As told to Bronwen Batey
Finally… you gallop past the finish flags, you dismount, head to the weigh-in feeling elated… you and your horse have successfully completed the cross-country. It is a wonderful feeling to have conquered what is traditionally regarded as the most demanding phase of a Three Day Event.
Yet without cynically popping your ego filled balloon, the most difficult management phase of Eventing actually now lies ahead – that of ensuring your horse reaches the all-Important showjumping! This is where your preparation program will be scrutinised – the One Day Event leading up to the Three Day should provide some insight into what problems may occur.
All those months of work will be insignificant if you do not finish the competition due to some trivial problem…. No-one remembers how great your horse looked jumping into the prodigious water if you don’t even finish the event!
THE FINISH OF THE CROSS COUNTRY
Once you have completed the cross country, your horse will be ushered towards the holding box for a final evaluation by the FEI Veterinarians to check the horse’s vital signs, its overall condition and how it coped with the endurance phase. Sometimes the Official Veterinarians will indicate what they expect from you to help with the horse’s recovery, especially if your horse is stressed, but it is fair to assume that you are basically on your own.
If it is a hot day, find a shady area and remove the horse’s saddle, bridle and boots. If it is a cooler day, put a warm rug on the horse and keep him moving. You can now evaluate the horse for any cuts, bruising or unusual swellings. Aggressive cooling may not be required at this stage as there is no time restriction, but you should pay close attention to how the horse is recovering and manage him accordingly.
When considering a tired or stressed horse the rate of rehydration is a vital component towards his overall recovery process. Obviously you will need to wash the horse down thoroughly and check for any cuts, or swellings (especially in the areas of the flexor tendons, suspensory ligaments and fetlock joints).
Whilst you are busy working, the horse should be allowed water, the old racing trick is to allow the horse ten swallows of water per circle walked, as too much water at one time post stress can cause intestinal complications.
Approximately 1 hour later: Assuming nothing requires immediate attention and the horse has cooled and rehydrated adequately, it is safe for the horse to rest with some hay and water. Now Is the time to put into place the Sports Medicine techniques of icing the legs, even if there are no obvious signs of inflammation, it is still a beneficial technique to help prevent potential problems from occurring.
Ice boots, bandaging with ice or standing your horse in a bucket of ice water (aim to cover over the knees) are the three most successful methods. A maximum of forty minutes per leg has been scientifically proven to have the most favourable results.
Too often we see a horse wrapped in bandages that have been dipped in ice water, this is totally ineffective as the bandage heats up to meet the body temperature within a couple of minutes and can actually restrict the horse from cooling!
Positive helping of the horse’s cooling mechanism at this stage is crucial. If the weather is cool a warm blanket over the horse’s back and loins will maintain a ambient temperature for his muscles.
Two to three hours later: Having allowed the horse to rest whilst continuously re-icing all four legs, it is a good practice to trot the horse in-hand and assess any lameness or stiffness. If the horse appears sound, poultice all four legs and feet – if the ground was hard. Refrain from using liniment type gels or liquids containing Benzocaine or steroids as they may test positive in a swab.
At this stage of the game you are hopefully out of the red… but never assume that the worst is over. Horses have a great way of proving even the best horsemen wrong! Throughout the night: Re-assess any stiffness, the eating and drinking habits of the horse and his overall condition at least two more times during the night. A short walk and pick of grass can be beneficial for those stiff muscles, but be sure to allow the horse to rest.
ALTERNATIVE THERAPEUTIC MEDICINE
In FEI competitions, it is advisable to declare to the Official Veterinarian panel if you intend to use Alternative Therapeutic Medicine. It is not illegal but it does need to be declared first. Most of this type of therapy offers only short-term relief, but could just be enough to help you through the showjumping phase.
Acupuncture
An ancient Chinese medicine, yet is still fairly new to Western Equine Medicine. By using a needle inserted into certain trigger points on the horse’s body, each needle is twisted to stimulate the acupuncture point. Acupuncture is used to redirect energy from one field to the next or basically provides short-term relief to the broad muscle pain.
Ultrasound
Acts like a massage by penetrating sound waves a short distance below the skin surface. Increases the blood supply and relieves pain in areas such as ligaments and soft tissues. It is important to note that you cannot ultrasound over encapsulated fluid (ie: haematomas) as the increased blood supply can augment the inflammation process. Can be used to decrease inflammation of soft tissues, stimulating the circulation relieves any type of soft tissue soreness.
