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WHAT IS REHABILITATION?
WHEN WOULD MY HORSE NEED REHABILITATION?
REHABILITATION TECHNIQUES |
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WHEN WOULD MY HORSE NEED REHABILITATION?
• After injury, trauma or disease
• Following orthopaedic surgery
• After a prolonged period of boxrest
• Following correction of foot imbalance
• During the management of specific conditions, e.g. tendon or ligament injury
Following the onset of lameness, gait patterns are altered as the horse adapts his way of going to avoid discomfort. This new ‘learnt’ gait pattern may then become the norm, even after the original lameness has settled, and can then affect the horses ability to carry out his normal work or training regime. If normal gait patterns are not re established then further injury is likely.
A perceived schooling problem may actually be due to a compensatory gait pattern if the horse has an underlying injury or has not been correctly rehabilitated from a previous injury. Behavioural issues can arise from the horses inability to do the job he is being asked.
For instance, a horse with degenerative joint disease affecting the hock will often develop secondary backpain as he fixes and splints the muscles through the back to avoid weight bearing through the hind limb.
After veterinary diagnosis and subsequent treatment of the primary issue, the rehabilitation process may begin. Physiotherapy input is essential throughout the programme to increase mobility and reduce pain, thus encouraging normal movement.
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