Ultrasound is a valuable tool to veterinarians and is used in the diagnosis and evaluation of many different injuries and illnesses in both equine and small animals. Ultrasound is a specialised imaging technique that uses inaudible sound waves to create an image of soft tissue structures. It is a frequently used non-invasive diagnostic tool. Ultrasound uses sound waves to detect differences in tissue density. It has revolutionised our ability to diagnose and treat soft tissue injuries of the equine distal limb. We can now see inside the soft tissues to determine the extent of tendon and ligament damage. An ultrasound can be especially useful in the diagnosis of joint, tendon and ligament injuries, as well as, in the evaluation of pneumonia, abdominal pain and late-term pregnancy. In addition, ultrasound is equally important in the monitoring of the healing process.

Ultrasonography is used in lameness diagnosis to image tendon and ligament injuries, tendon sheaths, and joint capsules. In equine reproduction, ultrasonography is used routinely for imaging uterine and ovarian structures to aid in timing of insemination and ovulation, pregnancy diagnosis, and evaluation of the reproductive tract in health and disease. Tran abdominal ultrasound images of the late term equine foetus can help assess foetal well-being.