Veterinary

Your new horse should have a full M.O.T - including teeth, chiropractor - using someone that is experienced with racehorses and the sorts of injuries they incur. Worm your new horse, and undertake a worm count. If the horse is not in particularly good condition weight wise and this doesn't improve after a second worming (and ulcers have been ruled out) then have a blood test done. Don't forget your horse's vaccination schedule. It is a good idea to have veterinary insurance. ^ Back to top

 

It is likely that your horse will have incurred some form of physical injury (back, pelvis and legs being the most common sites) particularly if it was a National Hunt horse.   Such injuries may well have theoretically healed and so not cause any particular issues early on but as re-training work progresses, problems especially in the back may present and will need addressing. The primary injury affecting racehorses are sprains to the tendons of the front limbs. In the majority of cases these will recover with rest to perform other branches of equestrian activity. Horses which suffered from limb fractures (primarily from the knees) will be liable to further problems. Radiography will give a fair assessment of the future prognosis. Chronically lame horses are a bad risk, and professional advice will give a good guide to the likely future outcome. ^ Back to top

 

 

The presence of ulcers is possible as a large proportion of racehorses have them, albeit low grade.  Signs include poor performance, loss of coat and condition. Whilst the change to a diet containing more fibre will help, you may well need to provide specific treatment to eliminate them so you should consult with your veterinary surgeon on this. Horses prone to epistaxis (nose bleeds) should offer no problems when put to less strenuous activities. Poor-doers or fussy feeders, who have not thrived in a racing environment, will usually improve in a situation where they have individual attention. Respiratory disease may just be a result of poor hay or straw, combined with being stabled for most of the day. Maximum turn-out along with shavings/paper for bedding will help. To avoid colic ensure regular feeding in small quantities, and do not change the diet too quickly. ^ Back to top

 

(Veterinary photographs courtesy of Fellowes Farm Equine Clinic www.fellowesfarm.com.  In addition, Georgina Sim is working on Light the Fuse and Tom Phillips, EDT, attends to Bobbie at Equine Management and Training)

Written by: David Dugdale, MA VetMB CertEP MRCVS

 

 

One side of this painted horse below has been painted to show the position of the different bones that make up the skeleton of the horse, and the other side has been painted to show the superficial (and some of the deeper) muscles of the horse.

 

Skeleton

The skeleton provides a framework and support for the body. It provides an attachment for the muscles. It also protects the vital organs and the spinal cord. The skeleton of the horse consists of 205 bones and can be divided into the skull, vertebra, ribs, sternum, pelvis, forelimb and hindlimb.

 

The skull attaches to the spine at the atlanto-occipital joint.

 

The vertebral column is divided as follows:
7 cervical or neck vertebra, the first of which is called the atlas, and the second is the axis
18 thoracic vertebra with long spinous processes for muscle attachment. The highest point of the thoracic vertebra is known as the withers. The thoracic vertebra also provide attachment for 18 pairs of ribs
6 lumbar vertebra with large transverse processes for muscle attachment
5 fused vertebra form the sacrum
15-21 coccygeal or tail vertebra

 

The forelimb or thoracic limb is composed of the scapula, humerus, radius and ulna, the carpal bones, metacarpals and proximal, middle and distal phalanx, and the sesamoid bones.

 

The scapula or shoulder blade attaches to the rib cage by muscles, tendons and ligaments known as the Thoracic Sling. There is no bony attachment as there is in humans (the collar bone). The carpus or the ‘knee’ is equivalent to the human wrist.

 

The forelimb supports two thirds of the horse’s bodyweight.

 

The pelvis attaches to the spine at the sacrum via the sacroiliac joint. The hindlimb or pelvic limb consists of the femur, patella, tibia and fibula, the tarsal bones, the metatarsals, and proximal, middle and distal phalanx, and the sesamoid bones.

 

The hip joint is formed where the femur attaches to the pelvis. The stifle joint is equivalent to the human knee, and the hock joint or tarsus is equivalent of the human ankle.

 

The hindlimb provides the power – the horse is a ‘rear wheel drive’ animal.

 

Muscles

The skeletal muscles of the horse form the flesh of the body, and the total number of voluntary muscles in the horse is over 700, amounting to over one third of its body weight.

 

Muscles produce movement by their action across the joints. Not only are muscles necessary for movement, but also for limiting movement, and to provide stability to the horse.

 

The muscles are arranged in different ‘layers’, and this horse has been painted to show the more superficial muscles, and also a couple of the deeper muscles.

 

The muscles have been painted on this horse is bright colours, with the ribs shown in white, and also the tuber coxae (the widest part of the pelvis) often known as ‘the point of the hip’.

 

The superficial muscles of the neck shown on this horse are the splenius, cervical ventral serratus, trapezius (cervical portion), brachiocephalic, sternocephalic. The shoulder muscles shown on this horse are the deltoid, triceps, trapezius (thoracic portion). The muscles shown in the trunk of the horse are the latissimus dorsi, longissimus, external abdominal obliques, and the intercostal muscles between the ribs. The hindquarter muscles shown are the middle gluteal, iliacus, tensor fascia latae, rectus femoris, and the hamstring muscles (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus).

