FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where are you located?

Motion Equine Centre is located at 16B George Street Kilmore. The float entrance is located opposite the Kilmore Racecourse with access via East Street. On your arrival Motion Equine Centre please call or text 0438 134 152 and the gates will open. The float entrance and departure is a ‘drive through’ meaning you will not be required to turn your float around.

Can the EAP be done at my property?

Unfortunately, not. Our clinic provides a controlled environment equipped with the proper facilities to perform the evaluations and diagnostic investigations to optimum standards safely and efficiently.

What do I need to bring with me?

If you are staying for the full evaluation, it is advisable to bring some food for yourself. We do have tea, coffee and water available as well as a microwave. Alternatively, Kilmore town center is close by for access to cafes and shops.

Do I need to do anything to prepare my horse for the EAP?

Upon arrival your horse will be provided a stable or yard to have time to settle into the surroundings prior to evaluation. We can buddy your horse up with one of our calm clinic horses. If you are having a ridden evaluation, please bring your usual tack. You will have access to a hot/cold wash bay and tie ups. Your horse will have access to water and hay throughout the day. If your horse has any particular dietary requirements then please bring your own specialised feed.

Will my horse be sedated?

If your horse is undergoing diagnostic imaging, your horse will require sedation. We sedate the horses at the beginning of the diagnostic imaging to facilitate a streamlined process. Equipment will be frequently moved around the body of the horse and positioned to accommodate the imaging process. Sedating your horse will minimise any potential stress in these situations.

My horse can be difficult to handle in new situations. Will I have adequate support if they find the process daunting?

Our nurses are not only experienced at nursing, but they are also fantastic horse people. Our team will do our best to help your horse relax and provide the best outcome for the day. Where a horse appears overly stressed, we may recommend that it is in the best interests of the horse to spread the evaluation over 2 days.

How long is this going to take?

Due to the in-depth nature of the evaluation the process will take approximately:
‍
AP Level 1 - 1 Hour
EAP Level 2 - 3 Hours
EAP Level 3 - 5 Hours

The evaluation may take longer than the specified time in situations where:

- We perform an extensive ridden evaluation
- A Lameness is present
- The Horse is unusually stressed
- You request us to treat your horse to have additional diagnostics or specific treatments for any potentially diagnosed problems

Should any of the above arise we will suggest the evaluation be staged over 2 days. We can house your horse in one of our comfortable boxes or you can present your horse to the clinic the following day.

Should I be worried about what we find, are we opening a pandoras box?

We understand that it can be concerning finding problems in your horse when you aren’t expecting them. The idea that we may be lifting the lid off a box where we don’t want to know what’s underlying is understandable. However, it serves to look at the perspective that any highly functioning athlete (human or horse) will develop musculoskeletal stresses, strains and pathologies over time. As our patients can’t tell us where they may have discomfort, it is our job to investigate if there are any pathologies present that may correlate with any lameness or performance related concerns. The goal of the EAP is to bring awareness to the current health and musculoskeletal status of your horse, allowing us to flag things that may need to be monitored over time. Finding changes in the musculoskeletal system, doesn’t inherently mean that your horse requires immediate treatment. Being aware where there are stresses to the body, allows us to become adaptive in our training methods, farriery, integrative management practices and incorporate conditioning programs to improve overall musculoskeletal strength.

What if my horse is lame on the day?

If your horse is lame on the day of evaluation, you may choose to have the lameness investigated. We can offer this as an ancillary service following the completion of the full evaluation of your horse. Should this situation arise, your horse may be admitted overnight for further work up, or you may also drop off again the following day. To detect the source of lameness your veterinarian will use diagnostic nerve blocks. Classically, nerve blocks start down low, anaesthetising areas of the limbs and gradually work up the limb until the horse becomes sound. From there, our diagnostic tools can be used to provide a detailed picture of what is going on. Please note that additional services such as nerve blocks, agistment and provision of therapeutics is an additional cost to the EAP.

Will my horse need to be clipped?

To accurately perform ultrasonography, areas including the back, stifle region, tendon region, front of the fore feet and sometimes the neck require clipping. To minimise the stark nature of the very close clip we have teamed up with a professional clipping service to provide a complimentary full body clip following the examination if required.

Will my horses shoes need to be removed?

For a detailed evaluation of the naviuclar region with radiography, the shoes are usually removed to improve the quality and detail of the radiographs. This is done however, once all the trot up evaluations have been completed.

What time of the year should I do this program?

The EAP can be performed at any time of the year at your request. We recommend the EAP is best suited as a pre-competition screening. This will provide a time frame to manage any potential issues before the start of the competition season.

How often will we need to do this?

This process is designed to be an annual assessment. If you are returning client, your horse’s data will be in our cloud-based system ready for follow-up comparisons.

How will the information be presented to me?

Following a debrief at the end of the performance evaluation, we will provide you with a written report. Our goal is to provide you with a detailed account of our clinical and diagnostic findings. The beginning of the report will summarise the most significant findings that may pose performance related issues, or findings that should be monitored over time. There will be annotated images highlighting significant pathologies, as well as recommendations in future management of your horse.

What happens next?

Depending on what is found on the day, follow up management and integrative therapies may be recommended. This will be detailed in your comprehensive report.

My horse has been referred to the Equine Athlete Program by my regular equine vet. What involvement will my vet have in the process?

We believe in a collaborative approach to patient management and we understand the value you may place on the professionals already caring for your horse. We value working with other veterinary colleagues and allied health care professionals. Our aim is to provide a specialised diagnostic and performance management service, that will work openly with your personal veterinarian to provide optimal care to your horse. If your veterinarian has referred you to our service, we can forward them your report with our management recommendations. If you consent, we will can have an open discussion about our findings on the day.