Peak Performance Equine PLLC

10/12/2025

✨Winter Newsletter is Live! ✨

Want performance insights, conditioning tips, and seasonal care guidance from our sports medicine team?

📩 Message us your email to join our newsletter list

06/12/2025

Winter Nutrition: Small Adjustments, Big Impact ❄️🐴
As temperatures drop, horses use more energy to stay warm. Providing extra calories and forage during cold spells supports thermoregulation, muscle recovery, and overall wellness through winter.

However, avoid dramatic changes—both for gut health and metabolic stability. Increase feed gradually and never more than a 20% change in the total ration or a 20% change in feed type at one time. Sudden shifts can disrupt the hindgut microbiome and increase the risk of colic or laminitis.

✔️ Add calories primarily through high-quality hay, not concentrates
✔️ Consider oil or fat-based supplements for performance horses
✔️ Monitor body condition weekly, not monthly
✔️ Ensure free-choice salt and warmed water to maintain intake

Protecting your horse’s energy balance is about small, intentional adjustments, not overfeeding.

— Dr. Cierra Dedeker, DVM
Equine Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation 🐎

05/12/2025

🔔 Signs of Subtle Lameness 🐴

Not all lameness looks like a head bob.
In sports medicine, the earliest signs are whispers in the body, long before a horse “looks” lame. 🐴

Here are patterns I look for in early or compensatory lameness:

🔹 1. Changes in Posture at Rest
• uneven weight bearing
• one hind leg always camped under
• resting one front leg excessively
• pelvic tilt or dropped hip
• rib cage collapse to one side

The body reveals pain even when still.

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🔹 2. Loss of Elasticity

Movement becomes mechanical instead of fluid:
• shortened stride, not limping
• decreased fetlock drop
• reduced swing through the back
• rigid tail carriage
• less thoracic lift

Elasticity fades before gait irregularity.

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🔹 3. Asymmetry on the Circle

Circles expose truth:
• inside hind isn’t stepping under
• outside shoulder carries more load
• hip hike or drop becomes obvious
• front end “falls in” or “drifts out”
• inconsistent bend through the rib cage

Circles show compensation patterns, not just pain.

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🔹 4. Changes in Behavior

Pain often shows up as “attitude”:
• reluctance to go forward
• sourness under saddle
• ear pinning with certain transitions
• inconsistent leads
• tension when saddled or mounted

Behavior is biomechanics communicated.

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🔹 5. Uneven Muscle Development

The body builds around dysfunction:
• topline loss on one side
• glute asymmetry
• hollowing behind the shoulder
• uneven hamstrings
• one-sided belly lift

Muscle tells the story of long-term adaptation.

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🔹 6. Micro-Expressions of Pain

If you look closely:
• blinking or flinching to touch
• tail swish during palpation
• nostril tension
• jaw tightening
• breath holding

Pain lives in the smallest reactions.

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Early Intervention Saves the Athlete

Subtle lameness isn’t minor — it’s a warning light from the body.
When we catch it early, we protect:
• the joints
• the fascia
• the spine
• the longevity of the athlete

Lameness isn’t just a symptom — it’s a system response.

Clinical evaluation can include:
• gait analysis
• flexions
• palpation
• spinal mobility assessment
• diagnostic imaging
• performance history

Sometimes the most important thing I do is translate what the horse has been quietly saying.

🜂 Dr. Cierra Dedeker
Equine Veterinary Sports Medicine

30/11/2025

My favorite blankets!!

30/11/2025

❄️ Winter Equine Care in Montana ❄️

Keeping your horse healthy through our long, cold Montana winters takes a proactive approach. Here are more tips on the essentials every owner should focus on:

🐎 Movement Matters
Even in freezing temps, daily movement keeps joints supple, supports circulation, and strengthens the immune system. Turnout—even short, safe sessions—helps reduce stiffness and winter stress.

💧 Hydration + Warm Water Access
Horses naturally drink less when it’s cold, increasing the risk of impaction colic. Offer warm (not hot) water, check tanks twice daily, and ensure heaters are working properly.

🩺 Dentals
A dental within the last year helps to ensure proper nutrition without pain. Horses teeth continually errupt throughout their lifetime. Ensuring proper alignment of the teeth is critical to prevent issue such as choke, colic, and unwanted weight loss.

🪱Deworming
Adequate protocols are important to prevent parasite loads that rob the horse of their nutrition ans can cause gastrointestinal disruption - we reccomend a f***l egg count to ensure youre dewoming plan is working

🧂 Electrolytes for Winter
Electrolytes aren’t just for summer. Sodium intake encourages drinking and supports immune function. Consider adding a salt block and offering loose salt or winter-safe electrolytes daily. We love the redmond rocks and loose salt added to soaked alfalfa pellets.

https://a.co/d/2fx7LOV

🛡️ Blanketing Considerations
Not every horse needs a blanket—but some absolutely benefit. Consider age, body condition, coat quality, wind exposure, and wet weather. A wet or clipped horse should always have appropriate coverage. Check blankets daily to ensure proper fit and dryness.

❤️ Winter Wellness
A strategic approach to movement, hydration, and temperature regulation can prevent illness, support immunity, and keep your horse thriving all season long. We love platinum performance equine supplements - https://www.platinumperformance.com/

Stay warm, stay safe, and give your horses a little extra love this winter.

And for some extra winter fun, visit this guy at the Sun Valley Stables in Idaho for a sleigh ride 🐴💯

— Your Equine Veterinary Team at Peak Performance Equine

21/11/2025

Update on EHM- (EHV-1 neuro)
Nov. 21, 2025

Thank you to everyone who shared yesterday’s EHM outbreak alert and helped spread awareness. As of today, no EHM cases have been reported in Montana, and current confirmed cases remain limited to Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, and Colorado with one unrelated case identified in Maryland.

