?

What is wrong with your horse’s cranial bone?

But, when I started working with horses as an equine sports therapist, it soon became clear that many horses are dealing with imbalances in their cranial bones, often stemming from trauma to the head such as hitting their head on a trailer or stall, pulling back when tied, an issue from birth, or, in many cases, dental imbalances.

How do you know if your horse has cranial bone problems?

I also started to realize that the overwhelming tendency for a horse with issues in their cranial bones is to also present with lethargy, anxiety, abnormal spookiness, head tossing, behavioural changes, poor circulation, or excessive discomfort in their structural system.

What causes sacroiliac joint injuries in horses?

Sacroiliac joint injuries are generally placed into two categories. The cause of a sacroiliac joint problem is often a trauma, which can be sustained during training or competition, or even in the paddock. Causes include:

Why is my horse resistant to cranial work?

Because horses can initially be resistant to cranial work, and because it has the potential to resurface trauma during the healing process, any therapist you choose should be well-versed with horse behaviour.

What causes paralysis on the side of a horses face?

Causes of Facial Paralysis in Horses. There are multiple events that can cause facial paralysis in your horse. Trauma or injury to the side of the face is one of the most common causes. Another cause could be from his halter being too tight.

How do you know if your horse has spinal cord problems?

A light but firm touch should trigger the panniculus reflex, the skin twitch you see when your horse is pestered by a fly. Lack of a reaction in any area suggests a problem with the nerves that supply that region. At the hind end, the vet checks muscle tone by lifting the tail; a limp tail may be a sign of a spinal cord problem.

What are the signs of equine neurological disorders?

Recognizing the signs of equine neurological disorders and starting treatment early will give your horse his best chance of recovery from these diseases. Your horse hesitates and steps awkwardly when he walks downhill.

Why does my horse have sacroiliac joint pain?

As the horse flexes and extends the hind legs, forces applied to the sacroiliac joint can cause strains or tears in the ligaments as well as partial dislocation of bones. These injuries cause pain and stiffness. Arthritis, common in older athletic horses and those that have been used in strenuous performance, can also be a cause of sacroiliac pain.

Can horses get SI joint injuries?

Any horse can injure his SI joint in a fall or some other accident. The injury may leave the joint less stable than it was originally, so it can become a source of chronic pain. Performance horses may develop SI problems through simple wear and tear and the more mechanical stress the joint comes under, the greater the risk, Dr. Haussler says.

Is it possible to diagnose sacroiliac disease in a horse?

Despite these studies into sacroiliac disease in the horse, much is still unknown and diagnosis remains difficult . The Sacro-Iliac joint connects the sacrum to the pelvis at the ilium. The lumbo-sacral joint is a hinge joint located between the last lumbar and the first sacral vertebrae.

What are the sacroiliac ligaments on a horse?

They don’t involve the sacroiliac joint directly, but they do help anchor the ilium to the sacral spine. The ventral sacroiliac ligaments are located deeper, in the area of the sacroiliac joint itself, which they stabilize. This assembly is designed to hold the horse’s pelvis tightly to his spine.

How to treat cranial and caudal cruciate ligament in horses?

Treatment of Cranial and Caudal Cruciate Ligament in Horses. Treatment options for osteochondrosis will usually require the removal of the lesion or cyst via arthroscopic surgery especially if the horse is younger. If the lesion is the result of an infection, treatment with antibiotic medications is usually begun.

What are the causes of trauma in the conformation of horses?

This trauma can occur as a result of athletic activity of the horse, whether from working activity or conformation workouts (kicks, jumping, falling, high-speed racing and jumping).

Why does my horse hold his tail Crooked?

There are many reasons that a horse might hold his tail crooked or off to one side. As an equine veterinarian certified in spinal manipulation (chiropractic), I am often called in to assess a horse for abnormal tail carriage. One such cause is when there is a restriction (loss of motion in a joint and/or surrounding soft tissues) of the sacrum.

Why does my horse have a limp on his face?

Another cause could be from his halter being too tight. If your horse is suffering from degenerative nerve disease it could eventually affect his facial nerves in addition to other nerves throughout the body. If your horse is experiencing unilateral facial paralysis, it will be apparent by his clinical symptoms alone.

What is laryngeal paralysis in horses?

Laryngeal paralysis in horses occurs when the nerves or the muscles of the larynx stop functioning normally. The condition can affect one or both sides of the larynx. Laryngeal paralysis makes it difficult for the horse to breathe naturally, especially during exercise.

How do I know if my horse has bilateral or unilateral paralysis?

If your horse is experiencing unilateral facial paralysis, it will be apparent by his clinical symptoms alone. If he is experiencing bilateral paralysis, it may be a little more difficult to notice just by appearance alone. Upon further examination and palpation of the facial muscles, she will be able to notice symptoms of paralysis.

How do I know if my horse has cervical spine pain?

Spinal pain in the horse can present with a variety of clinical signs, depending on which part of the spine is involved (see Equine Skeleton). Head tossing, inverting the neck, or resisting lateral or longitudinal flexion while being ridden are characteristic of pain in the cervical spine.

What does it mean when a horse has pain in neck?

Spinal pain in the horse can present with a variety of clinical signs, depending on which part of the spine is involved (see Equine Skeleton). Head tossing, inverting the neck, or resisting lateral or longitudinal flexion while being ridden are characteristic of pain in the cervical spine.

How do veterinarians diagnose back pain in horses?

If a veterinarian suspects ODSP as a cause of back pain in a horse, he or she will use clinical examination and medical imaging techniques to confirm the diagnosis. This will likely include a standing musculoskeletal palpation examination, moving soundness evaluation, and radiographs.

What are the symptoms of epilepsy in horses?

“Horses with EPM can show a wide variety of signs, ranging from ataxia and weakness, to individual nerve paralysis, to seizures, to problems with urination or defecation,” Dr. Sellon says. “The vast majority of wobblers present for examination with ataxia and weakness of all four limbs.

What are the signs of EHM in horses?

Neurologic signs often include ascending paralysis with urine dribbling, loss of anal tone and control, poor tail tone, and pelvic limb weakness.Diagnosis of EHM is easier to establish when several horses on the same premises present with fever, followed by ataxia and urine dribbling and in some cases abortion.

How to tell if a horse has neurologic disease?

A gait evaluation is critical because horses with neurologic disease usually demonstrate some degree of ataxia, although some are ataxic due to musculoskeletal problems. Signs of ataxia in affected horses include toe dragging, stumbling or an outward turning of the rear limbs. Commonly used neurologic tests include: Tail pull.

What are the most common diseases of the central nervous system in horses?

Many diseases can affect the central nervous system of horses but four of the most common disorders are cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy (CSM), equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM), and equine herpesvirus 1 myeloencephalopathy (EHM).

What causes sacroiliac pain in horses?

Sacroiliac pain in horses can be caused due a Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction in the sacroiliac region. Unfortunately SI joint injuries are fairly common among horses. An application with VetkinTape allows veterinary professionals to aid the horse with the recovery and rehabilitation of a SI-joint dysfunction.