Risk Factors Associated with Injury in Sport Horses - with Dr Rachel Murray

 

Last week I was lucky to be able to attend a webinar with RCVS Recognised Specialist in Equine Orthopaedics Dr Rachel Murray.

Thanks to Centaur Equine Biomechanics for hosting.

The topic was ‘Risk Factors Associated with Injury in Sport Horses’.

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Rachel is a highly experienced Sport Horse Clinician, who is based at Rossdales Diagnostic Centre.

I thought it would be good to share some of the notes I made during the webinar.

There are 2 types of injury our horses may endure:

  1. Accidental injury

  2. Training related injury

Risk factors for injury stated by Dr Murray included:

  • Weak muscle development

  • Saddle fit

  • Rider

  • Management

  • Pain

  • Injury - altered movement

  • Repetitive overload injury

Here are some bullet points I found to be interesting with regards to anatomy and biomechanics:

  • Tendons degenerate with age

  • The loading on the suspensory ligaments is more in the extended trot. Especially in young horses that may not be strong enough to be performing the movement

  • Hind limb pain is a risk factor for back pain, altered gait causes compensatory back pain

  • Respiratory problems increase lameness 4.32 times due to causing fatigue and in-co-ordination

  • Extravagant moving horses often have diagonal advanced placement, this is when the hind limb makes contact with ground before the forelimb in the trot, essentially creating a 4 beat gait instead of a 2 beat. This movement increases the load on the limbs and the SDFT (Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon)

  • Muscles require 72-96 hours to fully recover from exercise and replace the muscle glycogen (fuel)

Some points associated with training:

  • The ideal riding surface should be not too slippy but also not too grippy

  • Transitions are a protective factor from injury

  • Good core training is key for joint stability

  • Cross training your horses is protective and helps prevent repetitive overloading

  • As a horse fatigues during exercise muscle support is lost and injury risk is increased

  • Muscles worked on day 1 will be tired on day 2 and tight on day 3 - hence why cross training is recommended and strength training should only be performed 2-3 days per week

Some useful information on polework and schooling :

  • Walking over poles = strength training

  • Trotting over poles = improved cadence and co-ordination

  • Cantering over poles = builds core strength, fitness and co-ordination

  • Transitions = increase the heart rate and are therefore cardio-respiratory work

Discipline specific information:

  • Dressage horses (and riders) require more core stability and pelvic control

  • Event horses (and riders) require more cardio-respiratory fitness

  • Jumping horses need to slide on landing - the use of studs means more force or risk of injury

Dr Rachel Murray recommended a number of core stability exercises during the webinar, all of which I often recommend to my clients and some of which I have video example of on my ‘Equine Massage Homework’ page.

These include:

  • Rein back / backing up

  • Small circles (spinning exercise)

  • Hill work

  • Raised poles

  • Transitions

  • Sternum lift exercise

  • HQ reflex exercise

  • Carrot (baited) stretches

Dr Murray also made an interesting point about the use of training aids and how if the horse does not have the strength to do the exercise for the length of time asked in a training aid, the muscles will fatigue and the horse will develop compensatory movement, trying to find an easier way of doing what is being asked.

Therefore in this instance the use of the training aid is counter-productive and could possibly be damaging to the horse’s musculoskeletal system.

In summary, the key points from the webinar were:

  • Different sports and levels are predisposed to specific types of injury

  • Specific risk factors for training-associated injury may exist within a sport

  • Cross training on multiple surfaces is protective

  • Core strength and stability are required for all sports

Thank you for visiting my blog today, I hope you found it useful.
If you can get the chance to attend a webinar or seminar with Dr Rachel Murray I would highly recommend it.

Thanks so much

Jess | Jessica Limpkin Equine Massage Therapy


 
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