Magnetic field therapy
Increases the circulation to soft tissues, generally applied in the form of a rug which the horse wears for a set period of time. This increased circulation can alleviate muscle soreness in a similar way to massage therapy. Many respected professional horsemen feel their horses are more relaxed alter wearing the rug probably due to their improved comfort.
COMMON PROBLEM SCENARIOS:
Scenario #1 – Stifle injury
Event horses unfortunately sustain many types of injuries during their careers, one common injury being trauma to one or both stifles due to perhaps scraping the hind legs over a fence. In this case most horses do not always show Immediate signs of lameness as the adrenalin is still pumping when they return from the cross country. You must Immediately start an ice-therapy program to the injured area – Ice in hand held over that area for up to forty minutes at a time. (This is a very tiring, boring process so delegation is the best idea!)
A laser machine can help reduce the soft tissue swelling if there is one readily available.
In the case of inflammation without any open wounds, topical DMSO (Di-Methyl Sufoxide) can also be beneficial, as it has anti-inflammatory properties of its own and is used in equine medicine as a carrier of other agents. In all FEI competitions, anti Inflammatory drugs are illegal, but the effect of ice-therapy is fairly impressive, so never lose hope. Attend to any wounds with a surgical scrub followed by application of a non-absorbable topical antibiotic cream.
After about two to three hours, trot the horse in-hand and assess his level of stiffness or lameness to determine if you need to continue with the ice and laser therapy.
If the horse becomes worse it is time to consult the Official Veterinarian.
Scenario #2 – No foot, no horse.
The most common problem encountered after cross country is to find you have lost a shoe, or your horse has sustained substantial bruising to his sole. Firstly, trot the horse in hand to find whether he is lame in that leg and the degree of lameness. Once you have examined the whole leg to dispel any other problems that could cause the lameness, apply hoof testers to the sole and interpret the horse’s response.
Immediately put the foot into a bucket of ice. After forty minutes he should look nearly sound – re-shoe the horse (with a thin pad if desired) and continue to ice the foot, the double action of icing and a new shoe should help the horse regain soundness. If he is not sound after a few hours a veterinarian should be summoned.
Scenario #3 – Soft tissue traumas
Soft tissue problems can be the most devastating but not necessarily life-threatening that you encounter after a cross country. If you notice that the horse’s tendon or ligament is slightly swollen, or hot, and is painful on palpation, it is safe to assume that you have a problem even if the horse is not noticeably lame. No further analysis will be accurate without a formal evaluation by a vet with an ultrasound machine. Place the leg in ice for forty minutes at a time until you can have an ultrasound evaluation of the leg.
Sometimes there is only slight bruising of the soft tissue which may indicate that it is safe to at least show jump the next day, but the horse will then need to be rested to allow for a full recovery. If the ultrasound examination shows a tear or lesion it is in the horse’s best interest to withdraw from the competition.
Scenario #4 – Over-stressing the horse
A horse which shows signs of being over-stressed at the end of cross country basically comes down to the horsemanship of the rider, and his ability to listen to the horse rather than kowtow to his own ‘fire in the belly’ adrenalin!
If your horse finishes and is panting in a stressful manner, staggering or tripping and has a high temperature, he will require immediate emergency attention. The veterinarians will place indwelling catheters into both jugular veins and immediately begin administering intravenous fluids. (balanced electrolyte solution, rapid acting corticosteroid and Flunixin) to stabilise the horse and treat for shock.
It is best to keep the horse moving slowly to ensure he does not collapse. Your main aim at this time is to save your horse for another day, and re-assess your fitness program… the horse will not be able to continue in the competition.
Riders who compete horses that naturally run hotter than normal horses, (ie: have higher temperature readings) should take care in framing their fitness programs, what works for the average horse may not work for them. Hot horses are not average horses and therefore require a higher level of fitness compared to their counterparts.
Through preparation and foresight we can prevent many disasters, and it can mean the difference between winning a Three Day Event and not even making it through to the show jumping phase. Successfully negotiating your way around the cross country is nothing compared to the sometimes treacherous road of post endurance management. Get smart, use your head and make sure you finish the event.
See also
The Every Day Management of the Event horse – with Dr Kevin Kean
Related articles:
Horse Care: Why Therapies seem to Work (When they don’t) by David W. Ramey, DVM
Horse Care: PRE-PURCHASE EXAMINATIONS with Dr Nick Roe