Indications of a Sore Horse
An over-worked muscle that is not allowed to recover properly results in stiffness and soreness. If left untreated, chronic soreness can lead to strain and over-compensation on adjacent muscle groups, leading to tendon injuries. By addressing soreness issues early on, EQUISTIX<sup>®</sup> can prevent more serious injuries from occurring down the road.
After hard work, if a horse’s muscles are not allowed to recover properly, stiffness and soreness can occur. The same can happen due to lack of exercise: a horse that is stall-bound from illness or injury, or maybe a senior horse that cannot get around well. If left untreated, chronic soreness can lead to strain and over-compensation on adjacent muscle groups. This can lead to tendon injuries and other complications.
Sometimes there’s a good reason for bad behavior
Horses communicate through a language of body signals and posture. We’ve all learned to recognize many of their “words”, whether it’s the dipping of an ear or the cocking of a leg. Sometimes, what we perceive as bad behavior is our horse trying to tell us that something hurts. This may present itself as an unwillingness to cooperate, cinchyness, resistance to turning, general grumpiness, etc., etc.
Watch for resistance to cues, difficulty picking up or maintaining leads, collection problems, head-bobbing and over-all stiffness in movement. These are just a few indications your horse may be experiencing muscle pain. Additional indicators of an underlying problem are often seemingly unrelated, such as asymmetrical hoof growth, indicative of unbalance and potential muscular compensation.
Keep an open mind when your horse “misbehaves”, because they may be trying to tell you that something hurts.