Equine Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review of the Literature.

Summary

# Editorial Summary: Equine Rehabilitation Literature Review Locomotor injuries remain a significant challenge in equine practice, and whilst veterinary treatments are well-established, the evidence base for post-injury rehabilitation protocols remains surprisingly sparse. A scoping review examining 49 publications from the past two decades found that the rehabilitation literature is dominated by narrative reviews (49%) and observational studies (35%), with randomised controlled trials accounting for only 10%—a concerning gap when clinicians need robust evidence to guide recovery programmes. Exercise, electrotherapy, and hydrotherapy emerged as the most commonly reported techniques, yet the authors emphasise a critical shortfall: most publications lack detailed intervention parameters, standardised outcome measures, and transparent protocols that would enable practitioners to replicate treatments or compare results across cases. For farriers, veterinarians, physiotherapists, and nutritionists involved in rehabilitation, this review underscores both the widespread adoption of certain modalities in practice and the urgent need for well-designed clinical trials that establish which specific interventions, at what intensities and durations, actually restore athletic function in horses with naturally occurring injuries.

Read the full abstract on PubMed

Key Findings

• •49% of equine rehabilitation literature consists of narrative reviews rather than evidence-based studies
• •Only 10% of reviewed publications were randomized controlled trials, indicating limited high-quality evidence
• •Exercise, electrotherapy, and hydrotherapy were the most frequently reported rehabilitation techniques across 49 included manuscripts
• •Significant gaps exist in published literature regarding specific intervention protocols, parameterization, and standardized outcome measures for equine rehabilitation

Conditions Studied

Tags