Horses with chronic hearing loss might be adapted to their environment; therefore, this deficit might go undetected until exposed to an unfamiliar situation. | Photo: Thinkstock

At the 2014 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 6-10 in Salt Lake City, Utah, Monica Aleman, MVZ, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), School of Veterinary Medicine, reviewed auditory loss in adult horses with veterinary attendees.

“Hearing loss occurs in horses but is seldom reported,” Aleman said, “and it could impact behavior, training, and performance.”

Although hearing loss isn’t always complete, horses with even some degree of auditory loss can feel the