Hacking - preventing leg issues

[A.R.B]

Hello,

I have moved my horses from a yard (yard closure) and have stables and small all weather turnout.

The move means no arena now without trailering but we have loads of great hacking. I'm just concerned of loads of road work might cause splints and any other issues. He's had splints in the past and with something the vet gave they went, you wouldn't even know he'd had them.

I'd there certain boots or anything that might help. He is a lightweight con and I've avoided boots in the past as he gets very hot and to avoid over heating of his legs

Thanks

 

[Spotherisk]

I can only quote Jorrocks… ‘it ain’t the ‘unting on the ‘ills that hurts the hosses legs, it’s ‘ammer ‘ammer ‘ammer on the ‘ard high road.’

 

[Barton Bounty]

I can only quote Jorrocks… ‘it ain’t the ‘unting on the ‘ills that hurts the hosses legs, it’s ‘ammer ‘ammer ‘ammer on the ‘ard high road.’

Took me two reads

 

[Gloi]

You don't have to 'ammer though, just stroll.

 

[Spotherisk]

Took me two reads

Should be ‘horses hooves’ I’m misquoting by memory!

 

[AdorableAlice]

There is nothing better than walking on the lanes, up hill and down. It is the endless circles on surfaces that injure horses.

 

[A.R.B]

He will have to do trot work on the road. Not just for fitness reasons but also to clear the few bad parts of the roads. It's the trot road work I'm concerned about as he's developed splints in the past just before I purchased him from or trot road work

 

[sbloom]

A very well respected farrier, a few years ago, said he felt that if you can trot for longer each time, maybe fewer times overall, it's better for them as the blood has time to really get pumping to undo the harm of the concussion. I have no idea if this has a basis in science or would now be seen as purely anecdotal. He was ex household cavalry and then became a remedial/slightly alternative farrier.

Make sure he's truly not on his forehand, that he moves straight and in good balance, not rushing, and you minimise harm. So much harm is done by incorrect movement patterns, and in the majority of horses I would say, but you can minimise leg/foot issues through improving movement.

 

[ycbm]

Unless you show, then splints are generally pretty irrelevant.

I also doubt if trotting a few hundred yards to better stretches of road will cause any issues, Horrocks was talking about hunting using roads and about getting hunting fit by trotting on roads.
.

 

[littleshetland]

I very rarely trot on the roads - the PRE ends up cantering sideways anyway - so I walk a lot. If I do find a nice hill to trot up I try to trot in a slower rhythm and 'quietly'. It makes me wince sometimes when I hear other peoples horses hooves hammering down on the tarmac.

 

[Shoei]

Should be ‘horses hooves’ I’m misquoting by memory!

Surely you mean 'orses ooves'

 

[ihatework]

Nothing wrong with a bit of trotting on the road, just keep the horse together and balanced and don’t go for miles!

Splints can form for different reasons, sometimes a bash (which boots might prevent) but as long as the horse moves reasonably straight I wouldn’t be concerned about that.
Often splints form due to limb/foot imbalance and usually when a horse is younger - it’s the body’s way of balancing the mechanics.

In short, just be sensible! Keep horses feet good, trot on road in moderation and it’s unlikely you will come to harm because of it.

 

[AmyMay]

He will have to do trot work on the road. Not just for fitness reasons but also to clear the few bad parts of the roads. It's the trot road work I'm concerned about as he's developed splints in the past just before I purchased him from or trot road work

I’ve always trotted my horses on the road. A good, steady trot working in to the contact. And never had a problem.

 

[A.R.B]

A very well respected farrier, a few years ago, said he felt that if you can trot for longer each time, maybe fewer times overall, it's better for them as the blood has time to really get pumping to undo the harm of the concussion. I have no idea if this has a basis in science or would now be seen as purely anecdotal. He was ex household cavalry and then became a remedial/slightly alternative farrier.

Make sure he's truly not on his forehand, that he moves straight and in good balance, not rushing, and you minimise harm. So much harm is done by incorrect movement patterns, and in the majority of horses I would say, but you can minimise leg/foot issues through improving movement.

Thank you interestingly he came back back from an injury this year and the vet has recommended hacking when I asked if walking on the road was OK rather than 10min intervals increased over time in the arena and he recommended the road walking for the vibrations.

Thank you the advise on the movement and intervals is great!

