Inside a Performance Exam: Building the Clinical Picture

What actually happens during a sports medicine examination? Whether you're evaluating a horse or a rider, every assessment is about gathering meaningful information to understand the athlete in front of you. But while veterinarians and physical therapists approach that process differently, the goal remains the same: build the clinical picture before making treatment decisions.

In this episode of The Soundness Check, Dr. Michelle Correia and Dr. Rachel Buchholz take listeners behind the scenes of their examination process, comparing the equine veterinary exam with the human physical therapy evaluation. From observation and visual assessment to hands-on assessment and objective measurements, they discuss what they're looking for, why each piece matters, and how those findings come together to guide clinical decision-making.

Whether you're a horse owner, rider, trainer, or fellow clinician, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the thought process behind a thorough performance evaluation—and why the best treatment plans begin long before the first intervention.