SAEVA Congress 2018 Proceedings | 12-15 February 2018 | ATKV Goudini Spa
4. Interpretation:
a. Usually focal cervical (C 1-6 ) or brainstem lesions are one grade worse
in rear limbs.
b. C 6-7 often equally severe in front and rear
c. 3+, or 4+ in rear and 0 in front suggests lesion caudal to T 2 .
d. <1 grade worse behind suggests either severe thoracolumbar disease
or mild focal cervical lesion, or diffuse spinal cord disease.
e. Much worse in front: either brachial intumescence (C 6 -T 2 ) lesion with
gray matter involvement or diffuse spinal cord problem.
f. 2+, 3+, or 4+ in front and 0 behind indicates LMN or neuromuscular
disease.
5. Types of gait abnormalities with lesions in various parts of the nervous and
musculoskeletal systems:
Ataxia Paresis Spasticity Hypermetria
Spinal cord Brainstem UMN ++ ++
LMN + +++
Vestibular ++ ++
Cerebellar +++ ++
Musculoskeletal
++
++
++
+++
++
C. Postural Responses
1. Sway test
a. Push against shoulders or pelvis
1) Horse should first resist, then take lateral step
2) Lack of resistance is indication of weakness.
3) May trip or stumble with lateral step
b. Tail pull to each side
1) Assess weakness and resulting limb movements
2) Overabduction and/or crossing of limbs indicate proprioceptive
problem
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