Suspensory Problems

Horses have a long history as part of human society. They have been used throughout history for both work and play. Today, they are used more often for play than for work, in disciplines like horse racing and competitive show or stadium jumping. But using horses in performance capacities like this can lead to unnatural stress on a horse's body. This stress can in turn lead to injuries to a horse's muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments. A very serious ligament injury is to a horse's suspensory.

  1. Features

    • A suspensory apparatus is the set of ligaments and tendons that runs from the back of a horse's knee to the fetlock, or ankle. These organs support and connect the sesmoid bones that make up the back of a horse's ankle, and connect the ankle to the pastern bone, which makes up part of the horse's leg bone. The suspensory itself is a broad ligament that is elastic, and keeps the horse's leg from collapsing. It acts as the shock absorber during pressure and stress.

    Causes

    • Injuries to the suspensory happen when the ligament is stressed beyond its breaking point. In racehorses, this occurs when the horse is overextending itself and growing fatigued. In jumping horses, this occurs when a horse lands from a jump that is too high, lands at an awkward angle or has been overused.

    Symptoms

    • The symptoms of a damaged suspensory depend on the severity of the injury. The horse will present as obviously lame, and might not want to rest its injured leg on the ground or put any weight on it. Swelling is usually seen around the ankle, with possible swelling up the back of the horse's leg.

    Effects

    • A suspensory injury can consist of a ligament that has been stretched or broken and cannot snap back into place. The injury can therefore range from a simple strain to structural damage, which compromises a horse's ability to stand on or use the leg. Suspensory injuries can also consist of holes or lesions on the ligament, which damage its ability to work.

    Treatments

    • Treatment for a suspensory injury usually consists of an injection to the surrounding tissue of corticosteroids, glucosamine and hydraulic acid. These encourage regrowth and healing in the ligament. New processes involving electromagnetic machines are being used to increase healing. Some vets also incorporate anti-inflammatories and cold water rinses. Horses are taken out of training but are consistently hand walked during the healing process.

    Prevention

    • Horse owners and trainers can prevent the likelihood of suspensory injuries by maintaining consistent footing and shoeing for a horse. Unbalanced feet put a horse's legs at an awkward angle, which increase the chance of injury. Deep footing causes more stress on a horse's legs, as it fights to pull its feet out of the sand during exercise. Consistent training schedules keep a horse fit and less likely to be hurt.