Horse&Rider Magazine – July 2020

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FREE Issue number 607 July 2020

The UK’s best-selling equestrian monthly

Supple up with Michael Eilberg

Michael Eilberg 3 simple steps to a

Emma Massingale’s trick training

supple horse

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MINDSET MATTERS:

How to banish setbacks

Emma Massingale

BANISH SETBACKS for good

better training to boost your bond

Piggy March’s ultimate grid

H&R TESTS

SUMMER

RIDING

Tack changes for comfort

TACK

GLOVES

CHANGES

for a happier horse

Is your trailer

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Piggy March’s

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In this feature. . .

Break simple changes down into bitesize chunks

As told to Rebecca Philpot. Photos: Jon Stroud

Elizabeth Allen’s

Test riding tactics Deceptively-named, simple changes can be a struggle for many riders to master. Fear not – Elizabeth Allen’s on hand with her step-by-step guide to getting it right

D

on’t mistake a simple canter change for an easy one – it requires just as much training as any other dressage movement. Once perfected, it’s a great way to ensure your horse is engaged, introduce him to the

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concept of collection and provide you with the foundations for flying changes.

In order to pull off the movement perfectly, and improve your dressage scores no end along the way, it’s easiest to break it down into straightforward steps to build up to the end result.

In the saddle

Improve your horse’s paces

Ride direct transitions Our expert

Elizabeth Allen BHSI UKCC3 is part of the Bristol-based Collective Equestrian team. She’s a BHS, Pony Club and BD accredited trainer, and has competed internationally at Under 25 Grand Prix and the World Young Horse Championships.

Our model

Heraldik (Harry) is an eight-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding owned

by Elizabeth Allen. In 2019 he won the Bolesworth International seven-yearold championship.

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ALL ABOUT THE

equine foot We’ve heard the old adage “no foot, no horse”, but how can you keep this important structure safe? Holly Johnson explains

Photos: Jon Stroud, Carolyn Simancik, Oklahoma Equine Hospital. With thanks to Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging for their help with this feature, hallmarq.net

Our expert

Holly Johnson BVSc CertAVP MRCVS is the UK Account Manager at Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging. She worked in equine practice before transferring to veterinary imaging.

H

orses have evolved to walk around on the equivalent of human fingertips or toes. This means that during fast work or high-speed exercise, when tremendous amounts of force transfer through each leg, the equine foot absorbs a lot of shock in its work to propel him forward.

One of the most important equine structures for the competition and leisure horse alike, it’s inevitable that, from time to time, things go wrong. However, by learning how the foot is put together, you’ll gain a far better understanding of how problems might arise and how best to prevent them in the future.

Anatomy 101

To appreciate what could go wrong in our horse’s hooves, we should first look at the structures inside them to gain a better understanding of their anatomy.

1. Coronary band

This is where the hoof horn grows from. The periople is the new, soft horn next to the coronary band, which hardens to form the hoof wall.

DID YOU KNOW?

The equine foot supports the weight of anywhere up to around 1,000kg of bodyweight, with weight distributed between fore and hind limbs at a 60:40 ratio.

grows continuously from the coronet towards the floor. A full hoof capsule takes around a year to grow from coronet to sole.

6. Laminae

2. Coffin joint

A fluid-filled space between the pedal bone and short pastern that provides lubrication for the bones to move within the joint.

3. Coffin bone (distal phalanx)

The largest bone within the foot. It’s crescent shaped and helps distribute the weight from the limb evenly across the sole of the foot. The wings of the pedal bone are the sections that extend on either side towards the back of the foot.

4. White line

This is the junction that connects the hoof wall with the sole. It’s a weak point, and infection tracking up the white line can result in an abscess.

5. Hoof

A horny capsule that protects the inner structures of the foot. It has no blood supply or nerves and 68 HORSE&RIDER

This consists of two layers – the epidermal layer attached to the inside of the hoof wall, and the dermal layer attached to the outside of the pedal bone. The layers connect in a similar way to Velcro, keeping the bones inside the hoof in a fixed position. Failure of this mechanism results in pedal bone movement in 1 laminitics.

7. Frog

Not just for shock-absorption, the frog is also an essential part of the circulatory system, because it pumps blood back up the legs and around the body every time the foot hits the ground.

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Ask a vet

8. Navicular bursa

A fluid-filled pouch that provides cushioning for the navicular bone and ensures smooth movement of the flexor tendon over its surface.

9. Digital cushion

This underlies the frog and, combined with the collateral cartilages, forms the shock-absorbing part of the foot.

10. Navicular bone

This small, boat-shaped bone has an extremely important function, forming an integral part of the coffin joint. The surface on the bottom of the bone is very smooth to allow the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) an easy, gliding motion during flexion and extension of the leg.

11. Short pastern (middle phalanx)

This bone connects the coffin joint to the long pastern. It’s held in place by two sets of paired ligaments, forming the pastern joint. It helps absorb the force caused by concussion from your horse’s footfalls.

12. Deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT)

This tendon extends all the way down the back of the pastern where it attaches to the back of the pedal bone.

13. Superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT)

Inserting onto the short pastern, the SDFT helps transfer force across the pastern, fetlock and knee joints, propelling your horse forwards.

HORSE&RIDER 69

Photos: Bob Atkins, Jon Stroud

Travel in style

106 HORSE&RIDER

Keeping your transport roadworthy is an essential part of ensuring your pride and joy stays safe when you’re on the road. Here’s H&R’s guide to making it happen

Management know-how

W

hether you’d ordinarily hit the tarmac every week or you’re a less regular road user, keeping your horsebox or trailer in ship-shape is just as important as keeping your car roadworthy. But what do you actually need to do to keep your transport on the road and keep your horse safe? From day-to-day maintenance to insurance, we’ve covered all aspects of lorry and trailer care in one quick guide.

Keeping your horsebox or trailer in ship-shape is just as important has keeping your car roadworthy

TOP TIP

Diesel vehicles are best kept running as often as possible, so try to take your horsebox for a drive once a week or so even if you’re not using it to transport your horse.

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