The Horse First: A Veterinary Sport Horse Podcast

Dr. Audrey DeClue and Dr. Gabrielle Martel discuss the rejection of three "How To" papers by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) as a positive indicator and evidence that practical, science-based solutions based on patient results should be the priority for helping sport horses with undiagnosed injuries. They highlight the need for change in the veterinary profession to address the rejected "How To: issues like trigeminal mediated idiopathic head shaking, sleep-deprived collapsing, and sciatica in sport horses, which can occur in all equine species.
Both doctors emphasize the importance of recognizing pain and biomechanical dysfunction in horses.
Despite rejections, they plan to launch an online magazine ("The Horse First") to share their findings and improve horse welfare through practical, science-based solutions for trainers and owners, including diagnostic and treatment protocols of veterinarians. The conversation also touches on the broader implications of understanding and the recognition of normal and abnormal pain behaviors in horses with the potential for collaborative efforts by all equine professional through publications like "The Horse First" magazine to share research and solutions.

Dr. Audrey DeClue discusses a severe sciatica case in a high-performance sport horse. The horse, initially winning big, suddenly developed severe sciatica, head shaking, and sleep deprivation. Dr. DeClue highlights the horse's abnormal gait, muscle atrophy, and behavioral change, emphasizing the lack of published papers on equine sciatica and the need for advanced ultrasound skills for treatment. She notes that 40% of humans worldwide have clinical signs of sciatica and that she sees a similar percentage in her equine patients. Dr. DeClue advocates for better veterinary education and awareness, sharing her success in treating similar cases with proper rehabilitation.

Dr. Audrey DeClue brings her blog posts to the podcast with commentary as she discusses the importance of understanding body lameness in horses. 85-90% of lameness has historically been focused on limbs and feet instead of looking a the horse as a whole body. She highlights common performance issues caused by body lameness and explains these issues in terms of biomechanics.

[Description from the EquiScience Podcast #21 with Elisa Walfish]
What if many of the problems we label as "lameness" don't actually begin in the limbs?
In this episode I sit down with Dr. Audrey DeClue, an equine veterinarian known for challenging long-standing assumptions in equine medicine. Together, we explore the concept of body lameness, why biomechanics should play a central role in every lameness examination, and how collaboration between veterinarians, bodyworkers, farriers, saddle fitters, trainers, and owners can dramatically improve outcomes for horses.

Dr. DeClue shares the experiences that transformed her approach to veterinary medicine, the importance of questioning accepted ideas, and why observing the horse as a whole, not just individual body parts, is essential for finding the root cause of dysfunction.

Dr. Audrey DeClue welcomes Dr. Gabrielle Martel to discuss the complexities of treating body lameness in horses. Dr. Martel, a veterinarian from Montreal, shares her journey of treating horses with body lameness, emphasizing the importance of understanding horse biomechanics and the need for a comprehensive approach. They discuss the challenges of treating horses with conditions like sleep deprivation, idiopathic head shaking, and sciatica, highlighting the veterinary profession's slow acceptance of these issues. Dr. Martel shares her experience of working with Dr. DeClue and learning the importance of slowing down and being present with the horses.