 

[A.R.B]

Unless you show, then splints are generally pretty irrelevant.

I also doubt if trotting a few hundred yards to better stretches of road will cause any issues, Horrocks was talking about hunting using roads and about getting hunting fit by trotting on roads.
.

Show cob

 

[Errin Paddywack]

The only time I have had a pony throw a splint was when I was working him in our covered yard. We had had sheep or cattle in it and it hadn't been mucked out so fairly deep. He threw a massive one overnight but was never lame with it. Nearly vanished over time. We had to do a lot of road work where we were and I had that pony from 18 months old till 23. The only other that had a tiny splint did it stamping at flies and kept knocking the opposite leg. She wasn't ridden at the time.
Likewise the RS I worked at back in the 60's didn't have any form of school so we only did road work. Those ponies worked hard and no splints.

 

[A.R.B]

The only time I have had a pony throw a splint was when I was working him in our covered yard. We had had sheep or cattle in it and it hadn't been mucked out so fairly deep. He threw a massive one overnight but was never lame with it. Nearly vanished over time. We had to do a lot of road work where we were and I had that pony from 18 months old till 23. The only other that had a tiny splint did it stamping at flies and kept knocking the opposite leg. She wasn't ridden at the time.
Likewise the RS I worked at back in the 60's didn't have any form of school so we only did road work. Those ponies worked hard and no splints.

Interesting! Thank you. I've never had to just hack with him I've always been able to alternate between hacking and arena.
He's a bit of a delicate flower compared to my other fella and I was interested in should I be doing something or not
His prior splints were at a young age however at that time he was so backwards to work and awkward the previous own actually put him out to a lad with a cart. The road work from then is what we put the splint down to as I knew of him when purchased. Which is why I was wondering if there was anything I should be doing always doubting

 

[AmyMay]

Show cob

In that case (because he’s of a heavier build), keep don’t trot excessively insist on a good striding out walk instead.

 

[SEL]

I'm cautious trotting my cobs on the road because their action does hammer down on the tarmac. But I will trot if it isn't slippery to clear dodgy traffic.

But I will also walk, dressed up to the eyeballs in high viz and insist the drivers slow down!

 

[Sossigpoker]

Walking on roads doesn't cause damage,.trotting does. There's no safe limit , any work above walk on solid ground like tarmac will send through a lot of concussive forces up the legs
Dr Marlin IIRC did some research into this

 

[lme]

I'd just walk on the roads and save faster paces for grass or tracks. All our hacking routes directly from the yard are mostly on roads and I've never felt any pressure to trot to get away from traffic.

 

[planete]

We always used to do lengthy stretches of road work at a slow trot when fittening hunters and I cannot remember a single one getting splints. I once went to view a newly broken horse who turned out to have a massive splint on each front leg. My welsh section c gave himself a splint catching one front leg with the opposite foot while being ridden. I think getting splints depends a lot on the animal's conformation. Concussion can cause many problems but I am not sure it is a significant cause of splints. The hunting people I worked for always trotted on the roads while the eventers and dressage people never did. I did not see any more or less splints in either group.

 

[TheMule]

Condition the horse for it- build the time spent trotting up slowly. Short stretches of slow trotting on the road are fine- better if barefoot- but it is concussive so will contribute towards joint deterioration over time of you overdo it

 

[Birker2020]

Hello,

I have moved my horses from a yard (yard closure) and have stables and small all weather turnout.

The move means no arena now without trailering but we have loads of great hacking. I'm just concerned of loads of road work might cause splints and any other issues. He's had splints in the past and with something the vet gave they went, you wouldn't even know he'd had them.

I'd there certain boots or anything that might help. He is a lightweight con and I've avoided boots in the past as he gets very hot and to avoid over heating of his legs

Thanks

I don't think boots will prevent splints but trotting only up inclines helps to reduce tendon injuries.

Best thing for hacking which saved Baileys life when she was kicked out hacking when I first had her were these Westropp Knee and brushing boots.

https://www.westropphorseboots.com/product-page/knee-brushing-boots

 

[maya2008]

Boots will do nothing. Trotting bits of road most days will not give a healthy horse splints. I would double check your horse’s diet - ensure they are getting everything they need so their bones are healthy, then gradually build up the roadwork.

 

[saddlesore]

Are they shod? My cob is barefoot and I trot on the roads all the time