The Horse's Back

Body Talk for Thinking Owners

ECVM Resources

As the months and years move on, so does the research on ECVM. As you might expect, not everyone is in agreement.

The body of literature now includes papers from Sharon and also from other researchers who do not reach similar conclusions about the issues caused by this malformation. Below, I have included a list of journal papers and webinars, for reference if you wish to deepen your knowledge.

I am also including other resources for those who are interested.

 

Equus Soma

Equine Osteology & Anatomy Learning Center

Website sharing research on the equine skeletal system with particular focus on the pathologies that develop during the horse’s lifespan and correlate them with life history, breed, discipline and genetics. Extensive information and imagery on ECVM.

https://www.equus-soma.com/ecvm/

 

Veterinary Compendium

In October 2024, Dr. Kevin Haussler, DVM, DC, PhD (Veterinary Compendium) presented a 2-hr webinar on congenital vertebral anomalies including ECVM and related issues. In that webinar, he did a critical analysis of the existing research and explained what kind of differential diagnosis needs to be performed before declaring ECVM. He also blogged on the topic and hosted 2 virtual Community Gatherings that month – one with Dr. Christine Gee on differential diagnosis, the other with Dr. Veronika (Vroni) von Rohrscheidt (who is also a trainer) on the management of ECVM-diagnosed horses.

Webinar:
ECVM and Other Congenital Spinal Anomalies 

Discussions:
ECVM – Some Management Approaches
ECVM – Differential Diagnosis

 

Published studies

In no particular order: the following peer reviewed journal articles address ECVM, as it is now known. Please remember when reading papers that no single paper proves one thing – a review of many papers and critical thinking about the study design, method and interpretation of results is always essential. Apologies for not having standardized the formatting, but all the links should be present.