what does "wholistic"
really mean?

general approach

feeding
& nutritional therapy

exercise physiology
& sports medicine

internal medicine

physical therapy
& rehabilitation

"prehab"

manual & movement
therapies

osteopathic care
of the spine

homeopathy
& homotoxicology

medical intuitive evaluation

energy medicine

Anima Herbal Solutions

EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY & SPORTS MEDICINE

Sports Medicine
Sports medicine is the practical application of exercise physiology and related fields such as biomechanics. Owing to the economics of the horse industry, the typical equine sports medicine practice focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of sports-related injuries (bowed tendons, suspensory ligament strains, joint damage, etc.) and performance-limiting medical problems (upper airway restrictions, exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage, etc.). In other words, it concentrates on putting out fires.

That approach is harnessing only a fraction of what exercise physiology and the field of equine biomechanics and locomotion research offers us. We have the knowledge to prevent many sports injuries and other performance-limiting problems in horses.

We also have the ability to customise training programs for individual horses to optimise fitness and fine-tune performance (speed, power, agility, finesse), while minimising the risk of injury and illness. In this way, we can maximize the horse's current performance and his career longevity.

The challenge, though, is to see the value of this approach and put these ideas into practice before the horse is injured or some other performance-limiting problem surfaces. We - horse owners, trainers, and veterinarians - all need to embrace the idea of preventive sports medicine. When it comes to the athletic horse, we would all be wise to adopt the adage, "a penny spent is a dollar saved" or, if you prefer, "an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure."