Editor’s Note: This article is part of TheHorse.com’s ongoing coverage of topics presented at the British Equine Veterinary Association’s 51st annual Congress, held Sept. 12-15 in Birmingham, U.K.

In recent years, owners and veterinarians have become more aware of the articular process joint disease called cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy (CVCM, which in younger horses is known as wobbler syndrome), and researchers have made progress in understanding it better.

This could be due to several reasons, said Richard Hepburn, BVSc, MS(Hons), CertEM, Dipl. ACVIM(LA), MRCVS, of the B&W Equine Hospital, in Gloucestershire, U.K. He explained his theories as well as the characteristics of this disease at the British Equine Veterinary Association’s 51st annual Congress, held Sept. 12-15, in Birmingham, U.K.

"Articular process joint disease is the commonest noninfectious cause of spinal ataxia (incoordination)," Hepburn said. Practitioners categorize affected horses by neurologic signs from grade 0 to 5, with most horses showing moderate neurologic signs (grade 2-3)