All Seasons Veterinary Practice LLC

02/10/2026

Keep an eye out for these. No good for horses!

16/09/2026

A little humor!

🧙🐴
What other equine diseases sound like a witch’s curse or something from Harry Potter?

07/09/2026

Good advice

🍂 Just a reminder about the dangers of grass during the season of pumpkin spice, fall like temperatures (still waiting on that crisp fall weather) and changing/falling leaves. Just because it is fall does not mean that your horse isn’t at risk for developing laminitis triggered by insulin dysregulation due to metabolic issues and seasonal hormonal imbalances. The grass may appear less lush and green; however, the grass is in a stressed state. And due to this stressed state, the grass is high in sugars. We recommend still leaving the grazing muzzle on your horse for their safety and your peace of mind.

🩸 What can lead to insulin dysregulation? 🩸
Equine Metabolic Syndrome is a disorder associated with the inability to regulate blood insulin levels resulting in hyperinsulinemia. PPID (Pituitary para intermedia dysfunction) is the development of benign tumors of the pituitary gland which is responsible for regulating the body’s hormones including ACTH (adrencorticotropic). Both disorders can lead to insulin dysregulation, which can cause laminitis particularly when exposed to a diet high in non-structutal carbohydrates. ACTH and insulin levels can be tested to determine if your horse may need medication.

🐴 Laminitis is inflammation of the laminae between the hoof and the underlying coffin bone. The inflammation weakens the laminae attachments. Depending on severity, this may lead to founder. Founder is when the hoof and coffin bone can separate and the coffin bone can rotate.

Clinical signs of laminitis include:
🍂 Unwillingness to walk and notable lameness at the walk
🍂 Weight shifting
🍂 Heat in the feet
🍂 Increased digital pulses
🍂Wanting to stand with their weight rocked back on their hind feet
🍂 Increased heart rate and respiratory rate due to pain

🩺 If you suspect your horse may be experiencing laminitis, be sure to call your veterinarian for an exam and to formulate a plan that may include medications, management changes, and dietary restrictions.

24/08/2026

An interesting read

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗪𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗔 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻.

Two veterinarians involved in a WSAVA working group established to develop an expanded guidance document have resigned from the group, citing concerns about the direction of the process and newly introduced terms of reference.

Dr. Rachel Powell, a board member of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians and lead author of a draft section of the working group's paper, and Dr. Sohaila Jafarian, a board member of the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association, both left the working group as the paper neared completion.

According to the veterinarians, the new terms of reference introduced by WSAVA restricted their ability to criticize the existing 2024 guidelines and contribute their expertise. They also raised concerns about the independence of the working group and the extent to which authors of the original guidelines could influence its work.

One example described by Jafarian involved a section she had written addressing the concept of “𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲” 𝗽𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. She stated that the section had been approved by the working group but was later removed by the Reproductive Control Committee without her consent. She said the section contained 20 scientific citations and that no counterevidence was provided for the points she had raised.

𝗪𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗔, 𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆. In a statement to VIN News, the organization said the group's purpose is to develop an 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 and that its remit is not to review the existing guidelines. WSAVA said it was clarifying the group's scope, governance and arrangements for the next phase of its work, while emphasizing its commitment to evidence-informed practice, multidisciplinary collaboration, transparency and continuous organizational learning.

To understand why this has become such a contentious issue, it is important to go back to the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗪𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗔 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀.

The guidelines challenged the long-standing approach of routine desexing in dogs, stating that in many circumstances, leaving dogs intact may be appropriate. They also discuss alternatives such as vasectomy and other reproductive-control options depending on the individual animal and its circumstances.

The recommendations generated substantial criticism, particularly from the shelter medicine community. WSAVA subsequently issued an erratum acknowledging a wide spectrum of approaches to responsible pet ownership and announced that it would work with outside experts and organizations to produce expanded guidance.

The guidelines also discuss emerging nonsurgical approaches to reproductive control, including 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻-𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀, which temporarily suppress fertility. The guidelines were sponsored by 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗰, the manufacturer of deslorelin products.

The lead author of the guidelines told VIN News that Virbac provided a three-year grant but, according to him, had no involvement in the group's work or influence over its conclusions.

The latest resignations therefore raise questions not only about the recommendations themselves, but also about 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘃𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱.

Share your perspective in the comments.

