Page 103 - August 2021

VETERINARY VIEWS
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.
Aerobic conditioning is a first step in redeveloping a horse for sprint or speed
work. The heart rate target to achieve aerobic conditioning is around 130-150 beats per minute (bpm). A heart rate monitor also tracks how quickly a horse recovers to an expected heart rate of 60-64 beats per minute once the exercise demand is stopped. Recovery after aerobic work shouldn’t take longer than 10 minutes to reach the target recovery heart rate, and preferably that target should be met within 2-3 minutes.
Hill work in hand can be included in
the exercise and physical therapy during the starting phases of conditioning. Start with
an initial grade that isn’t too strenuous; then slowly add increasing gradations of difficulty.
In bringing a sedentary or injured horse back to work, patience is important as well as adjusting expectations appropriately
by accepting a horse’s capability without exceeding his limits.
MUSCLE EXERCISES
Most human physiotherapy work has been done on the multifidus muscles along the spine, which provide intersegmental stability of the vertebral column to lessen the risk of osteoarthritis or sports-specific injuries. Similarly, physiotherapy in horses also focuses on the propulsive muscles of
the hind limbs. These exercises are like “Pilates” for horses, which can be performed in hand but should not be used for a horse with back or stifle injuries. Of 20 different exercises, the main four include sternal lifts, lumbo-sacral tucks, and caudal and lateral tail pulls to improve hind end stability. Abdominal lifts help to elongate the top line. Other physiotherapeutic exercises focus on improving neck and back flexibility and strength as well as joint range-of-motion.
Development of the hindquarters can be assisted with a hind end Thera-band, called an Equiband TM (Equicore Concepts), incorporated into a surcingle or saddle pad and then placed around the hindquarters. The band provides resistance while the cinch additionally stimulates abdominal muscles and improves awareness about where a horse’s limbs are in space. The elastic band provides passive restraint on trailing limbs to encourage a horse to engage the hindquarters
and stay in a “frame.” This is helpful for stifle injuries, particularly of the menisci since meniscal injuries tend to occur when the stifle is in full extension; the band restricts the extension position.
An underwater treadmill allows controlled walking that strengthens muscle timing and motor control and is especially useful for
a horse with limb injuries. Cardiovascular conditioning implemented through underwater treadmill work limits stress on healing musculoskeletal tissues.
Muscles of all types are important, and this includes the cardiac muscle. The heart is often overlooked as it is difficult to assess. Cardiac auscultation (listening with a stethoscope) at rest, at recovery, and after exercise may identify abnormalities of heart rhythm and recovery rate. Abnormalities should be noted and pursued with advanced diagnostic tools, such as EKG and cardiac ultrasound. A heart rate monitor measures working heart rates and recovery
but doesn’t provide information about cardiac output or electrical conductivity of the heart.
WARM UP AND COOL DOWN
Warm-up and cool down sessions are hugely beneficial for a horse’s mental and physical well-being. Tissues begin to warm up, stretch and improve elasticity at the walk and slow trot. It helps to include sets of core- strengthening exercises for both warm-up and cool down sessions, done slowly and in a controlled manner.
COLD AND HEAT THERAPY
Cryotherapy (cold) is an important technique for managing all equine athletes and is important for a horse starting back
into work, applied for 20-40 minutes once or twice a day. This can be done by immersing the limbs in a slurry mixture of ice and
water to achieve a maximal decrease in tissue temperature. Cold water hosing or commercial ice boots are useful but don’t cool the tissues as well. Commercial icing blankets are available for the axial skeleton, or ice packs or frozen Dixie cups along the back can address known weak areas.
Heat therapy is best applied for chronic pain and injury. Warmth decreases pain and increases soft tissue extensibility. Microwaveable hot packs, heating pads,
or warm water hosing help with warm-
up before a horse is ridden. Therapeutic ultrasound is effective at achieving a 4o C elevation in tissue temperature to assist in a literal warm up.
It is important not to fixate on only one injury; instead look for global improvement by treating all secondary issues that stem from a primary injury. For example, many horses with foot pain or distal forelimb pain also experience secondary pain within the distal brachiocephalic muscle of the chest, which is responsible for advancing the limb. Muscles high up on the limb that compensate for painful feet benefit from stretching exercises and tissue warming.
Nutritional management is a critical ingredient to manage an equine athlete.
SPEEDHORSE August 2021 101