Equine Back Pain

Back problems in horses are nothing new to the equine world. In 1876 back injuries were among the most prevalent and least understood of equine suffering (Lupton,1876). Much of this statement still holds true today, however within recent years more research has been conducted to better understand the etiology and pathogenesis of conditions affecting the horses back; due to the fact that recently animal welfare concerns have grown and taken priority, and horse owners and professionals alike have become more aware of the possible repercussions of working a horse with a bad back. Back problems may include but are not limited to parts of the spine, as well as secondary muscle soreness caused by lameness, improper training, an unskilled rider, or poor saddle fit (Greve and Dyson., 2013).
Back disorders are a common problem amongst working horses and a major cause of poor performance. Equines used in riding school instruction are documented to have various levels of back pain
Diagnosis strictly depended on clinical observation and manual palpation, as well as range of motion and response to treatment, with opinions varying among many (Jeffcott, 1999; Burns et al., 2016). Advancements in imaging presently, offers experts new ways of diagnostically assessing the equine spine and tissues. Radiography, ultrasonography, nuclear scintigraphy, thermography, and algometry all help better elucidate problem areas (Burns et al., 2016). However, some sources of imaging are limited. Efficiency of radiographic imaging is limited by the size of the patient and thickness of surrounding tissues; ultrasonic and scintigraphic imaging is limited by subcutaneous fat (Lesimple et al., 2016). Also worth noting, some of these techniques are not easily accessible to the general practitioner and are not conceivable for field practice.
Objective vs