By Bronwen Meredith Many of us have been told that the walk is an ‘unfixable’ gait and that it is therefore best to leave it untouched. Personally, I don’t believe this and have had success with several horses in at least improving their way of going in the walk. It is true that it is one…
By Bronwen Meredith Many of us have been told that the walk is an ‘unfixable’ gait and that it is therefore best to leave it untouched. Personally, I don’t believe this and have had success with several horses in at least improving their way of going in the walk. It is true that it is one…
By Charlotte Bastiaanse Contact and connection The m ajority of well-schooled horses ‘accept a contact’ , but what does that actually mean? A misconception as old as time is that if the horse has his head down and nose at the vertical, then he’s accepting the contact . I t’s important to…
The prepurchase exam varies considerably from vet to vet, with some vets putting more emphasis on some aspects than others [dropcap]M[/dropcap]ost people buying a horse today will request at least a basic ‘prepurchase exam’ to be carried out by a veterinarian. Others will want a more advanced prepurchase exam that includes blood tests and radiographs, for…
A flexion test involves compression of joints and soft tissues through forced bending of the limbs. [dropcap]F[/dropcap]lexion tests of both the fore- and hindlimbs are common diagnostic tools, particularly used for the purposes of pre-purchase examination. Many of us have heard the words ‘failed flexion test’ or ‘positive flexion test’ when looking into buying or selling…
