The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.
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43 April 2015 The horse TheHorse.com heavy Draft-type or Warmblood. A horse with minor variations, such as upright hind limbs or toeing in or out, might perform just fine. A horse with a lower (less upright) pastern angle might have a desirable, springy gait, but this con - formation has the potential to result in suspensory ligament or fetlock problems. And because most English disciplines are not solely speed-based or very long in du - ration, a heavy or "big-boned" body type might not interfere with performance or longevity the same way it would in, say, flat racing or endurance. "Probably the most variety in body type and conformation occurs in the jumpers," Peters says. "There seem to be various body types that tolerate this work, but they don't enjoy as much longevity as other disciplines." So, for instance, horses with finer bone, smaller feet, hind-limb straightness, or long backs might be more predisposed to injury and won't hold up to jumping pursuits as long as horses with more cor - rect conformation. For distance sport horses, correct con - formation is a particularly important asset because of the wear and tear that accom - panies training for and competing in these activities. There is not as much room for deviation from correct limb conformation in these horses if they are to remain sound and compete well over time. Conformational Extremes "Extremes in lower leg conformation can be performance-limiting in athletic pursuits or, at the very least, may cause flare-ups of musculoskeletal pain that put a horse out of action for a period of time," says Peters. Conformational issues he says might lead to problems include the following: ■ Toeing in or toeing out subsequent to angular limb deformities (confor - mational faults present at birth or acquired over time) overloads one side of the foot and joints, leading to osteo - arthritis and/or soft tissue injury. ■ A club foot is prone to abscesses, bruis - ing, or laminitis. ■ Cow-hocked conformation strains the hock joints. ■ Offset knees (as viewed from the front, also called bench knees) can lead to splints. ■ Offset feet can lead to foot and lower limb joint pain. ■ Sheared heels (one heel bulb becomes elevated toward the pastern relative to the other) might make a horse prone to hoof quarter cracks and pain. ■ Asymmetrical feet can lead to uneven pressures and tension on the musculo - tendinous unit within the foot and are a red flag that alerts an owner to man - age the feet carefully. In general, any conformation that de - parts from the ideal is likely to put stress on other anatomical structures. "For ex - ample," says Peters, "a horse that rotates on the hocks (when moving, which often results from an angular limb deformity in the fetlock or hock joints) then puts stress on the lower hock joints. Or, a horse with long toes and low heels overly stresses the deep digital flexor tendon, and a horse that toes out stresses suspensory liga - ments and joints." Regarding the back and neck, Peters says researchers are examining how conformational abnormalities in these areas might affect performance. "The predisposition to injury of conforma - tional abnormalities of the axial skeleton (made up of the skull, vertebral column, ribs, and sternum) of the upper body has not been sorted out as much as flaws in the legs," he says. For some horses, certain training regimens—such as jumping too high or training too many days per week— coupled with a flat or low back might lead to arthritic changes and soreness, which impact success and career longev - ity. "Even so, a long-backed horse may be able to jump well with power and subse - quently be successful," says Peters. Owners can manage many of these structural challenges in partnership with their veterinarians and farriers. This requires taking into account each horse's hoof care needs, the footing on which he trains and competes, the discipline's exer - cise demands, the frequency of competi- tion, saddle fit, and rider skill, says Peters. Realistic Expectations When managing a horse with confor- mational challenges, recognize that there might be limitations on what your horse might accomplish and for how long. "There should be a realistic assessment of the horse's physical abilities for the disci - pline in which he competes," Peters says. Modifying your expectations and goals, however, is often the hardest part. Assess your horse's mental and physi - cal abilities within his career discipline continually. And don't be afraid to seek expert advice. If your vet-farrier-trainer support group works as a team to maxi - mize your individual horse's performance and makes adjustments to his care and training as needed, he has every chance of being successful. Without realistic expectations and management, however, be prepared for frustration and setbacks, Peters says. "For example," he explains, "if the horse toes out, and this causes hoof rota - tion, inflammation may develop within a branch of the suspensory ligaments. Therefore, the rider may need to back down on exercise demands and lessen the competitive schedule." A horse that isn't working out well for a particular owner might perform better at another level, in another discipline, or with another owner, particularly if he is having problems performing consistently in his job. "Many horses with extreme confor - mational changes have been managed There should be a realistic assessment of the horse's physical abilities for the disci - pline in which he competes." DR. DUNcaN PETERS Cow hocks are one example of a performance- limiting conformational issue. PaULa Da SiLva