WHEN WOULD MY HORSE NEED REHABILITATION? • After injury, trauma or disease • Following orthopaedic surgery • After a prolonged period of boxrest • Following correction of foot imbalance • During the management of specific conditions, e.g. tendon or ligament injury Following lameness, movement can be altered as the horse adapts his way of going to avoid discomfort. Often secondary backpain develops the horse fixes the muscles through the back to avoid weight bearing through the hind limb. If normal gait patterns are not re established then further injury is likely. A schooling problem may be a compensatory movement, if the horse has an injury or has not been rehabilitated from a previous injury. After veterinary diagnosis and treatment of the primary problem, the rehabilitation process may begin. Physiotherapy input is essential throughout the programme to increase mobility and reduce pain, thus encouraging normal movement.
