University of Missouri, Stephens College and the Saint Louis Zoo are
planning a study of lameness, according to a press release.
"The major goals
of the collaboration are to deepen the understanding of equine lameness issues,
improve the longevity of equine athletes, and improve the overall quality of
life for horses," said Dawna Voelkl, clinical assistant professor in the MU
College of
Veterinary Medicine, in a
statement.
The horses of
Stephens College, a women’s school in Columbia, Mo. with an extensive riding and equine
studies program will serve as guinea pigs for the study, which will study how to
identify lameness problems earlier. The students get hands-on experience—they
will be taking blood and urine samples as well as performing gait
analysis.
"The
hope is that diagnosis at an earlier stage will assist with treatment and
decrease progression of the problem," said Trista Strauch, assistant professor
of resident instruction in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources,
in a statement. "We are looking for biological markers with the hope that we can
help horses with arthritis."
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