Epidemiology

Barrel racing is one of the most popular uses of the American Quarter horse in North and South America. Although injury to the metacarpophalangeal joint frequently occurs in this sport, there is limited information describing the nature of these injuries. The aim of this study was to determine the most common radiographic abnormalities in barrel racing horses with lameness referable to the metacarpophalangeal joint. Lameness examinations were performed on 63 barrel racing horses. Those found to be lame were subjected to radiographic examination.

A postal survey of the owners of Clydesdale horses in the UK and USA was conducted to obtain information on tarsocrural effusion (‘bog spavin’) as an indicator of osteochondrosis from 935 horses. Additional information requested included details of how this condition was investigated and treated. The reported tarsocrural effusion incidence was 10 per cent. The majority of respondents believed the condition to be of concern to Clydesdale owners, but only a minority were aware of the implications of tarsocrural effusion, suggesting that owner education would be of benefit.

Reasons for performing study: Traumatic injuries are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the horse and consequently pose a serious threat to horses' wellbeing. To date, there have been no published studies assessing the frequency of injuries in the general horse population of the UK.

Objectives: To obtain information regarding husbandry management strategies and injury prevalence in horses aged ≤15 years, with the aim of identifying predisposing risk factors for injury.

Reasons for performing study: No large scale epidemiological studies have previously quantified the occurrence of carpal, metacarpo- and metatarsophalangeal (MCP/MTP) joint injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses.

Objectives: To develop an objective classification system for carpal and MCP/MTP joint injuries and estimate the incidence of these injuries in young Thoroughbreds in flat race training.