A horse exhibiting a sawhorse stance and sweating is likely suffering from?

The correct response to the scenario presented is indicative of tetanus, which is caused by the toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium tetani. A characteristic clinical manifestation of tetanus in horses is the sawhorse stance, where the horse stands with its legs extended and unevenly spaced. This posture occurs as a result of the rigidity and increased muscle tone caused by tetanospasmin, the toxin responsible for muscle rigidity and spasms.

Additionally, sweating can occur as a response to the autonomic effects of the toxin and the stress of the muscle spasms. In horses, the presence of a sawhorse stance combined with sweating is a key clinical sign that veterinarians recognize as highly suggestive of tetanus.

Other conditions such as hyperhidrosis, botulism, and clostridial myositis also affect muscle function or sweating but present with different clinical signs and mechanisms. Hyperhidrosis refers primarily to excessive sweating without the rigidity characteristic of tetanus. Botulism causes paralysis, and clostridial myositis typically presents with swelling, pain, and necrotic muscle, rather than the classically rigid stance seen in tetanus. Therefore, the combination of the sawhorse stance and sweating aligns