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Discussion on How deep is too deep for rehab trot footing?
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Member:
edsgirl
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Posted on Friday, Mar 23, 2018 - 9:37 pm:
Background: TB gelding 23 YO riding for pleasure and trail, had 2 years ago combinations of RH desmitis on both branches and proximal, moderate level, in addition to a RF bicep bursa/tendinosus issue. He's been looking sound since Nov. 17 and we are still building him up slowly in the trot. He's up to 4 laps three times trotting in the hogfuel arena with a long 25 min warmup and 5 minute breaks in between the lap sets. Arena gets harrowed regularly but is not like a firm sand ring footing. There is a smaller indoor with GGT (sp) footing and he is spookier in it and tends to tense up. We also have a hard pack dirt road that I could use - avoiding the stones though.
Should I be smart and crosstrain the surfaces or pick one. The hogfuel isn't horribly deep, but I notice horse's feet seem to compress about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in it when trotting or cantering. My horse is shod on all 4.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Sunday, Mar 25, 2018 - 8:10 am:
Hello PJ,
I don't think the bursitis issue is very susceptible to the surface as lone as long as it is not unstable. However much is written about surface and suspensory rehab and surface and in fact you see two different recommendations on this. The point is to minimize fetlock DrOp. As a result you do see some recommendations to rehab on softer surfaces. Then in the next paragraph you see the recommendation to train on firm surfaces. I think they want firm but not too firm. It strikes be that all things being equal the harder the surface the faster force is passed to the suspensory. However if the surface is too soft the surface may give more on one side of the foot creating an uneven force on the branches of the suspensory. Firm but with some give seems to be the final pronouncement. This is a judgement you and your veterinarian need to make. How does your veterinarian feel about the arena? Maybe it needs to avoided right after harrowing but once it settles may be suitable?
DrO
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