Muscle Problems Can Cause Poor Equine Performance

Muscular causes of poor performance, such as tying up and back pain, are relatively common in equine athletes.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

Editor’s note: This article is part of TheHorse.com’s ongoing coverage of topics presented at the 2012 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum, held May 30 – June 2 in New Orleans, La.

Many equestrians, at one time or another, have dismounted after a long or strenuous ride and thought, "Boy, are my legs are going to be sore tomorrow!" Your horse has probably experienced a similar sensation, and as one researcher recently explained, a variety of muscle problems can cause a decrease in athletic performance in horses.

At the 2012 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum, held May 30 – June 2 in New Orleans, La., Erica C. McKenzie, BSc, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, ACVSMR, associate professor of large animal medicine at Oregon State University, gave an overview of some common muscle problems that affect equine athletic performance.

"Equine athletes have proportionally greater muscle mass than comparably athletic species, with muscle tissue comprising approximately 45% of body weight in most equine breeds, and up to 55% of body weight in the Thoroughbred," she explained. Thus, muscle problems can have a profound impact on performance quality

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Erica Larson, former news editor for The Horse, holds a degree in journalism with an external specialty in equine science from Michigan State University in East Lansing. A Massachusetts native, she grew up in the saddle and has dabbled in a variety of disciplines including foxhunting, saddle seat, and mounted games. Currently, Erica competes in eventing with her OTTB, Dorado.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

How much time do you usually spend grooming your horse?
439 votes · 439 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!