Equine Sports Medicine Practice

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België
Waterloo
Equine Sports Medicine Practice

Equine Sports Medicine Practice is a specialized veterinary service dedicated to sport and race hors

The ESMP offers ambulatory consultations as well as medical and athletic follow-ups in working horses. It also proposes special diagnostic exams to evaluate poor performance, whatever the horses’ discipline. Each athlete requires a specific physical preparation and needs to be closely monitored to reach peak performance and stay healthy throughout his career. With cutting edge equipment, the ESMP provides special exams that may be done both at rest and during exercise, in real working conditions. Among the specialized exams that ESMP provides :
- Exercise tests
- Airway video-endoscopy during exercise
- Lower airway endoscopy
- Doppler Echocardiography
- Telemetric ECG
- Gastroscopy

07/03/2026

🇬🇧Did you know horses can only breathe through their nose?
🐎During intense exercise, negative inspiratory pressures can cause dynamic collapse of soft tissues around the nasal valve, increasing airflow resistance.

🫁 External nasal dilators help stabilize these structures and reduce inspiratory resistance during exercise (Holcombe et al., 2002).

📍 For optimal effectiveness, they should be placed about 2 fingers above the nostril, at the level of the nasal valve

🇫🇷Saviez-vous que le cheval ne peut respirer que par le nez ?
🐎À l’effort, les pressions inspiratoires peuvent entraîner un affaissement dynamique des tissus au niveau de la valve nasale, augmentant la résistance au flux d’air.

🫁 Les dilatateurs nasaux externes permettent de stabiliser ces structures et de réduire la résistance inspiratoire pendant l’exercice (Holcombe et al., 2002).

📍 Pour être efficaces, ils doivent être placés environ 2 doigts au-dessus du naseau, au niveau de la valve nasale.

28/02/2026

🐴 Mud Fever
Mud fever is a common skin infection affecting the lower legs of horses, especially in wet and muddy conditions 🌧️🌿

🦠 Causes
Usually caused by bacteria (Dermatophilus congolensis), sometimes fungi.
It develops when the skin barrier is weakened by:
• Wet & muddy environments 💦
• Small cuts or abrasions ✂️
• Excessive washing without proper drying 🚿
• Low immunity 🛡️

Moisture softens the skin, making infection easier.

⚠️ Clinical Signs
• Redness & inflammation 🔴
• Swelling 🦵
• Scabs & crusts 🩹
• Oozing discharge 💧
• Pain on touch 😣
• Lameness (severe cases) 🚶‍♂️

White legs can be more sensitive 🤍

🔬 Diagnosis
Usually based on clinical exam.
Lab tests may be needed in chronic or severe cases.

💊 Treatment
• Clip (if needed) ✂️
• Clean with antiseptic 🧴
• Remove loose scabs carefully
• Dry thoroughly 🌬️
• Apply topical treatments
• Severe cases: antibiotics or anti-inflammatories 💉

Keep the area clean and dry during recovery.

🌞 Prevention
• Avoid muddy paddocks 🚫🌧️
• Provide dry areas
• Check and clean legs regularly
• Dry well after washing
• Avoid over-washing 🚿❌

22/02/2026

Throwback to the Sunday quizz… who was right? 🤔🐴

These two images show horses with a tendon injury — specifically involving the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT). Congratulations to everyone who guessed correctly! 👏✨

👉🏻Picture 1: the lesion is located at mid-cannon level.
👉🏻Picture 2: the lesion is situated in the pastern region and has resulted in marked secondary digital sheath tenosynovitis.

🔎Different clinical presentations — yet the same anatomical structure is affected.

This is why a thorough understanding of anatomy is essential📚
If you notice any abnormal swelling or change in your horse’s limb, contact your veterinarian promptly🩺🐎

15/02/2026

SUNDAY QUIZ 🧠🐎

Can you identify these 2 pathologies?

📸 Picture 1
📸 Picture 2

What do you see?
A) Tendon injury
B) Chronic fetlock changes
C) Both
D) Something else?

What causes them? Can they be prevented?

Drop your answers in the comments 👇
Answer revealed soon!

08/02/2026

🐴 Back to Basics is here!
Every month, we’ll revisit essential equine health topics in a simple, playful way.
First stop: auscultation – because listening tells us more than you think 👂💙

31/01/2026

To the Year of the Horse in Thailand!
Dr Emmanuelle van Erck was invited to lecture at the WEVA Congress in Bangkok. This conference was a powerful reminder of what makes our profession move forward 🌍

Across lectures and workshops in equine sports medicine, the focus stayed where it belongs: on sharing knowledge, challenging ideas, and translating research into better care for the sport horse.

