Dealing with cancer is always likely to be a problem and in spite of the difficulties we have made significant progress. The years of testing different treatments and trying to get a better understanding of a disease that has long been belittled by use the term “wart” have made it a roller-coaster of elation, depression, successes and failures.
Over many years of examining and managing horses afflicted with sarcoids, I have met many great horses. The big and the small, the elite and the humble- they have all tolerated my necessary learning process with fortitude, though not always with good humour!
The stars of the show are the horses and I dedicate this book to two great horses that we have helped but not cured. They are ‘Hannibal’ and ‘Lowood Lad’. There are countless others of course but I hope these two giants, in every sense of the word, will carry the flag for the rest. In the same way I hope that Tracy Wright and Mindy Elgart will do the same for the thousands of owners with whom I have been in contact over the last 35 years!
I would like to acknowledge the support of the staff of the Division of Equine Studies, University of Liverpool and in particular the fantastic help given over many years by Denis Duret and Fiona Thompson and to Nicky Clarke in the production of this booklet. I am grateful to the vets and owners who have allowed me to include some of their photographs in this booklet. The support of Morna Knottenbelt of Equine Solutions UK is also much appreciated.
Sarcoids affect horses throughout the world and the disease is a particular problem in working horses in developing countries. I hope that advances made here in our understanding of the disease will be delivered to them so that their welfare can be significantly improved.
I would also like to make a plea for research effort into this disease. It is remarkable that a condition that occurs in a significant prevalence world wide, singularly fails to attract research funding.