{"id":1339,"date":"2018-01-07T12:32:51","date_gmt":"2018-01-07T18:32:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nouvelleresearch.j96fp4es-liquidwebsites.com\/?p=1339"},"modified":"2021-12-19T06:39:40","modified_gmt":"2021-12-19T12:39:40","slug":"equine-health-and-the-importance-of-the-off-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nouvelleresearch.com\/index.php\/articles\/1339-equine-health-and-the-importance-of-the-off-season","title":{"rendered":"Equine Health and the Importance of the Off Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Equine health and soundness is critical for the competition athlete.\u00a0 It is something that many struggle with during the competitive season, which then often translates into the off season with hopes of full recovery.\u00a0 In many cases, the time off does allow for repair, just due to the fact of reduced stress, but for others, the problems persist. There may be more that can be done to further enhance the body and accelerate the recovery process, during that much needed time off .\u00a0<\/p>\n

The off season is a time of rest and recovery.\u00a0 For most, this time comes during the fall and winter, however, some equine athletes tend to get more time off than others. The shear mental and physical stress can be overwhelming for most horses, but again, dependent on the level\u00a0of their competition and frequency.\u00a0 When we add into the equation transportation, often at large distances, this further compounds the problem.\u00a0 Thus, the time off becomes even more important and all efforts should be made to enhance that recovery process.<\/p>\n

Stress is what we are contending with in the daily life of our equine athletes.\u00a0 This stress is both mental and physical, impacting all facets of health.\u00a0 On a mental level, stress creates confusion for some, a lack of proper focus and even contributes to gastric ulcers and GI upset.\u00a0 On a physical level, stress contributes to joint dysfunction, tendon and ligament compromise, sore and tight muscles, sore backs and painful feet.\u00a0 These are all contributors we are looking to resolve during the down time of the off season.<\/p>\n

Typical Approaches to Equine Recovery<\/span><\/h3>\n

For many horse owners, the off season means a period of down time for both the horse and the rider. Typically, many owners will remove shoes during this period and allow for more time out on pasture, allowing that horse to just be a horse.\u00a0 These two approaches are very good and beneficial to the body, as they allow the feet to expand or ‘breathe’, and encourages the horse themselves to just burn off some steam and get back into a proper state of mind.\u00a0 It is really no different than us, as people, taking a vacation, kicking off our work shoes and relaxing on a beach, taking a deep breath.\u00a0 It is good for the mind, body, and spirit.<\/p>\n

This approach is beneficial for any equine athlete, but depending on the level of damage to the body during the competitive season, a higher level of support may be needed.\u00a0 In those particular cases, it may mean that the off season is the time that the owner pursues further diagnostics on a specific injury or maybe they make attempts at more involved therapy options.\u00a0 These options may include focused trimming or shoeing, persistent shock wave therapy, rehabilitation therapies or even specific injections such as stem cells or platelet rich plasma.<\/p>\n

Again, these therapies may be beneficial and aid those athletes, but we cannot forget that in order for those options to fully work, the body must be healthy and responsive.\u00a0 Just like trying to bring back a plant that may be wilted and dry, we must pay strict attention to the soil which provides the ultimate support.<\/p>\n

Enhancing Equine Recovery in the Off Season<\/span><\/h3>\n

Many horses are contending with ongoing injury and even health related issues during the competitive season, often covered up with medications and injections.\u00a0 Lameness associated conditions are likely the biggest problems, which includes joint dysfunction and soft tissue injuries such as tendons, ligaments and sore muscles. In others we have respiratory conditions like inflammatory airway disease (IAD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and allergies, which are impacting performance.\u00a0 For some others, we have ongoing foot issues and balance problems, including sore soles, bruises, repeat abscesses or sore heels.<\/p>\n

Now, all of these conditions take time to mend properly and I think that is one of our biggest mistakes, being too hasty.\u00a0 We need to allow for that time, as time is what created most of them, but we also need to remember to fuel that body to support recovery.<\/p>\n

Looking back over the patients we have helped during their recoveries, I think that three critical areas stick out to me:<\/p>\n