Corner The Rear Pillar T
his column often contains reference to the pillar of support of the forehand, and, at times, the results of the bottom of the pillar emerging
behind the heel. This time we will look at the pillar of support of the hind leg and discuss the results of the pillar emerging behind the rear hoof. At first glance, one would assume that horse
A would be sounder in the hind leg than horse B because he has more bone and bigger joints, but is that really the case? Of course it depends on what each one is asked to do, but for this article we’ll assume that they will both pursue a career as dressage horses and will have similar training towards that end. We will use the naturally occurring groove in the
rear leg below the hock as a guide and extend the line down to the ground. Ideally, that line should
emerge through the rear quarter of the hoof. As with the foreleg, if that line emerges behind the heel, there is more stress on the tendons and ligaments, particularly the suspensory ligament. (Did you notice that where the bottom of the pillar emerges is not really related to the length or angle of the pastern?)
THE SUSPENSORY The suspensory ligament, which functions as a shock absorber and is meant to prevent excessive extension of the fetlock joint during the weight- bearing or stance phase of the stride, starts at the top of the back of the cannon bone and continues down to the fetlock region. About two-thirds down the cannon bone the suspensory ligament splits into two branches (medial and lateral); each branch inserts into one of the paired (medial and lateral) proximal sesamoid bones. A tear in the suspensory ligament can occur
A
at various locations along its length, sometimes moderate and sometimes severe. Overstretching of the suspensory ligament can cause damage to the fibrous tissues at the origin or in the body or branches of the suspensory. The branches are more vulnerable to damage than the main body of the ligament because they have a smaller cross- sectional area, meaning that damage closer to the fetlock is more common than damage closer to the hock. Although a major tear can occur due to a one-
time over-stretching incident, it is also possible for repetitive stretching at or beyond the physiological limits to cause either a major tear or a chronic condition.
B
SIGNS OF INJURY The clinical signs of a suspensory ligament injury can be quite varied. Recent injuries are often characterized by heat, swelling and pain on palpation of the affected area, but not always. Lameness can range from ‘just sort of off’ to ‘quite lame’ and may come and go over short periods. These factors often make suspensory issues difficult to detect by grooms and riders and are often not suspected when the horse’s symptoms are mild or disappear after a day or two of rest.
48 September/October 2017
By Judy Wardrope
Conformation
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