Link to the full VIN News article is in the comments.

Ross Kelly. Resignations rock update of controversial desexing guidelines. VIN News Service.

09/08/2026

⚠️ RECALL ALERT: American Regent, Inc. Animal Health has announced a nationwide recall of the following products:

• Adequan® i.m. Injection for Equines (500 mg/5 mL):
lot numbers 24416 and 25265P

• Adequan® Canine Injection (100 mg/mL):
lot numbers 3369 and 25011

These products are being recalled due to the presence of glass fibers found during testing.

We are currently auditing our purchase records with our distributors to determine if we have ever had these lots in our inventory. The products we currently have stocked in our pharmacy are unaffected by this recall.

We urge all owners to take an abundance of caution, and check the lot numbers on any of the aforementioned products to ensure they are not a part of this recall.

⚠️ If you have a product that contains a recalled lot number, you can contact American Regent Inc, Animal Health directly at the following numbers:

• Customer service/returns: 800-645-1706
• To report adverse affects: 888-354-4857
• For product quality complaints: 888-354-4855
• For medical questions: 888-354-4857

26/07/2026

How tight is your noseband?

There are always many opinions about nosebands. Too loose, and a trainer might call it sloppy. Too tight, and it becomes a welfare concern. There are studded and crank and chain and traditional, and all kinds of gadgets and gizmos designed to keep our horse’s mouth shut, but what is best for the horse? Is cranking that extra hole doing more harm than good?

A 2025 study published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science examined the impact of noseband tightness on pressure and performance. The results are eye-opening if you believe that a tighter noseband means better performance in the ring.

Most riders are familiar with the standard: leave two fingers’ space beneath the noseband. It’s even outlined in guidelines from the FEI. And according to the study, 85% of riders say they know this recommendation. But when researchers actually measured the fit using a standardized taper gauge, only 15% had their nosebands adjusted to the proper tension.

The vast majority were too tight. Sometimes dramatically too tight.

In the study, eight horses were fitted with a simple cavesson noseband and tested at three settings: a standard two-finger fit, a snug one-finger fit, and a cranked-tight zero-finger fit. Under each setting, researchers measured facial pressure and evaluated gait.

Here’s what they found:

- The one-finger setting increased pressure on the nasal bone by 54% over the two-finger baseline.
- The zero-finger setting? A staggering 338% increase in pressure.

Imagine trying to do your day job with a belt cinched tight around your nose and jaw.

Now add that your success relies on body movement, and you have no way to say, “This hurts.” That’s similar to what the horse might feel like being asked to perform in a fully tightened noseband that more than triples the force exerted on its face.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/07/30/new-research-shows-cranking-your-noseband-hurts-your-horses-gait/
📸 © The Plaid Horse

19/06/2026

With a 27-year-old white rhino as the patient, UF veterinarian Dr. Caryn Plummer is thought to have conducted the first rhino cataract surgery in the U.S. See link below ⬇️

📸 Courtesy of Walt Disney World

11/06/2026

In response to the recent confirmation from the USDA of the presence of New World Screwworm in the United States, the AAEP has published New World Screwworm Infestation (Disease) Guidelines.

View the guidelines here: https://ow.ly/SNsM50Z92rh

11/05/2026

Interesting read. I find a fair number of restricted ribs,sternum and lumbar in addition to the more common restrictions- often the largest releases.

🐴🫁 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 “𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘆” 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 - 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗲?

This is not always a training problem.

Sometimes, it is a body that cannot regulate itself.

Some horses never truly seem able to switch off.

They spook at shadows. Brace through the whole body. Rush every transition. Struggle to take a deep breath. Hold tension through the jaw, the sternum, the belly. React sharply to the leg. Fight softness in the contact.

And we label them:

Difficult. Anxious. Reactive. Naughty.

But what if the nervous system is responding to something physical - not behavioural?

🫁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲.

In the horse, the diaphragm is one of the primary pressure regulators of the entire body.

It attaches to:
▪️ the sternum ▪️ the caudal ribs ▪️ the thoracolumbar region via the crura ▪️ major fascial and visceral structures throughout the trunk

Every single breath ripples outward, influencing: ✔️ pressure through the thorax ✔️ venous and lymphatic return ✔️ rib mechanics and mobility ✔️ sternum rotation ✔️ thoracolumbar tension ✔️ pelvic stability

This means a horse that cannot breathe freely cannot move freely.

