Merry foal With Love treated in the University clinic for Equine Health

Veulen With Love vlak na de geboorte

On March 26th 2023 With Love was born, an NRPS-merry foal. It wasn’t an easy delivery: the placenta was aberrant which caused a premature break. After the delivery it was clear that she had a deviated forming of her forelegs which caused an ineptitude to stand and drink independently. After a successful treatment at the University clinic for Equine Health, with special shoes, aqua training and physiotherapy, With Love could walk again.

The veterinarians at the University clinic for Equine Health observed right away how lively With Love was, but instead of being able to stand on her hooves, she stood on her ball joints. Although the University clinic for Equine Health frequently treats foals with deviating formations, this was a severe case. An extensive physiotherapy procedure kicked off.

Aangepaste schoentjes onder de hoeven van With Love

Adjusted shoes

The skeleton of With Love appeared to be in order on radiographs. Weak abdominal muscles and tendons of the forelegs appeared to be the cause of the deviated formations. There was an attempt to use two adjusted shoes to alter the form. However, the first pair of shoes failed due to her standing too much on the trailing edge of the shoes which caused her ball joints to still be overstretched and pointed the hoof of her feet upwards.

Afterwards, a new pair of shoes with an additional extension was added to the rear end. This worked, although she still struggled to land flat on the shoe. On top of this, her abdominal muscles were treated with electric muscle stimulation.

Morgan Lashley en een dierenarts houden veulen With Love vast in de aquatrainer

Aquatraining

To help her with leg placement and the stimulation and strengthening of her abdominal muscles, she started aquatraining. Through this she was put under care of veterinarians, students and a veterinary physiotherapist in the Companion Animals department. Luckily, With Love was small enough to fit in the tub.

The aquatrainer appeared to be somewhat of a challenge for her but she soon learned that she could move easier in water. To help her with the right flexion of the joint, this motion was fostered with rope.

Slowly but surely, With Love stood more upright on her forelegs and started improving on her motions. This also allowed adjustments to the shoes – the extension was shortened. Five weeks after her birth she improved so much that she could move onto the final stage of her rehabilitation.

With Love in de wei

For a while she visited the University clinic for Equine Health regularly to get check-ups on her motions and adjustments of the shoes by our farrier. After a while she no longer even need these shoes anymore and she was walking better and better. With Love could truly be a fowl again and trot through the meadows with her mother. If you’d see her now you would never have guessed her form had ever been as aberrant as it once was.

With Love’s success story is credited to the amazing teamwork of all involved specialists, specialists in training, farriers, physiotherapists and students of the University clinic for Equine Health. Without the astonishing input and patience of her owners, this wouldn’t have been possible.

If you'd like to know more about what the University clinic for Equine Health could do for your horse, contact 030 253 1111 for more information.