We are often approached by owners who feel their horse is just not firing on all cylinders, with no obvious reason why. This is referred to by equine vets as “poor performance” and may have several potential causes as detailed below:

• Low grade lameness

• Respiratory conditions such as lower airway disease/ equine asthma

• Gastric ulceration syndrome

• Hind gut acidosis

• Back and pelvic pain, such as kissing spine and sacro-iliac dysfunction

• Reproductive abnormalities or hormonal imbalances

• Muscle diseases such as PSSM, underlying myopathies

• Heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation

• Dental disorders

We are particularly interested in the investigation of poor performance and our vets with their own specialised interests work as a team to discover the cause. 

Emma Ridgway and Anna Quiggin are trained in the use of gastroscopy to diagnose stomach ulcers. We hold regular gastroscopy clinics at our premises at Lackham College but can also come to your yard if need be.

Our vets at Hale Equine have the ethos that there is almost always an underlying cause for poor performance, so we will strive to find out what that may be based on taking a thorough history, analysing you horse under saddle, and formulating a targeted plan to rule in or out possible problems based on these observations. 

We do appreciate, however, that some cases may have a behavioural component and so we work closely with paraprofessionals who may be able to assist you further in this eventuality.