Equine Physiotherapy

by Kate Sagar B.Appl.Sci. (Physiotherapy) Anim.St (Animal Physiotherapy)

DO DIFFERENT EQUESTRIAN DISCIPLINES HAVE DIFFERENT INJURIES?

A common question asked by my clients is `Do dressage horses sustain the same injuries as jumping horses?’ The answer of cause is not black and white, it’s yes and no. The stresses placed on the horse have a direct relationship to the type of activities we ask the horse to perform, so yes horses doing different jobs will get sore in different places. However the actual pathology of the injuries (what is happening at a cell level) will be similar. Most equestrian sports will lead to tears, strains and stiffness with reduced performance due to musculoskeletal problems. If we take the high level dressage horse and compare the common injuries with that of a show jumper and a knock about pony, it will highlight the differences in the injuries seen by a physiotherapist.

DRESSAGE INJURIES

Some of the key points associated with a dressage horse are: Size – Repetitive training programs – Surfaces worked on – Physical postures required: Collection, Pirouettes, Flying changes, etc.

The weight of the horse increases the stresses placed through the limbs and joints, making the horse more susceptible to degenerative joint disease or arthritis. The most common areas of wear and tear are the pastern and coffin joints, then to a lesser extent the knees, fetlocks and hocks.

Larger horses are also more likely to sustain pelvic injuries, although these are not related to their dressage training but due to accident. The repetitive nature of dressage training, needed to reinforce the multitude of techniques in the horse’s mind, further leads to increased levels of wear and tear, as above. The coffin and pastern joints get ‘hammered’ if the horse is worked excessively. This repetitive training also leads to muscle fatigue and subsequent break down, seen as muscle pain and tightness resulting in loss of stretch and power in the muscles. The length of time the horse is worked can also lead to issues with saddle fit, further aggravated by the depth of seat required by the dressage rider. The soft nature of many of our riding arenas can also lead to chronic repetitive strain injuries in the tendons (the tennis elbow of the horse).The demanding physical postures required of dressage, can in themselves lead to injury. The high level collection places strain on the neck and back, the sitting nature of a pirouette stresses the hocks and hamstrings and the explosive nature of the medium paces can lead to muscle damage in the shoulders, back, rump and hamstrings.

THE SHOW JUMPER

Some of the key points associated with show jumping are: The take off and landing action of jumping – Height of fences – Unbalanced training schedules (very little flat work) – Travel and carnival type competitions.

The highest risk involved with jumping is the landing action. When the horse lands after a jump the hind legs slide forwards as they hit the ground, and then the horse transfers his weight back onto them to take the next stride. This action places a huge stress on the sacroiliac region (the top of the rump), if young horses are jumped too often and don’t have the muscle strength over the rump area they may end up with sacroiliac pain or a ‘Jumpers Bump’. The take off action can also lead to injuries, especially if the surface is slippery, where muscle injuries of the rump and back can occur. The height of the fences jumped can further increase the stress on the sacroiliac region and also lead to injuries in the lower forelimbs. The tendons, pastern and coffin joints and navicular bone are all at risk of injury when a horse lands. Some show jumping horses have a talent for jumping but are not so inclined to enjoy flatwork. If unbalanced training regimes are used the horse is not getting the stretching and strengthening work required for overall suppleness and fitness. These horses will be more likely to have muscular pain, weakness and stiffness in the neck, back and hind quarter. Many jumping carnivals involve traveling long distances and competing over consecutive days. Travel sickness and dehydration can be common, along with the increased risk of musculoskeletal injury due to lack of recovery time between competitions.

THE KNOCK ABOUT PONY

Ponies as a rule don’t get many injuries (or maybe I just don’t see them); however in my experience when they do get sore they are not very tolerant, with the quietest kids’ pony turning into a bucking bronco if it has a sore back.

Some key points associated with a kids’ pony: Lack of consistent work – Small/young jockeys – Love of food – Saddles – Inexperienced owners.

Kids are busy and often not entirely devoted to all 10 of their after school activities. So our poor little ponies get worked for 2 hours on Saturday and Sunday then do nothing for the rest of the week. This increases the risk of muscle soreness and tightness especially in the neck and back. Kids may not have the strength or mental toughness to make their pony work correctly, meaning they travel with their heads in the air and hollow backs, leading to sore/stiff backs and necks. Ponies are obviously susceptible to founder due to weight problems, this can then result in foot problems as well. The round shape of many ponies means it is hard to fit saddles, leading to muscle pain under the saddle area. The biggest problem for our ponies, however, is their new owners who love and adore them, but do not have the horse experience to match. Combine this with the ‘everyone’s an expert’ nature of the horse industry and it can lead to disaster for parent, child and pony.