 

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Labels for each side of the painted horse above:

 

Skeleton                                                           Muscle

1. MAXILLA & NASAL BONE (to front)                     1.  MASSETER
2. MANDIBLE                                                       2.  LEVATOR MUSCLE OF UPPER LIP
3. CERVICAL VERTEBRA (C3-C7)                          3.  LEVATOR MUSCLE OF UPPER LIP AND

3a. ATLAS (C1) 3b. AXIS (C2)                                   NOSTRIL WING
4. THORACIC VERTEBRA (T1-T18)                         4.  BUCCINATOR MUSCLE
5. LUMBAR VERTEBRA (L1-L6)                               5.  RHOMBOIDS
6. SACRUM (5 FUSED SACRAL VERTEBRA)             6.  SPLENIUS
7. COCCYGEAL OR CAUDAL VERTEBRA (1-18)        7.  BRACHIOCEPHALIC
8. RIBS (18 PAIRS)                                              8.  STERNOCEPHALIC
9. STERNUM                                                         9. VENTRAL SERRATUS
10. SCAPULA                                                       9a. CERVICAL PART  9b. THORACIC PART
11. HUMERUS                                                      10. TRAPEZIUS (CERVICAL & THORACIC PART)
12. ULNA                                                             11. ANTERIOR DEEP PECTORAL
13. RADIUS                                                         12. DELTOID
14. CARPAL BONES (= ‘KNEE’ JOINT)                     13. TRICEPS BRACHII
(7 carpal bones in 2 rows)                                     14. BICEPS BRACHII
15. CANNON BONE OR 3rd METACARPAL BONE       15. DESCENDING PECTORALS
16. SPLINT BONES (medial and lateral)                  16. ASCENDING PECTORALS
17. PROXIMAL SESAMOID BONES (2)                     17. RADIAL CARPAL EXTENSOR
18. LONG PASTERN BONE                                      18. COMMON DIGITAL EXTERIOR
19. SHORT PASTERN BONE                                    19. LATERAL ULNAR MUSCLE
20. PEDAL BONE                                                   20. DEEP DIGITAL FLEXOR
21. DISTAL SESAMOID BONE OR NAVICULAR BONE 21. LATISSIMUS DORSI
22. PELVIC BONE (ilium, ischium, pubis)                 22. INTERCOSTAL MUSCLES (between ribs)
23. FEMUR )                                                          23. EXTERNAL OBLIQUES
24. PATELLA ) STIFLE JOINT                                  24. LONGISSIMUS DORSI
25. TIBIA )                                                           25. MIDDLE GLUTEAL
26. FIBULA                                                           26. ILIACUS
27. TARSAL BONES (= HOCK JOINT)                      27. RECTUS FEMORIS
(6 or 7 tarsal bones in 3 rows)                               28. VASTUS LATERALIS
28. HIND CANNON BONE OR                                  29. TENSOR FASCIA LATAE
3rd METATARSAL BONE                                         30. HAMSTRINGS 30a. BICEPS FEMORIS
29. SPLINT BONES (medial and lateral)                   30b. SEMITENDINOSUS 30c. SEMIMEMBRANOSUS
30. PROXIMAL SESAMOID BONES (2)                     31. LONG DIGITAL EXTENSOR
31. LONG PASTERN BONE                                      32. LATERAL DIGITAL EXTENSOR
32. SHORT PASTERN BONE                                    33. DEEP DIGITAL FLEXOR
33. PEDAL BONE                                                   34. GASTROCNEMIUS
34. DISTAL SESAMOID BONE OR NAVICULAR BONE

 

(The skeleton has been painted by Kirsty Davis, Equine Sports Massage Therapist, and the muscles have been painted by Nicole Rossa, McTimoney Animal Practitioner and Equine Sports Massage Therapist)

 

Written by: Nicole Rossa, McTimoney Animal Practitioner and Equine Sports Massage Therapist (www.animal-therapies.com)

 

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The racehorse will utilise certain muscles more than others because of the specific task that they perform. This is a brief overview of those muscles.

 

The brachiocephalic muscle runs from the skull to the humerus attaching to the neck vertebrae along the way. It is the prime mover to protract the forelimb. You will see this muscle working as the galloping racehorse brings his front leg forward. The strength in this muscle is dependent on the horse’s ability to fix the neck vertebrae with the small muscles deep to the bones therefore creating a solid platform on which to contract the brachiocephalic. The latissimus dorsi and the ascending pectorals are the prime movers to retract the forelimb.

 

The speed and propulsion comes from the hindquarters, namely from the gluteal muscles which extend the hip, and the hamstring group which extend the stifle and hock joints, therefore propelling the horse over the hoof that is on the ground. These muscles are always highly developed in the racehorse, and even more so in the flat racehorse as they have to generate explosive power from a standing start.

All horses that breathe heavily through exertion tend to show tightness in the intercostals and external obliques due to the sustained effort of breathing.

 

Ground conditions have an effect on the way muscles operate and preferences are individual to the horse’s make up.

 

Written by: Nicole Rossa, McTimoney Animal Practitioner and Equine Sports Massage Therapist (www.animal-therapies.com)

 

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RoR and South Essex Insurance (SEIB) have been working together for a number of years and have now decided to collaborate on putting together an exclusive insurance deal for owners of ex-racehorses.   Owning an ex-racehorse is not just about re-training but looking after its health and welfare. Any horse can become sick or injured and by taking out an insurance policy you will protect yourself against unexpected costs.   A simple leg injury can cost over a thousand pounds in diagnostics alone and that is before treatment and a bout of colic could cost you thousands.   On top of the risk of substantial veterinary fees, what would happen if your horse died, could you afford to buy another, is your tack covered and are you protected from a claim for liability against you?   Good News!   Owning an ex-racehorse is very rewarding. As thousands come out of training every year it is important that they have a life after racing.   To support the good work you are doing and keep you and your horse protected SEIB are offering an exclusive insurance deal.   To ensure you have the best possible policy to suit you, your horse and your pocket we have a choice of policies to choose from at discounted prices.   Call 0845 612 0302 or visit http://www.seib.co.uk/equestrian.html   ^ Back to top