What stood out was the truly global exchange. Equine veterinarians from all continents, bringing different perspectives, experiences, and questions, yet united by the same purpose: improving performance without losing sight of welfare, ethics, and long-term soundness.

Surrounded by exceptional research and open discussion, it became clear that progress in equine medicine is rarely driven by individuals, but by collective curiosity and collaboration.

Add to that the legendary Thai hospitality 🇹🇭—warm, generous, and deeply human—and the congress became more than a scientific meeting. It was a reminder that science grows best when people connect.

After this shared journey, shaped by many voices, Dr Emmanuelle van Erck will be bringing back fresh ideas to continue to improve our service to the horse!

24/01/2026

🎉 Congratulations, Dr. Adeline Tischmacher! 🎉

We’re proud to celebrate our ESMP team member, Dr. Adeline Tischmacher, on successfully passing her ISLEP exam. This achievement reflects a high level of expertise and commitment to excellence in equine locomotor pathology and sports medicine.

For our clients and horses, it means evidence-based, internationally recognized standards of care—and for our team, it reinforces ESMP’s dedication to continual learning and clinical excellence.

Well done, Adeline 👏🐎

18/01/2026

🐎 Long-haul transport & competition horses

What really matters for your horse’s health

🥣 Feed before transport
Transport combined with fasting significantly increases the risk of gastric ulcers.
Providing long-stem forage right up to loading helps buffer gastric acid and supports gut health during travel.

🔧 Perform a pre-trip safety inspection
Before every journey, check the hitch, safety chains, breakaway cable, brakes and lights.
Inside the trailer, ensure partitions, pins, flooring and rubber mats are secure, with adequate ventilation and no direct drafts.

⏸️ Take regular breaks
On long journeys, stop every 4 hours for 20–30 minutes.
Offer water 💧 (electrolytes if indicated), allow access to forage 🌾, and park in quiet, shaded areas 🌳 to reduce stress and dehydration.

🏁 Arrive competition-ready
Unload calmly and assess hydration status, demeanor, respiratory effort and soundness.
Have water 💧, forage 🌾, cooling equipment ❄️ and a first-aid kit 🧰 ready, and allow adequate recovery time before work.

📚 Based on veterinary research & safety recommendations (TheHorse.com)

11/01/2026

✨ A day full of sharing & inspiration ✨

To kick off the new year, Altano Benelux veterinarians came together for a day dedicated to connection and collaboration 🤝
Case presentations, open discussions, knowledge exchange and great energy all around.

Growing together, learning from each other, moving forward as one team.

Sharing is caring 💙🐎

03/01/2026

☝🏻You might be on holiday, but your horses are not.

Every day, they wait for us—for turnout, for their meals, for familiar hands, and for the quiet reassurance of routine🤗When they are under treatment, that consistency of care becomes even more important.

❄️⛄️In cold weather, they ask for a little more attention: adequate protection and warm-up: a well-spent extra time to gently loosen and warm their bodies, muscles, joints and tendons included.

Better than treats, continuity of care is how we show respect for the horse and gratitude for all they give us.

They trust us with their wellbeing—every single day of the year🥰

28/12/2025

Why Box Rest Can Be Harmful for Horses with Lower Airway Issues 🐴💨

When it comes to horses with asthma, lung bleeding (EIPH), or respiratory infections, keeping them in strict box rest can actually slow recovery ❤️‍🩹.

Here’s why:
• Movement aids expectoration: Light exercise helps horses clear mucus and debris from their airways.
• Airway warming & circulation: Activity increases airway temperature and blood flow, helping immune cells reach the lungs to fight infection.
• Better ventilation: Being confined in a stall exposes horses to dust, molds, and poor airflow—factors that can worsen inflammation.
• Prevention of secondary problems: Confinement can lead to stiffness, poor circulation, and even stress, which can further compromise recovery.

✅ Takeaway: Controlled exercise, tailored to the horse’s condition, often supports lung health far better than strict box rest. Always balance activity with careful monitoring.

©️ 📸

25/12/2025

Merry Christmas & Happy New year 🥰🤩

Adres

Waterloo

Telefoon

+32497248684

Website

http://www.esmp.be/

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