Diagnosing lameness originating from the equine shoulder and elbow can be challenging even for the most experienced vets. While conditions affecting these joints are relatively rare, when they do occur they can be difficult to localise, image and manage.
Now BEVA is launching a brand-new CPD course designed to tackle this notoriously tricky area head-on.
Taking place on 29 June 2026, the equine upper limb: elbow and shoulder course will bring together a multidisciplinary panel of experts to explore the anatomy, diagnostics and management of these complex joints. Hosted at Pool House Equine Hospital, the one-day course will combine lectures, real-case discussions, and hands-on practical sessions.
Sarah Gasper, Learning Manager at BEVA, said the course fills a long-standing gap in equine CPD.
“This year, we’re bringing together a multidisciplinary panel of experts to explore an area we’ve never dedicated a full course to before: the equine shoulder and elbow. Whilst lameness of the shoulder and elbow is rare, when it does crop up, it can challenge even the most experienced vets. Our new course aims to change that – opening up a space for surgeons, sports medicine clinicians, rehabilitation specialists and physiotherapists to share their insights on this notoriously tricky region.
The course has been designed to blend practical skill-building with real-world case discussion. Delegates will refresh their anatomical knowledge, explore imaging approaches tailored specifically to the upper limb and work through a range of clinical scenarios including fractures, neurological conditions, osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) and subchondral lesions.
Small-group practical sessions will allow delegates to develop techniques they can apply directly in practice, with guidance from experienced clinicians.
“What makes this course stand out is the breadth of perspectives involved,” added Gasper. “By drawing on expertise from surgery, sports medicine and rehabilitation, our speaker panel highlights how upper-limb lameness often relies on collaborative thinking. The aim is to provide vets not just with diagnostic skills, but with a more holistic understanding of case management.”
Participants will learn how to stabilise potential fractures, formulate diagnostic plans for acute and chronic shoulder or elbow lameness, interpret imaging findings and consider rehabilitation strategies as part of long-term management.
Organised by Marco Marcatili and Federica Cantatore, with contributions from Jenny Kerley (Creak) and Matt Cullen, the course brings together a faculty with extensive clinical experience and a shared commitment to improving upper-limb diagnostics and care.
Ideal for vets looking to strengthen their approach to complex or ambiguous lameness cases, the course offers a rare opportunity to focus in depth on one of the equine patient’s most challenging anatomical regions.
As the first time BEVA has brought a multidisciplinary panel together to focus solely on the equine upper limb, the course marks an exciting expansion of the association’s educational offering.
Book the course.