The practical sessions on this course include but are not limited to:
• US-guided & conventional CSF tap techniques
• Cervical facet joint injections
• Headshaker nerve blocks
• Myelography
• Cervical fusion surgery demonstrations

Horses suspected of being affected by equine wobbler or osteoarthritis of the cervical facet joints are regularly seen in equine practice but diagnosing a specific disease with certainty can be challenging. Over the past two decades the equine cervical spine has been extensively researched and advanced imaging modalities like CT and MRI (incl. CT-myelography) have revolutionized diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities available to equine practitioners.

This practical course was designed to provide equine veterinarians with the theoretical and especially the practical skills to competently examine, diagnose and treat horses affected by neck conditions. One of the main goals of this course is to provide practitioners with the knowledge and skills on how to reliably differentiate ataxic horses from animals with front- and hindlimb lameness.

In the afternoons, the 7 hours of practical small group sessions (2 – 4 vets per ultrasound machine) will give attendees plenty of opportunity to further develop their practical skills on live horses and on equine specimens, under the supervision of the experts. Each attendee will rotate through the following practical stations with live horses and specimens: Neurologic examination (ataxia vs. lameness), CSF tap techniques (incl. US-guidance), neck ultrasound, facet joint injections, x-ray of the neck/head, guttural pouch endoscopy, nerve blocks for headshakers, neck conditions case-discussions, cervical fusion surgery & myelogram demonstrations.