Page 121 - March_2023

When one muscle group is visibly less developed than another, there could be an underlying pathologic problem such as occurs with invasion of the spinal cord by protozoan parasites, known as equine protozoal myelitis, or EPM.
VETERINARY VIEWS
amino acids for muscle support and these are best administered within 45 minutes after exercise - and once the horse is cooled down - to ensure fast recovery and to optimize the effects of supplementation.
Atrophy of topline muscles begins in the withers, then the back and gradually extends through the loins and croup and down into the hip and stifle. Rebuilding muscle occurs in reverse order. Exercise activates muscle conditioning while nutrition provides building blocks in the form of amino acids. To build strong muscle, a horse needs all 10 essential amino acids supplied in the diet.
For more details on this, refer to Speedhorse issue August 2022.
PROACTIVE STEPS
It is helpful to photograph and/or videotape your horse at intervals throughout the year,
so you have a reference point in case you or someone else points out an area of asymmetric musculature on your horse. Stand the horse squarely on a flat surface, step back and take photographs from both sides and from in front and in back. This gives you visual evidence for later reference.
Specific exercises under saddle and in hand are beneficial to building core abdominal muscle strength. Hill work, cavalleti poles, and elastic bands further add to muscle resistance to encourage better muscle development and strength. Such exercise stimulates a good topline build provided
the essential building blocks of protein are included in the diet.
Saddle fit is similarly important to prevent a horse from altering his gait in an effort to protect sore muscles that are made even more sore by a rider’s weight on top of an ill-fitting saddle. It is not unusual to need to adjust
It is helpful to photograph or videotape your horse at intervals throughout the year, so you have a reference point in case your horse develops asymmetric musculature.
saddle fit repeatedly as a horse matures and improves in fitness.
So, in summary, here is a list of situations in which a horse might demonstrate
muscle asymmetry:
• Cramped muscle, myositis, or tying up • EPM (equine protozoal myelitis)
• Muscle atrophy related to disuse or injury • Sweeney
• Swelling related to injury
• Overuse on one side more than another due to training and/or pain
• Imbalanced diet
If the topline or other muscle groups fail to
develop well or symmetrically after applying excellent nutritional and balance, including essential amino acids, muscle building techniques, and good saddle fit, then it is important to have your veterinarian evaluate the horse for underlying pathological conditions.
Muscle synthesis and repair requires the essential amino acids as well as replacement of nutrients a horse uses while working.
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