It is not just a training gap.

It may be a mechanical one.

𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿: 𝗴𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲.

Breathing is not only about bringing oxygen in.

It is equally about getting carbon dioxide out - efficiently, continuously, with every breath.

If a horse is stuck in a shallow breathing pattern, whether braced in inspiration or expiration, it may not be clearing CO₂ as efficiently as it should.

The body then has to work harder to maintain acid-base balance - its internal chemical stability.

One of the systems involved in this buffering process?

➡️ The kidneys.

The kidneys help regulate pH by adjusting bicarbonate and hydrogen ion balance, helping the body maintain the narrow blood pH range required for normal function.

This is not dramatic.

It happens quietly.

But over time, in a horse that is chronically restricted and chronically stressed?

The body starts compensating everywhere.

🫘 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀.

They are physical ones too.

This is where it gets extraordinary and where most people never look.

The kidneys are retroperitoneal, meaning they sit behind the abdominal lining, tucked high under the last ribs.

With every deep, functional breath, the diaphragm moves caudally towards the tail.

That motion does not just move air.

It changes pressure. It moves fascia. It influences organ glide.

The diaphragm is not just breathing.

It is moving the internal body.

If the diaphragm is braced, this physical pumping action becomes reduced.

And in my osteopathic assessment, this can show up as: ▪️ lumbar sensitivity ▪️ abdominal guarding ▪️ reduced rib mobility ▪️ pelvic asymmetry ▪️ a horse that feels shorter in one stirrup ▪️ or a horse that struggles to soften through one side

⚡️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

There is another layer deeper still and this is where behaviour, biomechanics and the nervous system converge.

The vagus nerve passes through the diaphragm via the oesophageal hiatus.

The vagus nerve is part of the “rest, digest and regulate” system.

So when the diaphragm is chronically tight, restricted or braced, the horse’s ability to access relaxation may be affected too.

This is not “just anxiety.”

This is anatomy.

And it is one reason I am always careful about labelling horses as simply difficult, sharp, stressy or naughty.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.

The left kidney has fascial and ligamentous relationships with the spleen.

The right kidney sits in close relationship with the liver.

So when the diaphragm is restricted, it does not only affect the lungs.

It can alter the glide, pressure and fascial relationships of the organs beneath it too.

And this is why one-sidedness is not always a schooling problem.

A horse that struggles on one rein, skips a lead, travels crookedly or feels blocked through one side may not simply need more repetition.

They may need the body to be able to organise itself internally first.

Because when you ask for softness, bend, lift, collection or a lead change…

you may be asking that horse to move through a physical blockage it cannot simply “try harder” through.

You are not fighting their mind.

You may be meeting their internal topography.

This is why some horses transform when we shift the conversation to: ✔️ rib mechanics and mobility ✔️ sternum rotation ✔️ diaphragm function and coordination ✔️ thoracic inlet restrictions ✔️ visceral tension - kidneys, spleen, liver ✔️ vagal tone and autonomic regulation ✔️ how pressure moves through the whole system ✔️ how the horse is actually organising itself internally

Not just:

Can this horse do the movement?

But:

Can this horse regulate itself well enough to even access relaxation?

The horse that looks naughty…

is sometimes the horse that is working incredibly hard just to stay functional inside a body that is struggling to regulate.

That is not a discipline problem.

That is not a respect problem.

That is not even primarily a training problem.

That is a body asking for help in the only language it has.

And the moment we start listening differently - the whole conversation changes. 🐴

💬 Have you ever had a horse that felt stuck in the ribs, struggled with one lead, or felt shorter in one stirrup no matter how much you worked on softness?

Drop your experience in the comments - I read every single one.

🛑 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚. 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚.

I have put together a Diaphragm & Rib Mobility Checklist - a step-by-step PDF guide to help you start recognising these physical patterns before they are dismissed as “behavioural” problems.

Want the checklist?

Join my email community and I’ll send the guide straight to your inbox. 📧🐴

Register your email here:

https://www.helenthornton.com/email-updates

It’s free - because horses deserve better than being labelled difficult.





Image: https://pferde-gesund-bewegen.de/das-zwerchfell-oder-auch-diaphragma-des-pferdes/