Hoof Injury
As everyone knows, you have a horse, you have problems.
Chazot is not different; during his freestyle turn out exhibitions, he stepped on a stone or a root and bruised the medial bar of the left front hoof. The work in hand is then used as a therapy. It permit to provide easy and controlled exercise without the burden of the rider’s weight.
Two riders appeared then on the trail adjacent to the property and Chazot decided than since they were western riders, he should improvise a few steps of square dancing.
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As much as possible we prefer easy and controlled exercise to stall rest. The hoof in particular is an area of the horse’s physique that does not have good blood circulation. In motion, the ungual cartilage is acting as an energy dissipation system in accordance with hydraulic fluid theories. This occurs within 30 milliseconds after hoof impact. “Within 30 milliseconds after initial ground contact, and coincidentally with hoof expansion, impact energies force the venous blood into and through numerous venovenous anastomoses in the ungula cartilage to dissipate these high impact energies in accordance with hydraulic fluid theories. Negative pressure within the digital cushion would enhance the refilling of this energy dissipation system of the ungual cartilage. This sequence – forcing venous blood through venovenous anastomoses at impact followed by refilling of the large vein within the ungula cartilage via larger diameter tributary vessels – enables such a system to be replenished before the hoof contact the ground again.” (Robert M. Booker, K. K. Van Wulfen, S. E. Springer, K. E. Linder, Functional anatomy of the cartilage of the distal phalanx and digital cushion in the equine foot and a hemodynamic flow hypothesis of energy dissipation. American Journal f Veterinary Research, 1998. Vol. 59, No 8, pp.961-968)
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Slow walk, shoulder in, jog like trot are used to increase the blood circulation in Chazot’s hooves while reducing stresses to the minimum.
Science Of Motion
