PREVENTION
"It remains amazing to see how much the body can recover once the tissue is loaded in a proportionate and correct manner."
Why prevention?
There are many curative options, and in recent years we've rehabilitated countless horses for whom there seemed to be no solution. We regularly receive messages from owners who are in despair. They often already have appointments scheduled to euthanize their horse.
They contact us for a final second opinion. That's how they end up with us, and let's be honest, we can't help all these horses. Sometimes the problems are simply too severe, or sometimes it's a congenital issue like extreme hypermobility, which means the horse's body doesn't respond well to treatment and training.
We don't have a quick fix, but we can create a solid rehabilitation plan to get the horse's body functioning properly again so the injuries can heal.
Amazing recovery power
It remains astonishing to see how much the body can recover once its tissue is loaded in a proportionate and appropriate manner. Only when injuries occur too frequently or are too severe does this recovery capacity become insufficient.
We want to prevent that. Firstly, it's good to notice minor injuries early, because the recovery time is much shorter and full recovery is then more likely.
Factors that cause injuries. Secondly, we can take measures to make the horse's body less susceptible to injuries. It's a very good idea to take preventative measures. To do this, we need to understand the factors that contribute to a horse's risk of injury.
Myofascial system
One of those factors is the myofascial system. Many chronic injuries begin in the myofascial system with a localized tightening. Sometimes this tightening itself is very painful, causing a horse to walk irregularly or become completely lame.
In other cases, a horse exhibits abnormal behavior during training due to neck or back pain. If we're only dealing with a painful tightening, there's no tissue damage, which is, of course, ideal. This means we can treat the myofascial system, allowing the tension to be distributed evenly and proportionally throughout the system.
We then train the horse to use its myofascial system properly. This strengthens and improves its health, reducing the risk of injury.
The recovery from injuries
If the myofascial system remains tight, excessive tension is placed on certain structures like tendons or ligaments. This causes these structures to become overloaded more quickly, leading to a chronic injury. Gradually, the load increases until it becomes too much. Then tissue damage occurs, resulting in a full-blown injury. This can last for weeks or months.
This injury can only heal optimally if all tension is evenly distributed over the entire myofascial system, because if there is too much tension in certain areas, too much tension remains on the injured tissue.
Prevention through a healthy myofascial system
We can ensure that the horse recovers by keeping the myofascial system functioning properly, but we can also reduce the RISK of injuries by keeping the myofascial system in good condition from the start and making it stronger and healthier.
Keeping the myofascial system healthy
Important factors for keeping the myofascial system healthy largely lie in training.
Good tone
It's important that we work as closely as possible toward optimal symmetry in a healthy and correct posture. Stability comes from sufficient activity, which creates sufficient tension. This tension is also called tonus.
A horse with insufficient tone is unstable, both in its trunk and legs. This forces the joints in both its legs and spine to absorb more impact in different directions. The ligaments and capsules surrounding these joints then bear the brunt.
Other training factors
Of course, it also depends on how you train, how much you train, what age you start and how much recovery time you give your horse.
Recovery time and nutrition
Besides the training itself, it's important that your horse gets sufficient recovery time. After every workout, the body needs to recover. The training stimulus puts the body under a certain amount of stress that's slightly too heavy. This causes minor damage—it sounds completely wrong, but that's precisely the intention.
This minor damage is repaired by the body, and the tissue repairs itself and becomes stronger than before the training stimulus. This is how the horse's body rebuilds itself.
To recover and become stronger, the horse needs rest (recovery time) and good nutrition. This nutrition contains the nutrients needed to build tissue. A diet with too much sugar, for example, negatively impacts the body's acidity, which can hinder various metabolic processes, make the body more susceptible to low-grade inflammation, and degrade the quality of the fascia.
Hoof leg balance
Another important factor is hoof bone balance; if the horse is out of balance, we face a challenge, as crooked hooves cause crooked legs. This leads to asymmetry in the trunk and impaired thoracic sling function.
Any asymmetry causes certain parts of the body to be subjected to more stress than others, making them more susceptible to injury.
Is there a horse's or a human's body that is completely symmetrical?…no, not one. However, there is a limit to what a body can absorb, so we want to keep the asymmetry within certain limits.
Move without a load
It is of course also important that the horse gets enough unburdened and free movement.
Exercise ensures good blood circulation and keeps the tissues healthy.
Balanced stress
Keeping a horse completely stress-free is impossible and ultimately unwise. A challenge every now and then, by asking something difficult or using fear training, is actually a positive thing.
Occasional, moderate stress is healthy for the nervous system. It activates brain activity, increases learning capacity, and even enhances the regenerative capacity of the brain's nerve cells.
What's unhealthy is chronic stress that the horse can't control. Chronic discomfort is unfortunately a form of chronic stress I encounter very often. Fortunately, we can do something about it!
Saddles, a challenge
Of course, the harness must be correct, and our main challenge is to find a saddle that gives the horse the freedom to use the thoracic sling properly.
When the horse activates the thoracic sling, the front of its back rises. The back next to and behind the withers widens, and the ribs rise. This requires a lot of space in that area of the saddle.
Hypermobile horses can lower their backs very far, but also raise them very far. This means that the back of such a horse is very different when standing still than when it is moving in balance with an activated thoracic sling.
Hypermobile horses struggle with stability and strength development, so it's especially important for these horses to have a saddle that allows room for the front of their back. They lack the strength to push the saddle up, and even if they can, you shouldn't want them to. It always causes some discomfort, even for horses that aren't hypermobile.
