Check out this video about applying Ice Man safely and effectively to the legs of the horse. Huge thanks go to the SA Lipizzaners for helping to put together this series of informative videos.
Q: What are the weight aids? My instructor often asks me to use my weight as an aid, and I am unsure exactly what this means. I feel very unbalanced if I try to lean to one side or the other. A: The weight aids are a large part of your seat aids and the seat…
Tendon boots are front boots that are fitted around the cannon bone. The protective layer runs all the way around the leg, except in the front, where it is open. As the name suggests, tendon boots offer protection to the tendons, which run down the back of the leg, and prevent injury that could be…
Check ligament injuries are characterised by sudden onset swelling on the inside and outside of the forelimb behind the cannon bone, close to the knee. These injuries are relatively common. The swelling generally feels firm to the touch, and in recent injuries there will be pain and heat on palpation. Most horses will also show…
Suspensory ligament injuries may also cause the tendon sheath to swell and the joint capsule to distend, similar to the appearance created by windgalls. However, the presentation is rarely as symmetrical as that caused by windgalls. Sprain of the suspensory ligament and its branches is common. Injuries tend to occur suddenly with resultant heat and…
A bowed tendon is strictly speaking in fact a strain of the tendon. Bowed tendons commonly occur in racehorses, but can occur in any breed in any kind of work. They are usually due to wear-and-tear injuries and initially signs may be difficult to spot. However, the earlier they can be detected the better as…
Cellulitis is a serious condition that is caused by infection of the limb by bacteria. Often the cause of the infection cannot be found, but it is commonly thought to occur secondary to a tiny puncture wound of the lower part of the limb. Your horse will have hot, painful, generalised swelling of the lower…
Windgalls occur when the tendon sheath (non-articular windgall) or joint capsule (articular windgall) fills with fluid in the fetlock region. The swellings commonly occur in both limbs, and the swelling tends to be squishy and relatively mild, with no associated heat. Non-articular windgalls occur on the back of the fetlock on the sides of the…
Splints are bony lumps usually seen on the inside of the upper half of the cannon and splint bone in the forelimbs. They most commonly occur in younger horses and can be caused by trauma or by injury to the ligament between the cannon and splint bones (the interosseous ligament). The trauma causes inflammation to…
Train your horse to go forward from your leg and to slow down from the reins and seat [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he principle of action is reaction. Horses naturally yield away from pressure. It is very helpful to teach the horse to move away from pressure, like in the washing place when you ask the horse to step aside.…