Bob Schneider DVM

06/10/2022

49 years ago today: The official finish line photo of the June 9, 1973 Belmont Stakes shows Secretariat in full powerful stride, all four feet off the ground as his nose hits the wire. Jockey Ron Turcotte at that very instant is looking to his left towards the infield timer clock knowing he is a part of a special ride -- one that would shatter the track record and world record in a mind-boggling time of 2:24 for the mile-and-a-half distance.

Even more extraordinary is the full field view of the finish, with the next closest contender, Twice A Prince, a distant 31 lengths behind Secretariat. Take a look at the eye-popping full perspective of the race finish: https://tinyurl.com/BelmontFinish-FullFieldView

Official finish line photos are unique in that they show the mirror image of the horse for maximum viewing perspective. See more finish line image crops from this unforgettable day in Thoroughbred horse racing history: https://tinyurl.com/BelmontFinishLine

09/16/2020

I am shifting my practice locations to be more efficient with my time. I will now be looking at horses with performance problems every week in Yakima. We have a great facility to look at horses. If I can help you with a horse please call me at (509) 592-8800. I will still be in Auburn every other week and will still be performing surgery in Spokane.

03/21/2020

Schneider & Stenslie Equine is seeking a part time veterinary technician or assistant at Emerald downs in Auburn WA.

Job Description:
Wednesday is receiving and lameness day. The day consists of jogging horses, x-rays, scrubbing for diagnostic blocks and joint injections.

Thursday is surgery day. The assistant will scrub in and assist Dr. Schneider during surgical procedures as well as helping anesthetize and move the horse.

This job position is Wednesday and Thursday 8:00am until finish EVERY OTHER WEEK.

Requirements:
Must be experienced in handling horses.
Must be physically capable to be on your feet for more then 8 hours a day.
Prefer someone that lives in the area or has a place to stay.
Willing to train the right person.

Compensation will be discussed with viable candidates.

Please email your resume along with 3 reference to [email protected]

06/06/2017

This filly had a fracture in her knee. It was treated with a screw placed across the fracture using an arthroscope to guide the screw placement. This is an example of how valuable arthroscopy can be when treating athletic horses. The fracture was successfully repaired through very small incisions.

02/27/2017

The hock injections are not working!

Is my horse done?

Arthritis of the bottom 2 hock joints is the most common cause of rear limb lameness in all types of horses. The problem is treated successfully in most horses with cortisone injections into the joints. What can be done when the injections stop working? The treatment does not work in every horse and some horses stop responding over time.

It is important for owners to know that there is another treatment that has been successful in returning horses to performance. Laser treatment of the bottom hock joints has proven to be safe and effective in getting horses back to hard work. The procedure involves passing a contact laser fiber into the joints through needles (see the intra-op picture and X-ray). Heat from the laser damages the cartilage and promotes stability and fusion of the joints. Most horses do not require further medication once the joints become stable.

I have treated more than 100 horses with the laser, 75% of them have returned to their intended use. If your horse does not respond to joint injections, this treatment should be considered.

01/10/2017

Why is My Horse Cranky?!

A change in attitude and willingness is often one sign that a horse has a performance limiting lameness problem. Recognizing signs of mild lameness can be difficult and does require an experienced eye. When performance decreases or the horse begins to object to being saddled, mounted, moved into the arena, or acts up while being ridden; the horse may have a problem that is causing pain while being worked. There are problems that affect the horse only while performing. Experienced riders frequently know when the horse's attitude and performance have changed. If your horse has a change in attitude and willingness to work, it may be time to think about evaluating the horse for a lameness problem.

12/21/2016

The POWER of MRI for Horses!
MRI has proven to be extremely valuable for diagnosing leg injuries in both human and horse athletes. Elvis is a 15 year old Quarter Horse, whose lameness problem demonstrates how an accurate diagnosis from an MRI can affect treatment. Elvis had clinical signs of traditional navicular disease; lameness in both front feet that was eliminated by nerve blocks of the heel of his feet. X-rays were normal. The 2 MRI pictures show that he actually has an injury to ligaments in both legs (see the circled ligaments). If he were treated for "navicular disease", he would have his coffin joints injected and when that did not work, his navicular bursas would be injected. Neither of these would help his problem and continuing him in exercise would only make his problem worse. Knowing the cause of the lameness allows us to make the best decisions about treatment, now and in the future. Although MRI is expensive, it is POWERFUL. It is never less expensive to do the wrong treatment.

12/06/2016

How can we do the BEST for our horses?

Everyone wants to do the best thing for their horse after an injury. This can be hard to figure out at times, especially when it is a ligament or tendon injury that will get better with adequate rest. Ligaments and tendons heal, swelling resolves with time. Therefore don't get carried away by the miracle cures that are on the internet. Don't waste your money on things that have not been shown to improve healing. We have to rely on evidence, data, and a scientific understanding of how things heal to determine if something improves healing. A good example is the low level laser therapy, advertised and promoted on the internet, but recently shown to not pe*****te the skin of horses (see the shared post). There are many other things that are promoted for healing in horses that have no positive effect. Again if you are unsure ask someone who does understand the biology of how things heal.

11/19/2016

NOBODY wants rest!!

Rest is an important part of treating many injuries in athletic horses. The only one resting when the horse is taken out of training and turned out in a large pasture is the rider! Horses will not rest themselves. We have to find a way to limit exercise to allow time for the horse to heal, especially when it is a ligament or tendon injury. Ligaments and tendons frequently heal on their own with adequate rest and rehabilitation and NO other treatment. When your horse needs rest, accept the idea and work with your veterinarian to find ways to accomplish it for your individual horse. All horses are different. We do different things for different horses and we are continually refining and developing better techniques for the safe rehabilitation of our equine athletes.

11/01/2016

The Internet : the good, the bad, and the ugly!

The internet is a great thing that we all use everyday to find information. It is good when you want to find information on how to fix the faucet on your sink. It is not so good when you want to fix your horse. Remember that anyone can say anything they want on a web site or on Facebook. No one has to prove that what they say is true. This is the bad that can quickly become the ugly when time and money is spent on useless treatments that have no chance of helping the horse. Please be skeptical when looking on the internet for help with your injured horse. More misinformation is put on Facebook and other sites everyday. If you are not sure, ask somebody who has experience and is sure!!

10/26/2016

Evidence based treatment: What is that?!

I have a strong belief that we should choose treatments for horses based on evidence; facts or information indicating whether a treatment works or does not. Evidence comes in many forms. Medical articles describing outcome in a large number of horses is very valuable but not always available. Experience with the treatment can be valuable, seeing it's affect on a large number of horses. Sometimes the ability to treat a problem one time successfully in one horse is important information. Whatever we use we must be objective and critical when looking at the outcome in the horse. We should be able to observe the abnormality in the horse, provide the treatment, and observe improvement. This is important to all of us who care about doing the best thing for an injured horse. An example of how being able to do something successfully one time, is in this story:

This World Cup Champion show jumper's astonishing recoveries are testaments to perseverance and good horsemanship by rider Rich Fellers.

10/21/2016

Education and Experience

I am a graduate of the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and did my residency training in veterinary surgery at the Ohio State University. I have been a specialist in veterinary surgery treating horses with orthopedic and lameness problems for more than 30 years.

Making a difference in how we treat horses

I am committed to evidence based veterinary medicine. How we treat horses should be based on the biology of how injuries heal and the evidence that is available in the scientific and veterinary medical literature. I have authored more than 100 articles, book chapters, and abstracts on new techniques for diagnosing and treating horses with orthopedic injuries and lameness problems.