Preventing Joint & Tendon Injuries in Horses

As a horse owner, one of the biggest concerns is keeping your horse healthy and happy. While there are many potential issues that can arise when caring for a horse, one of the most common and serious problems is joint and tendon injuries. These types of injuries can be devastating for both the horse and the owner, so it's important to take steps to prevent them from occurring in the first place.

Conformation

Assess your horse’s conformation honestly. What are your horses’ conformation faults? Issues such as underslung heels or back at the knees, or straight conformation are more susceptible to tendon and joint soundness; adapt condition, and training to suit your horse’s conformation.

Balance

Correct hoof balance will go a long way to preventing soundness issues. Schedule your farrier between four to six weeks for routine hoof care to maintain the correct balance.

Condition/Body Weight

Condition a horse based on the job it is required to do. A racehorse is not conditioned like a show horse and they would soon be unsound for a very good reason! Feed to need. The higher intensity disciplines, the higher energy feeds, and lower intensity disciplines, the lower energy feeds.

Warm-Up/Cool Down

A good warm-up before training will ensure muscle fibres and muscles are warmed up and strengthened, it allows the joints to flex and the tendons to stretch with greater elasticity. When warming up, consider the temperature. If it is on the chilly side, spend more time in the warmup to get everything moving before training. At the end of work, allow your horse to stretch, let the heat dissipate, and cool down.

Ride to the conditions

Be aware of the footings you are expecting your horse to work on. Deep footings can be just as detrimental as a hard surface. Where possible, work on fl at surfaces with give in the ground. Manage the type of training and the workload you ask for based on the surface your horse is working on.

Fitness and Training

Good management and soundness come hand in hand. You cannot expect your horse to work hard when coming back to work. Program your horse’s fitness and training schedule over a period of time to get fi tness levels up.

Smart Workout

Consider the work you are giving the horse. As a rider, you do not want to place added pressure on the horses’ legs and joints by working on the same leg in the same direction for too long. Balance the workout: Change reins constantly, work from large to small, ride straight lines, have regular breaks during work.

Leg Protection

Well-fi tted leg protection is an essential factor when working your horse. Boots or bandages must offer protection and fi t well without rubbing or coming undone halfway during your training session. Horse’s legs can heat up during work; therefore, as soon as the workout is over, remove leg protection to allow the legs to cool down.

Cold Therapy

After a workout, the application of cold therapy or ice to your horse’s legs will help reduce infl ammation. Cold therapy will reduce the heat in tendons, ligaments, and joints and is a great tool to assist in keeping your horse sound.

Daily Routine

Checking your horse’s legs daily should be part of your routine. Knowing every inch of your horse’s legs will assist you in spotting abnormal swellings, lumps, or bumps that appear.

Supplements

Prevention is better than cure. Research based on your own horse’s particular needs and supplement accordingly. There are a number of quality supplements on the market - choose which one is right for you.

Article: Kerri Cock

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