New Milton Equestrian Supplement Autumn-Winter 2019

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EQUESTRIAN ∙ Autumn/Winter 2019

BACK TO BASICS

Your horse’s back is the fundamental part of their anatomy that will often be the difference between top performance and training issues, between a happy

Performing a stretching exercise with a patient

athlete and one in considerable discomfort.

Hannah Langton runs H L Veterinary Physiotherapy – email hlvetphysio@gmail. com for more information

HOW DO I KNOW MY HORSE HAS A BACK PROBLEM? “It’s really important that owners know what to look for, to assess whether their horse is experiencing back pain”, says Hannah. The following signs are usually a good indicator: • Unusual behaviour e.g. bucking • Loss of muscle • Dipping of back when being touched, brushed or rugged White hairs appearing under the saddle area Reaction to have saddle put on and girth done up Feeling increased tension when riding, and loss of hind limb engagement Difficulty bending around the rider’s leg Hollowing when asked to take a contact • • • • •

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT Hannah advises: “If your horse is regularly exhibiting these signs, it’s time to get a professional involved – whether that’s your vet as an initial point of contact, or an equine physiotherapist, osteopath or chiropractor.”

Hannah with her own horse

After an initial assessment, they are likely to advise a course of treatment over some weeks or months. This can range from massage sessions to stretching exercises, to electrotherapies. Hannah says: “Sometimes the back pain is caused by an underlying condition, such as kissing spines. This will need veterinary intervention to establish whether surgery or other treatment is likely to be successful. “It’s important to remember that each horse is different, and a good practitioner should come up with an individualised treatment plan.”

In this feature, we speak to New Forest-based equine veterinary physiotherapist Hannah Langton, and get her advice on how to keep your horse’s back in tip-top condition and prevent future problems from arising.

Performing laser therapy on a horse’s back

PREVENTING PROBLEMS

She also recommends the following: •

Regular saddle checks to ensure your saddle still fits your horse properly and isn’t causing pressure points Core exercises for your horse to strength- en their back – these can be recommend- ed by your practitioner As a rider, it’s important to work on your own posture and stability, to ensure you’re helping your horse as much as possible – yoga and Pilates are great starting points Thorough, regular brushing to warm your horse’s muscles before exercise Correct rugging to prevent your horse get- ting a cold back – especially before riding Applying a heat pack on your horse’s back before riding

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Hannah thinks that many horse owners could avoid discomfort for their animals and expense for themselves by taking some simple preventative steps. “Just as you might visit a physio or sports massage therapist to iron out any issues, your horse could really benefit from this as well. So regular appointments with a veterinary physiotherapist or chiropractor can stop any small niggles in their tracks.”

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