Abstract
SummaryLack of willingness to go forward freely, lack of power, shortened steps, stiffness of the cervical or thoracolumbosacral regions are common nonspecific signs of musculoskeletal causes of poor performance in sports horses. Understanding musculoskeletal causes of poor performance requires knowledge of how normal horses move, the requirements of specific work disciplines, the nomenclature used by riders to describe how a horse is performing and the interactions between horses and riders. Determining the underlying causes needs an in‐depth history and clinical assessment, including in hand, on the lunge and ridden. Ridden exercise should include all aspects with which the rider is experiencing problems. Change of the rider can sometimes help to differentiate between horse and rider problems, but most normal horses are compliant and just because a horse goes better for a more skilled rider does not preclude an underlying pain‐related condition. Lungeing and ridden exercise should include not only trot but also transitions and canter which may highlight gait abnormalities not seen at trot. An accurate history combined with thorough clinical examination of the whole horse should permit the establishment of a list of problems requiring further investigation.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.