Why a Horse's Lower Leg Has No Muscle, and What Moves the Blood Back Up
Below the knee and hock there is almost nothing but tendon, ligament and bone. The system that returns blood from the foot is mechanical, and it only runs when the horse moves.
Category
Recovery
Warm-ups, cool-downs and after-work routines for horses in regular training.
Latest in Recovery
Why Muscles Tighten Around a Sore Spot, and Stay Tight Long After It Heals
Guarding is a sensible short term response to pain. The complication is that the muscle does not always get the message when the original problem has resolved.
Cooling Out: What Ten Minutes of Walking Actually Does
The walk at the end of a session is the part most often cut short. Physiologically it is doing more work than the part of the ride that preceded it.
Turnout Is Recovery: The Case Against the Stall-Rest Default
Standing still is intuitive as rest, and there are situations where a vet will prescribe exactly that. For a healthy horse, movement does more recovering than stillness does.
Compensatory Tension: How a Sore Hoof Becomes a Sore Shoulder
A horse in discomfort redistributes its weight, and the muscles that take on the extra load are frequently nowhere near the original problem.