HORSE CARE TIPS
LAMENESS IN THE REINING HORSE
William Rhoads, DVM
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons
Diplomate, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, Equine Specialty
As the sport of reining becomes more and more popular,
selective breeding and advancements in training has allowed for
the development of a highly specialized, phenomenal athlete. Extremes
of any sport, human or equine, places unique stresses on the musculoskeletal
system. This is particularly true for the discipline of reining,
because many different types of movements are required to complete
each pattern.
Lameness in any athletic horse can present itself
in many different manners, from obvious limping to subtle changes
in behavior or decreased performance. This may be displayed as a
stiffness on one side of the body or face, pinning the ears when
asked to perform a maneuver, reluctance or even refusing to change
leads or stop, in addition to a multitude of other performance issues.
Whereas it may take a trained eye to detect a lameness, the rider
or trainer that is familiar with the horse is usually the most sensitive
detector of problems. Because horses don't have the ability to directly
relay information about what is going on with their bodies, the
veterinarian, owner, and trainer must rely on other clinical signs
to know when something is wrong. Even though horses don't have the
ability to speak, they often are "telling" us that they
have a problem. The difficult part is trying to learn to read or
speak their language.
Lameness issues are generally of 3 types. The first
is the wear and tear problems that occur in horses some time during
their training and showing career. These are typically low grade
arthritis problems or soft tissue (tendon or ligament) disorders.
The second type of problem is an injury that can occur from accidents,
bad steps, or falls. Finally, developmental disorders are joint
and bone problems that arise from improper maturation and development
of these tissues. These types of problems are frequently seen early
in the training period, when new stresses are being placed on these
areas.
By far the biggest problem that reiners encounter
is lameness or soreness in the rear legs. This is due to the extreme
stresses that are placed on the joints during sliding stops, rollbacks,
and turnarounds. Very often rear limb lameness may present as a
decreased performance, such as quitting in the stop or kicking out
in a lead change, rather than obvious limping. This is because the
soreness is most often bilateral, with both limbs being affected
similarly (this is also true for forelimb lameness).
Hock soreness is the number one cause of lameness problems in reiners.
The hock joint is actually made up of 4 individual joints. The top
joint is the largest joint and is responsible for the range of motion
of the entire joint. Problems in this joint are usually developmental,
and manifest as swelling (bog spavin) at the start of training or
earlier. The bottom 3 joints are low motion joints that are primarily
responsible for shock absorption. Arthritis in the bottom 2 joints
(bone spavin) account for 95% of hock problems.
The stifles also encounter a lot of stress during
the extreme maneuvers of the reiner. Low grade arthritis in the
stifle can lead to problems similar to what is seen in the hock.
The stifle is also the location most commonly implicated in developmental
disorders (often referred to as OCD). There are many vital soft
tissue structures associated with the stifle joints that can be
traumatized when an injury occurs (cruciate ligaments, collateral
ligaments, meniscus-the same type of injury that occurs with football
players that damage the ACL). These injuries can be very serious
and career threatening.
In the front limbs, feet problems are most commonly
seen. The feet are very complicated anatomic structures that have
evolved to be tremendous shock absorbers. Heel soreness (sometimes
called navicular disease) is often exacerbated in the circles and
turnarounds. Much new information is available about this syndrome,
and we now know that there are many potential problem areas other
than just the navicular bone (navicular bursa, deep digital flexor
tendon, impar ligament, digital cushion, coffin bone, coffin joint,
etc.).
Soft tissue problems such as suspensory ligament soreness is also
common on the forelegs, leading to an obvious lameness or performance
problem. Additionally it is also common to have a combination of
issues, including feet or heel soreness together with suspensory
soreness.
It is also important to remember that when horses
are sore in one area, secondary soreness issues commonly develop
as the horse changes the way it moves and caries its body. An example
of this is back soreness that often develops secondary to rear limb
lameness. These "secondary" problems further exacerbate
lameness problems and decreased performance, and are only corrected
when the primary problem is taken care of.
Lameness in horses can be difficult to sort out. Initial
diagnostics include nerve blocks, radiographs, and ultrasound. If
the problem can't be determined from these, advanced diagnostics
such as nuclear scintigraphy may be necessary. It is extremely important
to get an accurate diagnosis, because this will influence both the
treatment and prognosis.
In order for horses to perform at their maximal potential, soreness
must be eliminated. Many new treatment modalities are now available
that can prolong and improve a horse's longevity. If your horse
is having performance problems or lameness issues, consult a veterinarian
that is experienced in lameness diagnosis and understands the sport
of reining.
|
|