Injuries to horses resulting from work on hard ground
Caroline Lane is a valued friend of the Lucy Irvine Foundation Europe (LIFE) which rescues and rehabilitates suffering horses in rural Bulgaria. Her knowledge and experience with injured horses has taught us much, so we wanted to share some of it with other horse lovers.
When a horse’s hoof comes into contact with the ground, concussive force is created. When the ground is soft, much of the force is cushioned and absorbed by the ground and the rest by the structures of the foot and leg, however, when the ground is hard the hoof is unable to absorb the concussive force which then travels back up through the horse’s feet and legs. This can lead to discomfort and injury, particularly to the tendons, ligaments and joints. Factors such as uneven or rutted ground, excessively hot conditions and poor conformation all increase a horse’s predisposition to injury. Native Bulgarian horses are very upright in conformation, meaning their joints are upright rather than sloping, which further increases the concussion travelling through their bodies.
Roma-owned horses in Bulgaria, such as those in the area where the Lucy Irvine Foundation Europe (LIFE) works, can be seen trotting very fast on roads from foalhood. This leads to very obvious wear and tear on tendons and joints from an early age. These injuries don’t get a chance to heal because the horses are constantly worked fast on hard ground and so the concussion is constant. Treatment for musculoskeletal concussion normally is sustained rest, cold water therapy and anti-inflammatories, but in the case of Roma-owned horses we must be practical. These horses exist for the owner to make a living, so we might have to settle for some rest at least and standing in running water.
Detecting concussion injuries is not difficult. By lightly running your thumb and first finger down the horses leg you can feel for heat and swelling. At the first sign of injury, the horse needs to stop work and ideally twice a day stand in about 18 inches of water in a local stream.
Laminitis is a term used to describe inflammation of the laminae that attach the pedal bone to the hoof wall. It’s often associated with overweight horses who have too much access to good grazing, however, if a horse does a lot of work on hard ground, particularly if it’s fast work, it can cause trauma to the laminae and result in concussive laminitis. Horses with poor-quality hooves may be more susceptible to developing the condition. Moisture for hooves should be around 24%, which allows the structures to expand and contract naturally. In dry conditions, moisture levels can dip as low as 14%, and this is when the condition of the feet begin to deteriorate, affecting a horse’s ability to absorb concussion and, therefore, passing the forces on to other structures. Again, feel the front of the hoof and if it’s warm or the horse is resting on the back of his heal then laminitis is likely an issue. Sadly, it is a barely recognised condition among the Roma in rural Bulgaria. The horse is simply seen as constantly lame and may be destroyed for the value of its meat. LIFE has rescued such horses and turned them around with little treatment other than rest on sparse but sufficient pasture and no alfalfa or hard feed in the diet.
Sore shins are normally associated with racehorses, but are also seen in other animals working on hard ground. The signs are swelling to the front of the cannon bone, which may lead to fractures within the bone if the horse is not rested. Again, the horse needs cold water and rest.
So, being practical how do we prevent these injuries occurring in horses that are an important contributor to a poor Roma family's livelihood? Horses don’t mature until they are between 5 and 7 years old and so their bones are still soft and unready for hard work, but a family can’t and won’t wait that long. Perhaps a compromise could be made and they might wait until the horse is four years old. Currently horses are often made to work in a harness at one year old. Education, learning the signs to look for and knowing what to do when their horse is showing signs of wear and tear will also make a big difference. Understanding that their horse will stay sounder and healthier for longer if he and his legs in particular were rested and using the wonderful resource of cold running water. LIFE makes a point of informally educating at every opportunity, and demonstrating with rehabilitated rescued horses how they can work without injury if driven with care for their health in mind.
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