To help ensure the safety of all our patients, a pre-appointment screening questionnaire will be required for all horses prior to arrival at the clinic or our arrival at your facility.

We encourage owners to continue practicing strong biosecurity, monitoring updates from the EDCC, and contacting their veterinarian with any concerns regarding recent travel or potential exposure. Horses returning to
Montana must have a vet exam and health certificate drawn up within 72hrs of travel home. And all 6 mo health certs are on hold for now.

Attached is some good info on the virus itself, and biosecurity measures. Ensuring your horses immune system is supported it key to individual health and disease prevention. We reccomend adequate nutrition with additional vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Platinum Performance Supplementation is our top recommendation.

Staying informed and proactive remains the best way to protect your horses. Let us know if you have any questions for your horse, herd or facility.

20/11/2025

📣 Current update on EHM (EHV-1 neuro) 🐴🩺

There are at least seven confirmed cases between Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana and roughly two dozen more suspected reports in multiple states.

At this time, there are no known clinical horses or confirmed cases in Montana, but the extent of this outbreak is unknown and likely to expand.

The Waco, Texas event had 670 contestants from 31 states and 4 Canadian provinces. The Guthrie, Oklahoma event had 1280 horses from 28 states and 4 Canadian provinces. It is believed that in addition to barrel racing animals, there was overlap with breakaway roping horses and other rodeo-type horses. Horses at those events should have returned to their home locations.

Here are some great resources for more info!

· American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) EHV-1 Guidelines:https://aaep.org/sites/default/files/Guidelines/Equine%20Herpesvirus.pdf

· American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Equine Herpesvirus-1 Consensus Statement: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2009.0304.x

19/11/2025

🔔Here is the lastest news- more to come

Barrel Futurities of America Suspends Oklahoma Event Due to EHM Positives

Two positive cases of Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy have caused the cancellation of the remainder of the Barrel Futurities of America (BFA) World Championship. The event was scheduled to run Nov. 17-22 at Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, OK.

The event cancellation comes after the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry confirmed two cases of the neurologic form of EHV-1, Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy. Both of those horses traveled to Oklahoma from Waco, Texas after participating in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) event Nov. 5-9.

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry is concerned that some of the same horses from the WPRA could have traveled to Oklahoma for the BFA World Championship. The Oklahoma state veterinarian’s office is recommending any horse that was present at the Lazy-E or at the WPRA to be isolated for 14 days upon returning home, mandatory performing and recording twice daily temperature checks to check for spikes of 101.5 or higher and increased biosecurity measures around their home premises.

EHM is a neurologic syndrome caused from the EHV-1 virus. While EHV-1 is common in equine populations, the neurologic form of the disease is rare. EHV-1 is spread from horse to horse through contact with nasal discharge or inhalation of aerosolized respiratory droplets. Horses can contract the virus by encountering contaminated surfaces such as stalls, water, feed, tack, and transport vehicles. Humans can spread the virus from horse to horse through contaminated hands, clothing, and equipment. Proper biosecurity measures include extensive disinfection of surfaces and equipment.

Horses can shed the virus during the two-to10-day incubation period before developing clinical signs. EHM is a life-threatening condition. Owners that have horses that may have been exposed to horses at the WPRA in Waco, Texas should contact their veterinarian.

The EDCC will post more information on our page https://www.facebook.com/EquineDiseaseCC and website https://equinediseasecc.org as it becomes available.

To learn more about EHM, including signs, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, please visit: https://equinediseasecc.org/equine-herpesvirus

Equine herpesvirus (EHV) is a family of equine viruses named by numbers including EHV-1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 with EHV-1,3,4 posing the most risk for domestic horses. EHV is a common DNA virus that occurs in horse populations worldwide. The two most common species are EHV-1 and EHV-4.

10/11/2025

❄️ Fall is turning quickly and Winter is Coming…

As temperatures drop, your horse’s health needs shift just as quickly as the Montana weather! Here are a few key things to keep on your radar as we head into the colder months:

🐎 Hydration is Everything
Cold water can discourage drinking, leading to risks of impaction colic as the feed doesnt move through the system as well if the digesta doesnt have enough moisture— leading to one of the most common winter emergencies. Keep water between 45–65°F and consider adding a little salt or electrolytes to encourage intake.

🌾 Forage = Warmth
Did you know your horse generates body heat by digesting forage? Increase hay slightly but no more than 20% of their normal diet during freezing nights, especially for hard keepers or seniors. Most are very efficient at maintaning their heat, but with age or health conditions, rhey may need a bit extra

💨 Blanket Wisely
A thick winter coat is nature’s blanket — but if your horse is body-clipped, older, or struggling to maintain weight, layering the right blanket can make all the difference. Call us with any questions

🩺Don’t Skip Wellness Checks
This is the perfect time to review vaccines, dental health, worming and body condition before the deep chill sets in. Early prevention saves stress (and vet calls!) later.

🌬️ Movement Matters
gentle daily movement keeps circulation strong, joints limber, and spirits bright.

✨ A Healthy Winter Starts Now
Small proactive changes this month can make a huge difference in your horse’s comfort, immunity, and longevity all season long.

Stay cozy, stay curious, and give your horses an extra hug from me! 🩵
— Dr. Cierra Dedeker, DVM and Team 🐴💫

25/03/2025

Epic weekend in Sun valley vetting the 1st inaugural skijoring race 🐎⛷️