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A Report on Thoroughbred Muscle InjurySwitching Surfaces Can Cause Tissue Tension and SorenessA bevy of reports, look-intos, tests, and studies have followed this season's fatal Kentucky Derby. Results are coming in while standard examinations continue.
Studies already under way before the death of Eight Belles during her gallop out past the wire at this year's Kentucky Derby are showing that muscle tissue soreness in horses who switch from racing on dirt tracks to running on synthetic surfaces is common. Abnormal muscle tension (hypertension or spasm) is often present in these animals, says Dr. Sheila Lyons, an expert in equine sports medicine. Since Eight Belles demise, the equine industry and the public have demanded better efforts to ensure the safety and welfare of Thoroughbreds, and of horses in general. Pathological muscle tension in horses affect the timing and strength of an individual as he performs, Dr. Lyons reported. Dr. Lyons and Equine Medicine PracticesDr. Lyons conducted a three-year Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Sports Medicine fellowship begun in 1989 after her doctoral, in Boston and Los Angeles. Homecoming Farm is the name of her non-profit organization begun to continue her research and make education available to horsemen, farriers, and other veterinarians (including students). Dr. Lyons works with Thoroughbreds who participate in flat racing, dressage, three-day eventing, and show jumping. A report on Dr. Lyons studies of muscle tension (The Blood-Horse, "Switched On", September 27, pages 4700-03) says her findings have shown that proactive examinations and therapy can protect the horse from injury and better prepare him for his racing and performing regimens. In these routine examinations, Dr. Lyons, who is based in Florida and Kentucky, is discovering indisputable evidence linking track surfaces to equines suffering from muscle tension. The affected muscles are generally in the lumbar region, which may begin to knot up only days after a first-time gallop on synthetics. The knots of tension block correspondence to the forelimbs, and the result can be spasm that travels to the gastrocnemius muscle, which extends and flexes the hock and stifle. These spasms can cause hooves to turn awkwardly, consequently causing imbalance, errant push-offs in stride, and resultant catastrophic injury. Studies Follow Sound Horses FirstHow a sound horse runs and recuperates from its trips to the track, or a performance is the subject of Dr. Lyons periodic examinations. Her findings on muscle condition are meticulously kept, then compared to the conditions of horses in different circumstances. Pre-existing conditions can also be discovered in regular examination for muscle tension. Dr. Lyons' recorded data shows that horses who switch from synthetic tracks to dirt running don't suffer as much noticeable muscle knotting as those who race on dirt first and switch to artificial surfaces. Range of motion testing, posture, gait, and reflexes are all examined in horses to determine a proactive therapy called neuromuscular stimulation. An Ounce of PreventionOnce the individual's muscles have been coaxed back into performing normally, ongoing therapeutic exercises can be used to optimize the individual's athletic performance. When a Thoroughbred switches from dirt races to running on synthetics, the physical adaptation of the change will take weeks to months, Dr. Lyons advises. Her studies suggest that muscle therapy should be an ongoing routine. The best cure is still an ounce of prevention.
The copyright of the article A Report on Thoroughbred Muscle Injury in How to Race Horses is owned by BarbaraAnne Helberg. Permission to republish A Report on Thoroughbred Muscle Injury in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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