When it comes to the high-performance sport horse, owners will often stop at nothing to ensure their equine partner has the very best in care and treatment. The start of the British Eventing (BE) season is only a few months away, and many people have been training hard over the winter and will want to ensure their horses are fit and fresh for the first competition of the season.


Ultrasound therapy can offer a great addition to a veterinarian's arsenal when it comes to treating horses, especially horses that are competing at high levels and need to be fully sound. Using ultrasound therapy on the legs is a particularly effective treatment, helping loosen stiffness in ligaments, reduce inflammation throughout the joints and break down any scar tissue that might be present from old injuries. If a horse has been a high-level competitor for some time or is simply getting older, offering ultrasound treatments to patients is an effective way to maintain health and fitness in equines without the need for excessive time off or more invasive treatments and medications.

More horse owners are considering treatments such as physiotherapy, massage, and hydrotherapy for their animals, and promoting a course of ultrasound therapy alongside these practices can help improve the overall health and performance of the horse. These more musculoskeletal treatments have a much faster procedure time and can often be carried out at the stable, reducing the stress of traveling and the risk of further injury to the horse. Bringing a horse to an equine hospital is often costly and emotionally difficult for owners, so being able to offer treatments and preventative courses on-site is a much-preferred option for owners and vets alike. Fortunately, many ultrasound equipment kits are produced with the patients in mind, and portable scanners and sturdy versions suitable for stables and paddocks are available.

Injury prevention is critical in top-performance equine athletes, and being able to finish the season fit and healthy is the ultimate goal for any equine veterinarian. Investing in portable treatment equipment can allow equine vets to offer a broader range of treatments to benefit all types of patients, but especially in high-performance sport horses.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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