Injuries in Equine Athletes
Horses perform many strenuous actions, and most of the time, they are either pulling something, or carrying something. The body of the horse, when evaluated as a whole, is a very strong structure. The entire mass of the body is carried on four legs, that are supported by hooves that weigh about one pound each.
The most serious stress for the horse is impact. A well conformed horse’s body will absorb impact through well formed ligaments, tendons, muscles, bones and joints. There are 205 bones in the horse’s body. Bones are articulated by muscles, and they also have junctions which form joints. Some bones carry weight, like the legs, where the bones that form the ribs provide the space for the inner organs. Even ribs articulate somewhat, but obviously, not like the bones or the leg. Conformation has an enormous impact upon the soundness of the performance horse. Nutrition plays an essential role, as well as proper, and appropriate training regimens.
Preventative measures such as supplementation with glucosamine chondroitin, and an appropriate balance of micro-nutrients help the horse's body to combat the effects travel, and the significant stress of training, and competing. Silicon is an essential nutrient, and must be constantly supplied to the body.
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