Courses are taught at The Animal Rehabilitation Institute, a beautifully landscaped 10-acre facility located in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Equine Athletics Module

Dr. Melissa King, DVM, Dr. Anna Firshman, DVM, Dr. Hilary Clayton, BVMS, PhD, MRCVS
& Dr.Narelle Stubbs, B.appSc.(PT) M. AnimSt(Phys), PhD - Instructors

Offered to: Veterinarians, Veterinary Technicians, Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants who are participating in the Equine Rehabilitation Certification Program.

Course Description: The purpose of this course is to provide participants with a fundamental understanding of equine sporting events, key concepts regarding the relationships between conformation, locomotion and performance, development of sport specific conditioning programs and detection of lameness, musculoskeletal disorders and neurological disorders. Skills learned in this course will allow graduates to assess performance requirements of equestrian sports, to recognize common injuries, and to develop appropriate conditioning and rehabilitation programs that will benefit equine athletes, their owners and their veterinarians.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand recent Veterinary treatment options available for orthopedic and musculoskeletal injury.
2. Understand the functions of the spine, front limbs, hind limbs and hooves in relation to equine performance.
3. Recognize and evaluate horses moving at the basic gaits (walk, trot, canter, gallop), recognize common abnormalities and lamenesses of these gaits and understand components of a lameness evaluation. 
4. Provide a fundamental review of clinical neuromuscular physiology and anatomy as they pertain to the horse.
5. Recognize commonly seen equine Neurologic and muscular conditions and their veterinary management especially as they relate to rehabilitation.
6. Practice Neurologic examination techniques in a laboratory setting.  
7. Become familiar with the terminology, techniques and current research in equine locomotion analysis.
8. Learn how to use a video camera to record videotapes of suitable quality for objective assessment of gait.
9. Understand the principles for evaluating the physical requirements of a sport and developing a sport specific conditioning program for the equine athlete, including cardiovascular fitness, strength training, flexibility training and warm-up and cool-down exercises.
10. Describe the different equestrian sports and have a basic understanding of the physiological and locomotor requirements of different sports.

Course Outline:

Day 1: Advanced Equine Lameness Evaluation  & Recent Veterinary Treatment Options for Orthopedic Injury's - (Dr. Melissa King, DVM)

• Classroom/Lab 8 AM - 5 PM (1 hr lunch break)
• Review lameness evaluation and grading scale

Day 2: Common Equine Muscle Disorders & Neurological Conditions - (Dr. Anna Firshman, DVM)

• Classroom/Lab 8 AM - 5 PM (1 hr lunch break)
• Basic Neuromuscular Physiology/Anatomy(1 hr)
• Common Equine Neurologic Conditions  (1 hr)
• Common Equine Muscle Disorders - Myopathies, EMND, Clostridal Myositis etc (2 hrs)
• Equine Neurologic Examination (1hr)
• Equine Neurologic Examination Practical (3hrs)

Day 3: Conditioning the Equine Athlete 

• Classroom/Lab 8 AM - 5 PM (1 hr lunch break)
• Introduction to Equine Locomotion Analysis (Lecture/videos) 
• Overview of Equestrian Sports (Lecture/videos) 
• Use of video camera (Lecture/Lab) 
• Energetics and Cardiovascular Fitness 
• Muscle Physiology and Sport Specific Strength Training 
• Suppling Exercises 
• Thermo regulation 

Day 4: Current Research In Equine Rehabilitation

• Classroom/Lab 8 AM - 5 PM (1 hr lunch break)
• Introduction to Equine Locomotion Analysis (Lecture/videos) 
• Overview of Equestrian Sports (Lecture/videos) 
• Use of video camera (Lecture/Lab) 
• Energetics and Cardiovascular Fitness 
• Muscle Physiology and Sport Specific Strength Training 
• Suppling Exercises 
• Thermo regulation