09/22/2026
Unrecognized Body Lameness in Sport Horses – The Causes and Effects on Training and Performance
Participated in this very interesting 2 day seminar in Trois-Rivières given by Dr Audrey Declue (DeClue Equine), an equine vet who is a pioneer in the development of innovative and effective treatment for shivers-stringhalt syndrome and body lameness. Dr Declue also treats headshaking.
Body lameness is what it sounds like, basically lameness beyond the horse’s feet and legs (i.e. the axial skeleton).
Dr Declue has been working with Dr Gabrielle Martel, a vet from Montreal, sharing her approach and expertise.
One big take-away from the seminar is that Dr Declue breaks the body down into 3 sections, and treats the entire section. In the neck, for example, she will treat all of the cervicals and not just the single problem cervical identified in imaging. The second big take-away is that rehab is in terms of months and not weeks, and there is a very strict protocol of what the horse can and cannot do during this time.
This can be difficult for trainers and owners to accept, but Dr Declue has many happy and returning clients.
A Two-Day Seminar with Dr. Audrey DeClue for the Betterment of the Equine Athlete Presented by Dr. Audrey DeClue, a pioneer in the diagnosis, treatment, and…
