Equine medicine is a niche requiring an often very different type of practice from small animal and even exotics. Within equine medicine, there is an even more focused niche: sporthorse medicine.
Sporthorse medicine involves specializing in treating equine patients that often compete at the highest levels of international sports such as jumping, dressage, and cross-country. Unlike treating a backyard equine companion, sporthorse medicine requires an understanding of the equine athlete and the different health and soundness issues they face due to their occupation.
"All horses, regardless of their discipline or use, need to have a solid health foundation, but sporthorses differ in that they have to be physically fit to perform like a professional athlete," says Ross T. Russell, DVM, of Russell Equine Sports Medicine in Wesley Chapel, Fla. "These equine athletes have specialized dietary needs, are under strict exercise regimens, and commonly travel long distances to show or compete in stressful settings. Problem-solving these unique health and lameness issues encompasses the veterinary aspect of sporthorse medicine."
