b'SPORTS MEDICINEdont often see a 9-year-old horse show upFooting always mat- driving horses, it can be quite subtle.in the Land Rover Kentucky Three-DayHe says this might be why back issues Event, plenty of horses that age competeters, but when yourein driving horses are often advanced by in the world championships in driving.pulling a carriage, itthe time an owner calls a veterinarian.And I see older horses maintaining thatAnd while neck issues arent common, same high level of athletic endeavor formatters even more. they can occur from the wear and tear of much longer periods of time than you doDR. THOMAS DANIEL JR. driving or from an injury, such as from a in other disciplines. crash, says Forfa. Rarely, driving horses can suffer from Common Conditions to Watch For at the sides and rear corners of the heel),sweeney shoulder, Daniel and Forfa Forfa finds most driving horses to bebut it doesnt usually become a lamenessadd. This condition occurs when the har-quite sound, which he says is often a re- issue. ness placement pinches the suprascapu-sult of the diversification in their training,He says he sees more hind-end lame- lar nerve (which innervates the shoulder which allows their musculature to be- nesses and soft tissue injuries than fore- muscles); chronic injury of these tissues come more developed. However, certainlimb in driving horses. I think the backeventually causes nerve paralysis. The conditions and injuries do seem to pophalf of them pays for the sport a lot moreresult is muscle atrophy (wasting) over up more than others. The most commonthan the front end does, he says.the scapula. Forfa sees sweeney most issues he sees are hock and stifle injuries,Back issues, which can extend from thecommonly in draft horses that pull plows bone spavin (inflammation in a lowerwithers all the way through the lumbaror carriages in Amish communities. hock joint), and sore stifles.area to the haunches, can be common Arthritis, which develops from repeatedamong driving horses for several reasons.Importance of Footingwear and tear, can affect the pastern andThese carriages are somewhat heavy,Footing always matters, but when coffin joints, often with age and use andand when you start pulling uphill andyoure pulling a carriage, it matters even due to conformation and how the horse(arent) fit enough to do that, they maymore, says Daniel.moves. Forfa says any horse that has beenstrain the sacroiliac (part of the pelvis)Forfa says the only tendon injuries hes used heavily for driving could developarea, says Forfa.seen in driving horses have been footing-arthritis, typically from age 14 onward.For this reason Daniel cautions againstrelated, such as when a horse slips on the Forfa has also seen ringbone (arthriticonly considering the lower legs as a causemarathon course. And it has always been changes in the coffin and pastern joints)of lameness. In his practice he sees issuesrelated to something like coming down-in some driving horses that have morethat originate at the elbow level and abovehill and tripping or going into an obstacle exaggerated movement, such as Dutchthe stifle into the pelvis, back, and neck.that was really, really muddy and deep, Harness horses, Saddlebreds, certainWith your riding horse, you get onhe says. However, many combined drivers draft breeds, and some Morgans.that back, and so youre pretty acutelywill pull out of the marathon phase if Daniel says heavier breeds, such asaware of back problems because theyrefooting becomes too deep.draft horses, might also be more pronenot going to be able to get away with (hid- To best prepare driving horses for the to sidebone (calcification of the cartilageing pain), says Daniel. But with yourterrain and surfaces theyll encounter, Daniel recommends drivers find a farrier whos familiar with driving horses, the demands of the sport, and the footing. One such farrier is Jerry Trapani, CF, of Long Island, New York, who has shod and shown dressage and driving horses. He also shoes mounts that work on the roads, including the New York Police De-partment and United States Park Police horses in New York City. Trapani was a farrier at the 2010 WEG.He says driving horses are more prone to concussive injuries from the force their legs and hooves sustain on roads and hard, packed footing. Hoof Care and TractionARND BRONKHORSTTrapani focuses on trimming to a natural angle based on the horses conformation. Shoes, of course, must Most drivers use bell boots to keep horses from grabbing a shoe or heel bulb when overreachingbe appropriate for the footing the horse and tendon boots to protect the delicate cannon bones. will encounter. They should also provide 32October 2019The Horse | TheHorse.com'