Letter from the CEO: Winter 2020

Dear reader,

It has been an exciting winter for objective lameness measurement.  With the addition of the University of Minnesota and Iowa State University now 90% (27 of 30) of AAVMC schools in the U.S. have an Equinosis Q.

Following the Breeders’ Cup in November (just after publishing the Fall edition of EoO), NAARV recommended the use of inertial sensors for racing regulation.  You can find the press release and Equinosis Veterinary Council recommendations on p. 27.

We helped Dr. Keegan launch a new LinkedIn group Equine, Objective Lameness Measurement, to share topical information. Join the conversation at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13754033/.

In January Dr. Keegan and Dr. Bronte Forbes (Singapore Turf Club) were invited to present Equinosis’ technical solution to help reduce racing and training related injuries at the Tex Cauthen Memorial Seminar in Lexington.  Full coverage of the lameness measurement lectures can be found on p. 31.  Many thanks Craig Cauthen and to Drs. Tobin, Holland, Mundy and the rest of the organizing committee for the warm welcome and hospitality.

One of the highlights of the Lexington trip was the opportunity to meet and workup horses with more than a dozen area veterinarians on the front line in regulation, trackside care, and  rehabilitation of racehorses.  Thanks to our wetlab host site, New Vocations - Mereworth Farms racehorse rehabilitation and adoption center. An amazing staff committed to their work – thank you Sarah, Leandra, Amanda, and team!

With the help of Dr. Rhodes Bell, Dr. Keegan and Dr. Tyrrell demonstrated the utility of lameness measurement to about 30 veterinarians, owners, and industry professionals.  The need for objective measurement becomes clear when over a dozen highly qualified equine veterinarians can look at the same horse at the same time and come to different conclusions. Disagreement will occur; it has been studied scientifically and it is a fact.  And NOBODY is right all the time – no matter how “expert” the eye. 

The bottom line, it doesn’t matter how good the eye is at detecting movements when a device can measure with 10X more precision. What matters is how good is the veterinarian, and how well can they solve a puzzle?

When the veterinarian knows definitively which legs are doing less work, lameness evaluation becomes a process of figuring out why not if?  And,as importantly, what should be done about it?     

I don’t think anyone would debate that long-time and recently retired customer Dr. Ron Genovese has a good eye for lameness. But his decades of experience go beyond his visual acuity for detecting lameness. He understands that arriving at a diagnosis is about putting all of the pieces of the puzzle together.  Using objective lameness measurements, Dr. Genovese adds a critical piece to the puzzle.

Best regards,

Andy Wolter

Equinosis CEO