2018 AAEP Convention: Monday’s Top Tweets and Take-Homes

Educational sessions continued on Monday, Dec. 3 at the 2018 American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) convention in San Francisco. The Horse team and several other attendees are tweeting live from the conference. Here’s a collection of Monday’s top tweets and take-homes. Check back to TheHorse.com soon for recaps of conference presentations.

Are you following The Horse on Twitter? Follow @TheHorse for horse health news updates, as well as our editorial team for live event coverage from the AAEP convention: Stephanie Church (@TH_StephLChurch), Michelle Anderson (@TH_MNAnderson), Erica Larson (@TH_EricaLarson)  and Alexandra Beckstett (@TH_ABeckstett).

The 2018 AAEP Convention is underway in San Francisco and our team is on the ground covering many of the sessions. Be sure to follow @StephLChurch, @TH_EricaLarson, @TH_ABeckstett, and @TH_MNAnderson for live updates! #AAEPSanFran

— The Horse (@thehorse) December 3, 2018

Congratulations to Dr. Amy Stewart, 2018 Past Presidents’ Research Fellow! #AAEPSanFran pic.twitter.com/vHAKAWnbNA

— AAEP (@AAEPHorseDocs) December 3, 2018

https://twitter.com/AAEPHorseDocs/status/1069616839985061888

Did you hear? Thanks to the generosity of Penelope Knight, the Coyote Rock Ranch Scholarship will be awarded to three more #FutureHorseDoctors next year, one of which will be in the amount of $150,000! #AAEPSanFran pic.twitter.com/2icXvxVZPu

— AAEP (@AAEPHorseDocs) December 3, 2018

The Milne Lecture will begin shortly in the Esplanade Ballroom! You won’t want to miss Dr. Virginia Reef’s presentation, Straight from the Heart: Untangling the Complexities of the Equine Cardiovascular System. #AAEPSanFran

— AAEP (@AAEPHorseDocs) December 3, 2018

Prof Virginia Reef presents the Milne lecture at #AAEPSanFran @AAEPHorseDocs look out for free articles at @EVJltd pic.twitter.com/cQJbygWBXi

— Celia Marr (@EVJeditor) December 3, 2018

We’re learning more about “How to Diagnose Poor Performance in the Equine Athlete” in the Esplanade Ballroom. Care to join us? 🐎🐴 #AAEPSanFran

— AAEP (@AAEPHorseDocs) December 3, 2018

Endocrinopathies: it is important to approach diagnosis and management holistically – not based on a single data point. #AAEPSanFran #AAEP2018 #ageisnotadisease

— Elizabeth Schilling (@efsdvm) December 3, 2018

Sitting in on the Saddle Fitting table topic at #AAEPSanFran . Panel members are Dr. Sue Dyson @ahtofficial and Dr. Carolyn Weinberg.

— Stephanie L. Church (@TH_StephLChurch) December 3, 2018

Weinberg: Your hands are the best determiner of back pain, not any machine. Conduct an exam pre- riding and post-riding. Nothing beats your hands. #AAEPSanFran

— Stephanie L. Church (@TH_StephLChurch) December 3, 2018

Dyson on saddle fit: The 2 biggest things that will be influential in terms of gaits and performance & expressive movement of the forelimbs are the tree points and the clearance under the pommel. #AAEPSanFran

— Stephanie L. Church (@TH_StephLChurch) December 3, 2018

Dyson doesn't consider most kissing spine cases clinically significant. The best way to handle impinging spinous processes in horses to look after the horse's back: good saddle fit and good, balanced riding. #AAEPsanfran

— Stephanie L. Church (@TH_StephLChurch) December 3, 2018

Weinberg recommends first warming up girthy/cold-backed horses without a saddle/girth, then saddling them. #AAEPSanFran

— Stephanie L. Church (@TH_StephLChurch) December 3, 2018

Dyson: There’s a tendency to overtighten the girth; this is a particular problem w/ elastic girths (though she likes girths w/ elastic on both sides. It's not necessary for girth to be as possibly tight as it can be. If the saddle fits, you shouldn’t need to worry. #AAEPSanFran

— Stephanie L. Church (@TH_StephLChurch) December 3, 2018

Weinberg: There's a population of horses that seems painful when you palpate the back before riding, then improve w/ under saddle work. There's another group that's fine on palpation before work, but then get painful when ridden. Examine before and after ridden work. #AAEPSanFran

— Stephanie L. Church (@TH_StephLChurch) December 3, 2018

Saddle flocking vs. foam? Dyson says there are no reliable research studies that answer this question. Weinberg: There's good flocking and bad flocking, good foam/bad foam. Dyson: But you can fix flocking. #AAEPSanFran

— Stephanie L. Church (@TH_StephLChurch) December 3, 2018

Weinberg: In winter I encourage clients to leave some hair in the saddle area. Clipped hair becomes brittle and not as pliable as normal winter coat, and you get rubs right into the skin. #AAEPSanFran

— Stephanie L. Church (@TH_StephLChurch) December 3, 2018

Dyson on most common rider errors causing back pain: 1-Rider w/ poor core muscle strength who sits on the back of the seat, legs in a chair-sitting position. Should be able to stand in stirrups without resting hands on neck. 2-Sitting crookedly in the saddle. #AAEPSanFran

— Stephanie L. Church (@TH_StephLChurch) December 3, 2018

Dr. Ferrer: Incorporate uterine culture into routine management of mares with metritis to guide antimicrobial choice and monitor multidrug resistance. #AAEPSanFran

— Alexandra Beckstett (@TH_ABeckstett) December 3, 2018

Dr. Ferris confirmed in an in vivo study what his team found in prior in vitro study: Ceftiofur, Tris-EDTA combo is more effective at treating biofilm-associated endometritis than either drug alone. #AAEPSanFran

— Alexandra Beckstett (@TH_ABeckstett) December 3, 2018