Figure 3. (A) Laterolateral and (B) left ventral-right dorsal oblique views of the mid-cervical vertebrae of a 6-year-old thoroughbred gelding presenting with ataxia. A rounded osseous fragment is visible at the cranioventral aspect of the left C4–C5 articular process joint, with mild to moderate enlargement of the joint and smoothly irregular periarticular new bone formation present.

Radiography and ultrasound of the equine neck

The first cervical vertebra (C1) or atlas has no ‘body’ or articular processes, though the cranial fovea articulate with the occipital condyles, and has a flattened shape caudocranially, with two...

Figure 1. Latero-lateral radiograph of the dorsal spinous processes (DSP) of the thoracic vertebrae T9–T16. In this radiograph, the DSP are touching at one site (arrowhead) leading to sclerosis and remodelling.

An introduction to back pathology in the horse

Once back pain is recognised, the next step in the diagnostic pathway is to identify the cause of the back pain and to ascertain whether it is a result of a primary condition of the back or whether it...