Skeletal injuries–those involving bones and joints–are a major concern for all athletic horses. The usual outcome of these injuries is a lameness problem that hampers a horse’s training and competition program or, in some cases, is so severe
It should come as no surprise that horses suffer from tendon and ligament injuries. When one considers these vital parts of the equine anatomy and the stresses placed upon them, it’s a tribute to the horse’s physical make-up that there aren’t
The mechanical engineering involved in the structuring of equine joints is both complex and masterful. Not only do healthy joints allow the horse to move freely, but they also help to effectively absorb concussion, especially when the horse is
The basic anatomy and physiology of tendons and ligaments is complex. Nathalie Crevier, DVM, of the Clinique Equine-Laboratorie D’Anatomie in France, revealed what has been learned of the microanatomy of tendons and ligaments.
This month we shall begin a discussion of the rear leg: conformation, function, problems. There is at least one good reason to start with the rear rather than the foreleg. It seems to be the case that as man selects certain animals to breed to
Chiropractors have been treating human patients on a professional basis in this country since before the turn of the century, but it has only been in recent years that this alternative form of therapy has been applied to a substantial number of horse
I just bought a filly who had recurrent bouts of ‘tying-up.’ What can you tell me about this disease?
Tendon injuries can be extremely frustrating. The best way to deal with them is to make every effort to prevent them, or if possible, limit the degree of damage that occurs. Certainly some tendon injuries occur acutely without any warning, but
There is a definite correlation between joint angle, hoof flight pattern, and weight bearing. One might even wax a bit poetic and declare that as the joint angles, so flies and lands the hoof. That’s where the poetry ends, however, because if
A number of horses I’ve seen appear to have asymmetrical muscle development, particularly over the shoulder area, which can make saddle fitting difficult. Many publications seem to say that the larger shoulder indicates that the horse is
First, how can we visualize and understand what’s going on under that hair, skin, and muscle? Denoix has diagnostic steps to examine a horse with performance problems that he believes might stem from the spine.
The type of footing on which a horse performs strongly influences whether the animal has a long and productive career, or whether it has that career cut short because of unsoundness or injury. Footing also influences how well the horse performs.
Most will agree that thorough preparation of a horse is key to success in athletic competition. With spring hopefully just around the corner, this is an opportune time to discuss conditioning. Of course, the nature of a conditioning program will
Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is an affliction, if left untreated, that can have long-term harmful effects on the young, growing horse as well as the performing or racing horse. OCD actually is a disease subset of osteochondrosis and
Ever since the 1880s, when Edweard Muybridge set up a series of cameras to capture the character of footfalls of a racehorse, we’ve been fascinated by how horses move. No doubt you’ve seen that early sequence of photos, which demonstrated that
Strong bones are essential if a horse is to perform successfully and still remain sound.
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