Airway inflammation is an often-undiagnosed cause of discomfort and compromised performance.

by Kim F Miller

Joint inflammation gets a lot of airtime in the equestrian world, and rightly so. It’s the root cause of arthritis and the crux of the time-worn veterinary adage: “There are two types of horses: those who have arthritis and those who will get it.” An industry has grown up around supplements, therapies and medical treatments to postpone and mitigate the damage inflicted by inflammation in the joints.

The reality is that inflammation anywhere in the horse’s body is bad news, especially in the airway and lungs. In fact, it’s a keyword in one of the most common non-infectious respiratory diseases: Inflammatory Airway Disease, and a culprit in IAD’s sister condition, Respiratory Airway Obstruction, often referred to as “heaves.”

IAD and RAO are points on a spectrum of conditions described by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine as “Equine Asthma.” That’s because they share with their human counterparts the underpinning of chronic airway inflammation. IAD represents the milder end of the Equine Asthma spectrum. It’s important to note, however, that a horse with IAD may be prone to develop the more severe manifestation, RAO, but it’s not a “continuum” in which IAD definitely progresses to RAO.

Read more: Inflammation: It’s Not Just In Joints

by Aidan Connolly

From the mythical tales of Pegasus and the Black Stallion to the true legacies of Alexander the Great’s Bucephalus and Man o’ War, few animals conjure up images of nobility, strength, beauty, power and freedom in our minds quite the same way a horse does. First domesticated 5,000 years ago in Europe and Asia, the role of the horse throughout history has changed considerably, and these beautiful animals have demonstrated an incredible range of abilities and athleticism. While some cultures still rely on horses for transportation or agriculture, others primarily view the relationship with the horse as one of sport or pleasure.

Now a multibillion-dollar industry, the economic value of the business of horses is estimated to be $39 billion in the U.S. alone. Also evident are the opportunities to use new technology. While the progress of the past few years has been swift, the full potential hasn’t yet been realized. Eight digital technologies discussed in previous blogs have the potential to disrupt the equine industry, altering the very fundamentals of how we take care of horses. Image courtesy of © CSIRO Australia, 2013

1. 3D printing: The new farrier?

3D printers can provide nontraditional answers to traditional challenges. Through improved breeding and nutrition, the horse industry has been able to dramatically improve performance, but challenges remain, specifically injuries and irregular growth patterns.

3D printing could be used to create casts, splints or possibly prosthetics for animals with injured or broken legs. For every Seabiscuit, there are countless examples of valuable horses that are put down when they break a bone. Previously, the prognosis for such horses was very poor, but what if 3D printing could step in as a solution? With this tool, veterinarians could print any number of things to solve myriad health issues.

CSIRO in Australia has developed 3D horseshoe printing technology to generate horseshoes using imaging software that closely analyzes the hoof in order to provide shoes with a superior ergonomic fit. Farriers may very soon be using this technology to produce all manner of individually sized footwear for horses that can help alleviate chronic symptoms and aid in faster recovery.

Read more: Horsepower: How Digital Technology is Transforming the Equine World