Equine Sports Medicine Practice

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 🥰🤩

20/12/2025

We feel deeply honoured and grateful to have been invited to the Hong Kong Jockey Club Equine Welfare Conference — a truly special and internationally respected meeting that left a lasting impression on us.

What made this conference so powerful was not only the calibre of global racing officials, veterinarians and researchers in the room, but the courage to challenge established thinking. By inviting experts from other high-performance sports — from motorsports to rugby — the HKJC created space to rethink how we approach prevention, risk communication and athlete safety, and to ask difficult but necessary questions about how we protect those who perform at the highest level.

Being invited to share the work we have developed in close partnership with The Hong Kong Jockey Club was particularly meaningful. Our collaborative research exploring how cardiac monitoring during training can help forecast performance, identify risk earlier and guide better decision-making reflects a shared belief: that welfare must come first. Using science to reduce injury, support longevity and sustain accountability is not just good practice — it is essential for the future of horse racing.

We left inspired by the openness, the humility and the collective commitment to transform scientific knowledge into real-world improvements. When disciplines learn from one another and welfare leads the conversation, meaningful change becomes possible.

Thank you to the HKJC Equine Welfare Research Foundation and its international partners for setting such a high standard — and for reminding us why this work matters so much. 🐎✨

#香港賽馬會

14/12/2025

✨ International teamwork at its finest!✨
Today we successfully completed a quinidine cardioversion for atrial fibrillation in a horse - with a truly global twist.

This procedure was performed through real-time remote collaboration between two veterinary teams separated by almost half the world:
🇧🇪 Belgium— providing remote guidance and expertise
🇳🇿 New Zealand— hands-on with the horse, managing treatment and monitoring

Our practice frequently supports colleagues through remote consultations and second opinions, and today’s case is an other fantastic example of how this approach can make advanced equine care accessible anywhere.

Thanks to seamless communication, shared experience, and dedicated professionals on both sides, the horse returned safely to normal rhythm🫀🐴

A huge congratulations to everyone involved! 🌍
Modern technology + passionate teams = better outcomes for horses everywhere 💙

11/12/2025

AAEP this year was absolutely incredible! 🔬✨ From cutting-edge tech and AI tools to next-gen wearables transforming performance monitoring and welfare, the innovation in equine sports medicine is unreal.
One of the true highlights was Temple Grandin’s inspiring talk on animal sentience and neurodiversity — a powerful reminder of how extraordinary animals are and why we do what we do to understand them better.
And of course, nothing beats catching up with friends and colleagues who make this profession so special. 🐴💙

07/12/2025

🎉Happy 15 years ESMP🎉
Fifteen years ago, this practice was born from a clear and powerful intention:
to develop equine sports medicine in a way nobody had before, combining deep knowledge in physiology, internal medicine and sports and applying it where it matters: in the field.
It was a leap of faith — setting out on my own to build something that reflected my values into what seemed to be a dizzying void🌟
I was also clueless about how to lead a business. But I had a vision, a drive (an obsession?) and unwavering support from my loved ones ❤️💪
What emerged (sweat and tears included) became far more than a practice.
It became a shared journey 🚀
Along the way, an incredible team took shape.
Every person who has been part of this story — those who stayed and those who moved on — shared one essential thing: a genuine love and passion for the horse🐴💖
Each of them left their mark, helping define who we are today✨
Together, we earned our place🏅
Trusted with the care of elite athletes at the top of their sport, setting new standards in assessing how they respond to conditioning and competition, being invited to the most respected international conferences to share our experience 🌍🎤 publishing cutting edge science 📄🧪
Yet always guided by the same commitment — to care with the same dedication for every animal, regardless of level or discipline 🤝🐎
Our identity at ESMP has been built on excellence, science, empathy, and integrity🌱
On the belief that performance and welfare are inseparable⚖️
That true sports medicine serves not only results, but the horse–rider partnership and the long-term well-being of both🐴🤝🏇
Fifteen years in, I feel deeply grateful — and incredibly fortunate — to do this work with such a remarkable team 🙏
Proud of how far we’ve come 🌄
And excited for what lies ahead🔮
New projects, new challenges, new adventures await — always at the service of the horse🐎✨

30/11/2025

At ESMP, we implement new technology as a means to support our clinical exams. Our observational skills are irreplaceable, however when supported by objective metrics, they can be recorded and followed over time.
Read the full interview of Dr Adeline Tischmacher:

https://sleip.com/blogs-tutorials/blog/why-belgian-vets-are-saying-yes-to-objective-gait-analysis?utm_campaign=247127241-3%20Belgian%20vets&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_content=blog&fbclid=PARlRTSAOY7dRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAae8pwT9K1WB0adm_PqXLMorWHmy0KgVFe4Z61yedQgQCqFKL9pRCQfx8-E4uQ_aem_VQ0Qs63w0gg2YXpbm7fVjw

22/11/2025

Feeling special

The brain is still buzzing after being invited to speak at the European Colleges of Equine Internal Medicine (ECEIM).
It was the opportunity to share our research on how cardiac arrhythmias at intense exercise impact performance in Thoroughbred racehorses - something that was never explored before in the field, in a large population. What made the experience special were the conversations that followed on how to move forward to improve injury and accident prevention in equine athletes.
The speakers covered inspiring state of the art lectures — exploring equine sleep with Pr Monica Mira, cancerology in horses with the legendary Pr Derek Kottenbelt, managing EHV-1 outbreaks and safeguarding horses at competitions, but also managing metabolic diseases, improving our functional imaging skills...

There’s something special about being surrounded by fellow specialists and scientists for a few days.
These are the people who live at the edge of research, who question everything, who bring their passion to the lab, the clinic, the racetrack, and the lecture room.
Specialist colleges are the beating heart of our profession — places where ideas sharpen, knowledge expands, and you’re reminded why staying curious matters.

I left with new insights to improve our daily practice, new connections, and fresh inspiration…
Exactly what happens when you spend time with big, bold minds in equine medicine — and an incredible reminder of why we love this work.

21/11/2025

09/11/2025

🐴💓 exercices tests under saddle help us understand how the horse’s body responds to effort — with real-time ECG monitoring and regular lactate measurements.
A great source of insight into both health 🩺 and locomotion 🦵
Stay tuned — we’ll soon share what the heart looks like in action ❤️‍🔥