Rehabilitation Strategies for the Neurologic Horse
Authors: Johnson Sherry A.
Journal: Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice
Summary
# Rehabilitation Strategies for the Neurologic Horse Neurological dysfunction in horses demands targeted intervention beyond conventional management, with postural instability and impaired balance representing the primary functional deficits amenable to rehabilitation. Johnson's review identifies the multifidus muscle group—critical spinal stabilisers—as the most efficacious therapeutic target, which can be systematically strengthened through structured physiotherapeutic exercise protocols, controlled perturbation training, and whole-body vibration modalities. The efficacy of these approaches is substantially enhanced when rehabilitation programming is individualised according to precise neuroanatomic localisation and diagnostic specificity, allowing practitioners to select appropriate interventions matched to each horse's neurological presentation. Emerging commercial equipment and evolving methodologies are expanding the scope of professionally supervised rehabilitation programmes, with evidence suggesting these contemporary approaches deliver superior outcomes compared to traditional management alone. For equine professionals managing neurologically compromised horses, this work underscores the importance of establishing definitive diagnosis before initiating rehabilitation and highlights the multifidus as a key anatomical target when designing progressive strengthening protocols to restore functional stability and movement quality.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Focus rehabilitation efforts on strengthening the multifidus muscle to improve postural stability and balance in neurologic cases
- •Incorporate physiotherapy exercises, perturbation work, and vibration therapy into your rehabilitation protocols based on neuroanatomic diagnosis
- •Use specific neurologic diagnosis to determine which horses are candidates for rehabilitation and tailor programs accordingly
Key Findings
- •Multifidus muscle strengthening is a primary rehabilitative target for neurologic horses
- •Physiotherapeutic exercises, perturbation training, and whole-body vibration can effectively target spinal stabilizer muscles
- •Neuroanatomic localization and diagnostic specificity guide rehabilitation suitability and program design