Page 102 - August 2021

VETERINARY VIEWS
FROM SEDENTARY BACK INTO WORK
by Nancy S. Loving, DVM
Equine athletes often suffer illness or injury that takes them out of training and perfor- mance for days, weeks, or even months.
How do you appropriately bring that individual back from layup to a fit state to enter again into successful competition?
MUSCULOSKELETAL ISSUES
There is a difference between a sedentary horse that has been confined to a stall and/or paddock and one that has been in pasture turnout part or full time. An idle horse with regular turnout is less likely to experience fatigue issues than a horse that has been confined for long periods when put back into work. The ability of a horse to exercise at will in turnout helps to maintain muscle
tone and hoof strength along with fine-tuning neuromuscular coordination and strength.
Hoof care after a horse has led a sedentary lifestyle is critical. Hoof shape and strength
change with time, especially for a horse that
has been idle for long periods. A sedentary horse left barefoot may develop hoof distortions that need to be addressed. Survey radiographs (x-ray images) help to distinguish asymmetry between the coffin bone and the hoof capsule, and radiographs facilitate collaboration between veterinarian and farrier for optimal trimming strategies to restore hoof shape and structure.
Nutritional management is also a critical ingredient to manage an equine athlete. Transitioning a horse from a sedentary to active lifestyle likely involves an overhaul of the horse’s diet. This is particularly important if the idle horse is carrying too much weight on his frame and needs to lose some pounds. Overweight and obese body condition scores can really set a horse back in its improvement. This can be managed by feeding a balanced diet that is low in starch and sugar.
BUILDING BACK
Taking a horse from a sedentary state
to active working fitness is a form of rehabilitation, yet it has no specific recipe.
A strategy relies on a horse’s current level of fitness, the presence (or absence) of previous injuries, and the general goal of the rider
or trainer. A lot can be done to help a horse prepare to go back to work besides standard hand walking and ponying strategies. Physiotherapy exercises optimize strengthening exercises for core strength and stability.
A horse’s fitness can be lost very quickly, even if stall bound for as little as 10-14 days. Riders and trainers should expect at least 60 days of five days per week exercise to increase cardiovascular strength and stamina.
Best results are achieved by combining conditioning strategies with physiotherapy exercises. One useful technique is use of a weighted surcingle starting with 20 pounds of weight in the surcingle and then gradually increasing the weight. This is safer and
more easily brings a horse back to work compared to suddenly equipping a horse with a 30-pound saddle and 150-pound rider. Ponying a horse behind a well-behaved one
is better than asking for repetitive lunging
as some horses tend to get wild and out of control on a lunge line.
Because physical therapy programs are implemented gradually in progressive building blocks, the cardiovascular system often
is less stressed than what is accomplished
with a more fit horse. Training a horse to accommodate progressive work demands is safely accomplished with a heart rate monitor, which is an excellent adjunctive tool to measure a horse’s immediate response to exercise.
Hoof shape and strength change with time, especially for a horse that has been idle for long periods.
100 SPEEDHORSE August 2021