Diagnosis & Management of Lameness in the Horse
By Mike W. Ross, DVM and Sue J. Dyson, MA, VetMB, DEO, FRCVS

Reviewed by Ron Perszewski

When you look through your horseshoeing library, you are bound to find some guides to various hoof problems: maybe something lighter in the way of personal farrier accounts, and definitely a number of textbooks that you will never throw away. Mike W. Ross and Sue J. Dyson have recently published the latest textbook that needs to find a home on your bookshelf ? Diagnosis and Management of Lameness in the Horse. This 1,140-page work covers the topic of lameness more thoroughly than a general horseshoeing textbook possibly could. It1s dedicated solely to understanding every possible cause and effect of equine lameness. The authors present ways to diagnose and manage horses that suffer from this debilitating handicap as they walk the reader through a variety of traditional and alternative treatments. Ross, a professor of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, and Dyson, the head of clinical orthopedics at the Centre of Equine Studies in the United Kingdom, have labored to make this a text that is a necessity for beginning and experienced farriers. Tackling Lameness In 10 Parts While attempting to leaf through 1,140 pages of lameness information may seem overwhelming, Ross and Dyson break down this broad topic into 10 specific parts: diagnosis of lameness; foot; forelimb; hind limb; axial skeleton; developmental orthopedic disease and lameness; arthritis; soft tissues; therapeutics; and lameness in the sport horse. Within those 10 parts are 130 specific chapters with 850 illustrations sprinkled in to provide visuals to go with the text. The illustrations range from well-drawn diagrams to clear photographs and compelling radiographs. Other Helpful Tools As with any extensive text, there1s a lengthy index at the back of the book to make searching easier. Also, Ross and Dyson include a full page of abbreviations to open the text. They mention in their introduction that to spell out the extremely long names of diseases and parts of the horse would make this text even longer, so abbreviations had to be used. While it may seem that 1,140 pages is plenty to adequately tackle the topic of lameness, Ross and Dyson didn1t think so. They added a companion CD-ROM, which holds 60 minutes of video that demonstrates forelimb lameness, hind limb lameness and gait abnormalities. The disk allows you to see these problems in action and know what to look for in your clients1 horses. A Necessity For All The companion CD might be more beneficial to less experienced horseshoers than it is to those who already know what to look for when it comes to lameness, but all farriers, no matter how experienced, can benefit from owning this book. If you need to know the ins and outs of the thoracolumbar spine ? it1s in there. If you need to know about desmitis of the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon ? it1s in there. Or, if a client has a question dealing with a nontraditional therapy such as extracorporeal shock wave therapy ? it1s in there. To order a copy of Diagnosis and Management of Lameness in the Horse, contact Gina Keesling at Farrier Greeting Cards, 13849 N. 200 E., Alexandria, IN 46001. Orders also may be placed by phone at (800) 741-5054 or (765) 724-7004 or fax at (888) 724-4632 or e-mail at gina@hoofprints.com. Or visit the Web site at www.hoofprints.com. Each text costs $175, plus $12.95 for shipping and handling in the U.S.