Peak performance is more than just treating lameness when it occurs. Great athletes perform at their best when they are managed as an entire being.

We believe that excellent management of performance horses starts with ensuring baseline overall health and planning their care based on each horse’s goals for the season. An integrative approach to performance medicine involves addressing the skeleton and soft tissue, to improve comfort, strength, flexibility, and athleticism.

We do this through:

• Routine performance assessments – in hand and under tack

• Performance horse maintenance

• Veterinary medical acupuncture

• Diagnostic imaging

• Show calendar-based assessment and treatment planning

• Competition mandated vaccination and diagnostics - Coggins testing and health certificates

• Collaboration with all equine practitioners on the horses’ team

Assessments focus not just on “lameness” but also evaluate changes in a patient including progression of weaknesses and compensation patterns.

By prioritizing preventative medicine and early intervention we can address physical challenges before they develop into irreversible injuries.

Horse care team collaboration and consultation is not the standard in veterinary practice, but it is the standard at Inglemere Equine.

Lameness evaluations are not cookie-cutter assessments that are always comprised of the same elements. All Inglemere Equine evaluations are dynamic examinations that include observing the horse in motion in-hand, on the lunge, or under tack.

Lameness evaluations consist of a thorough physical exam, passive and dynamic flexions and range of motion assessments which combined, offer insight into which issues are primary challenges needing attention. This hands-on approach allows us to then create a plan to achieve a diagnosis and to offer effective treatments options. Some of the tools used are:

• Diagnostic imaging

• Advanced diagnostic imaging referrals (Nuclear Scintigraphy, MRI, CT)

• Collaboration with veterinary surgeons as well as veterinarians who provide your horse’s care during other parts of the season

• Advanced treatment modalities include shockwave and regenerative medicine (PulseVet Shockwave Therapy, ProVet APC, PRP as well as other regenerative products)

• Open, honest and respectful conversation with the horse care team to choose treatment and management options that will best suit the individual animal as well as the owner’s future goals

Preventative care consists of the services that allow horses to thrive in and maintain a healthy and comfortable life, regardless of their level of use. These elements of care help horses stay healthy throughout the year.

• General physical, problem specific, and insurance examinations

• Vaccinations

• Endocrine and metabolic disease:  diagnosis, management and treatment

• Senior care: management specific to the needs of the aged horse

• Podiatry: consultation, treatment and management in collaboration with your farrier.

• Regular collaboration and consultation with veterinary specialists including diplomates from the College of Veterinary Surgeons, College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Ophthalmology.

Medical acupuncture is performed using an advanced understanding of anatomy and neurophysiology and is most often used to treat muscle and nerve pain, tension, and reactivity. Acupuncture can help us reset the body’s pain pathways through neuromodulation to improve function, flexibility and recovery.

Techniques vary based on the patient and the challenges they face, but can include electroacupuncture, dry needling, or aquapuncture, depending on the case.

Commonly used for:

• Performance: improving post-exercise recovery, managing pain, improving flexibility and reducing muscle tension.

• Management of chronic pain and muscle soreness

• Acute injury and nerve damage

• Improving nerve function and proprioception

• As an adjunct to other performance maintenance and physiotherapy modalities

While Dr. Dubé most often performs acupuncture on horses who are regular patients within the practice, she is also available to provide acupuncture as a treatment modality for cases where the primary veterinarian has completed diagnostics and treatment and feels acupuncture could be a valuable addition. Veterinary colleagues are welcome to call Dr. Dubé to discuss collaboration on cases.

Imaging is a valuable tool in veterinary medicine, helping us understand an animal’s structural framework. Recognizing individual variations in each horse's underlying structures is immensely helpful in determining treatment plans and prognoses.

Modalities routinely used at Inglemere Equine include:

• Diagnostic ultrasound

• Digital radiography

• Venograms and podiatry radiographs

• Advanced diagnostic imaging referrals, including nuclear scintigraphy, MRI, and CT

• Collaboration with veterinary specialists on complex cases

Navigating the purchase or lease of a horse can be challenging for both new and experienced horse owners, alike. Buying or leasing a horse is a significant decision, often with considerable financial implications.

The intent of a pre-purchase exam is to assess the health and soundness of the horse on the day it is presented. Using the exam, diagnostic imaging, and bloodwork, potential risks to the horse’s ability to perform its intended purpose can be identified.

The information gathered and presented allows the owner (and any potential agents) to make an informed decision about whether the horse is suitable for its intended role.

Pre-purchase exams are tailored to the purchaser’s needs and the horse’s intended use.

Inglemere Equine Pre-purchase Exams:

• Range from basic to in-depth assessments

• Often include diagnostic imaging, diagnostic bloodwork, and static and dynamic exams (in-hand and under tack)

• Include a written report of findings

• Out-of-town pre-purchase exams include consultation with and diagnostic forwarding to your regular veterinarian

• Pre-purchase consultations on foreign animals can include assessments of diagnostic imaging, bloodwork, and videos taken during the exam