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Treating Race Horse Injuries: Part One, Heat & Hot Applications

© Kimberly Rinker

Most race horses, just like human athletes, will incur some type of injury during the period of their career.

Bruises, tendinitis, bursitis, and other soft tissue disorderes can result from overuse, wear and tear, as well as a sudden trauma to an area. When symptoms area allowed to persist over a long period of time, or are left untreated, these minor injuries can often become acute and chronic. Injuries to Standardbreds are treated by their trainers and veterinarians according to the location, type of injury and diagnosis for recovery.

Many times trainers will treat chronic injuries with some type of heat or alternative between hot and cold applications, while an acute injury is best served with ice or cold water. Thet Standardbred race horse presents a challenge to his trainer and veterinarian because of his ability to adapt and compensate for his aches and pains.

Often times, a horse faced with pain in one area, for example--a right front knee--will shift his weight away from that area, and thus put strain elsewhere, which could ultimately cause structural damage in an opposing area. What often happens if the original area is left untreated is that eventually the compensatory changes become exhausted and lameness results, now in several structures instead of just in the original.

One of the most common chronic injuries is arthritis, which begins as an inflammatory process in the joints and progresses as the degenerative process due to wear and tear and metabolic influences increase. There is a progressive loss of cartilage followed by a bone against bone reaction, and the soft tissue around the joint becomes weak. Pain then enteres the picture, inhibiting muscle contractions and support in the area. The degenerative cycle of this kind of chronic injury is not easy to break and thus it is imperative that a trainer acknowledges the horse's problem as early as possible.

This is where the veterinarian steps in. Working side by side with the trainer, a strong diagnostician can help the horse's conditioner to begin treatment which will benefit the horse in the most positive fashion. The veterinarian may incorporate such diagnostic tools as thermogrpahy or ultrasound which can identify the inflamed structures within the equine limbs. Chances of successful treatment are quite high if the injury is addressed immediately during the acute stage.

If the situation has become chronic, then the treatment of an injury can change radically. Heat and cold therapies can both be utilized. Obviously, heat would not be applied to an acute swollen area, just as it would not be applied to a human athelete. However, often times heat can play a vital role in the rehabilitation of a chronic injury.