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Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

While many horses wear leg boots or wraps when working to prevent injury, recent studies report that these boots may increase the temperature leg temperature and harm the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT), reports The Horse.

Researchers from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) created a study to determine whether different leg wraps increase the temperature of the leg during exercise. Graduate student Luke Brock explained that the equine lower limb has little muscle below the knee and hock, so it cools itself by taking the heat away from the skin's surface. Using a boot or bandage to the leg creates an insulating effect, which can harm the SDFT.

Heat dissipation depends on leg protection design and application, material permeability, heat produced during exercise, temperature and humidity outside, and rate of ambient air exchange. The MTSU research team compared six types of leg protection: a neoprene boot, perforated neoprene boots, plant-based neoprene boots, cross-country boots, elastic track bandages, and fleece polo wraps.

Each horse wore each type of boot over six exercise sessions, which involved 20 minutes of work followed by 180 minutes of standing recovery. Each horse wore one boot on a foreleg; the other leg served as a control. A special tool was used to measure limb temperature and humidity every minute the horse wore the boot.

The team discovered that the leg not wearing any boot had the lowest temperature. The fleece polo wrap caused the most heat and humidity buildup. All limbs wearing boots rose to temperatures that could harm tendon cells. None of the treated limbs returned to their baseline temperature after the recovery period.

The researchers determined the limb's cooling ability is impaired by boots and wraps, which can damage the SDFT. Before applying boots, the team recommends riders consider the intensity of the workload, the ambient temperature, boot design and material, and how the horse goes.

If a horse wears leg protection, it's best to remove it as soon as possible once the horse is done working, then cold horse the legs, they conclude.

Simple Ways To Prevent Tendon And Ligament Injuries In Horses

Horses seem to seek out ways to hurt themselves and injuries to tendons and ligaments in the limbs are common., says Dr. David Ramey, owner of Ramey Equine and an internationally recognized researcher, author and lecturer. Though tendon and ligament injuries tend to heal well, it can take multiple months, as well as a lot effort and money, to get the horse to his performance level pre-injury.

There are multiple ways to help prevent tendon and ligament injuries, though some are often overlooked. These include:

Adequate nutrition. Proper nutrition to maintain horse health is essential. Thus far, there have been no supplements that have proven to prevent tendon and ligament injuries.
Correct body condition. Tendons and ligaments are more likely to be damaged when a horse is overweight as it placed additional strain on supporting structures.
Proper shoeing and trimming. Trimming or shoeing a horse in the most-simple manner is generally associated with more soundness.
Leg wraps and bandages. Boots and bandages, even when applied properly, cannot stop a tendon or ligament injury.
Walk. Warming up a horse at the walk makes it harder for tendons and ligaments to become damaged at faster speeds.
Systemic training. Tendons and ligaments are more-often damaged in horses that are asked to perform athletic endeavors like running, jumping or sliding. Keys to help keep a horse's legs injury-free include: don't do too much too quickly; work him regularly; cross train when possible; and don't overtrain—strong tissues come from stressing them and then allowing them time to rest and repair.
Proper footing. Horses should not be worked for extended amounts of time in deep, soft ground.
Address issues. If a horse is sore, address the issue to prevent compensation complications in tendons and ligaments.

Research Into Training Programs Needed To Protect Equine Tendons

The superficial digital flexor tendons in a horse's front legs are responsible for much of the animal's athleticism: They store energy and play a critical role in the efficiency of the horse's trot and gallop. However, these tendons are especially susceptible to injury: They are one of the most common causes of lameness in performance horses. Tendon injuries are slow and difficult to heal, so it's imperative that they be detected early and that training methods be adapted to allow time for the tissues to heal.

Drs. Claire O'Brien, Neil Marr and Chavaunne Thorpe investigated the biomechanical and biothermal effects of strain on this tendon and how both forces contributed to microdamage. Though the tendon is essential for efficient performance and locomotion, it has a very narrow window for error, which makes it susceptible to injury.

The trio reviewed 140 scientific papers and discovered that most superficial digital flexor tendon injuries occur during fitness work. Risks to tendons include variations in training intensity and frequency, surfaces and equipment. Individual risk factors include breed, age and sex; variations in tendon blood supply, strength and flexibility may contribute to chronic tendon injuries and longer recover rates.

The team suggest that research be done in several areas so that recommendations based on scientific principles can be made for training programs; these would minimize the risk of tendon injury. They also suggest that those involved in a horse' training understand the following:

The physiologic demands high-intensity training places on equine tendons
Heavy training sessions that mimic competition should be closely monitored and only repeated every 72 hours to allow tendons enough time to repair and adapt. Factors such as the horse's age, history of injury and previous competition experience should help guide decision making on the frequency of training sessions
The effects of other factors like surface type, fence height, bandaging and ambient temperature place on tendon temperature and strain
Training should be increased incrementally over time, using objective measures to gauge each horse's physiologic response

Read the full article here.

Study: Lasers Help Heal Equine Tendon And Ligament Injuries

High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) can be used to reduce inflammation in horses that have tendon and ligament injuries, a study from Poland has found.

Drs. Paulina Zielińska, Jakub Nicpoń, Zdzisław Kiełbowicz, Maria Soroko, Krzysztof Dudek and Daniel Zaborski used 26 Warmbloods with tendon and ligament injuries to see if laser therapy could provide anti-inflammatory relief. All horses were between 5 and 24 years old and were patients at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences.

All horses were assigned to a group that received 15 HILT treatments or a group that received no laser treatments. All horses had the same 40-day rehabilitation program, which included one 20-minute walk on hard ground each day, followed by cold water application on affected tendons or ligaments. The injuries were assessed before and after treatment, and ultrasound images were taken.

The team concluded that HILT provided swelling and pain relief; the ultrasound images showed a reduction in lesion size in the horses treated with laser therapy, as well. The researchers say that HILT can be used as a supportive treatment for horses that have tendon and ligament injuries, reducing swelling and lameness, and improving pain. They note, however, that there is no protocol for the number of HILT sessions, duration, energy dose or frequency of treatment for horses that have tendon and ligament injuries.