By Vet Bethan Harper
Poor performance can be a very frustrating scenario for horse owners and vets alike. Signs are generally vague and can be as minimal as the horse being “not themselves” or refusing the odd jump.
The trick is to determine if these issues are simply behavioural, which is rare, or caused by underlying pain.
As behavioural issues are a diagnosis of exclusion, a full workup must be done to rule out a painful cause.
Initially, a thorough history should be taken, gaining details of the issues, when they started, any recent changes, diet, training regime, etc. This will be followed by a thorough clinical assessment, to include auscultation of the heart, lungs and trachea, and examination of the eyes and mouth. If the horse is generally unwell or dull, a blood sample might be taken to check general health markers.
One of the common causes of poor performance is gastric ulcers, which will commonly be found in horses with signs such as unwillingness to be touched in the girth area and low-grade discomfort. Ulcers can be diagnosed by gastroscopy which allows them to be visualised in the stomach.
Lameness and back pain are also common causes of poor performance. Back pain can occasionally be a primary pathology e.g. if the horse has kissing spines, but most often it is secondary to hindlimb lameness. A full lameness workup including trot ups and flexion tests to identify a region of pain, possibly followed by nerve blocks and imaging to aid diagnosis will be required to exclude lameness as a cause.
Cardiac or respiratory causes of poor performance may be picked up with auscultation, but may require further testing such as endoscopy, blood tests, or taking samples from the airway.
If you’re worried about your horse’s performance, give your vet a call.