When your horse goes *click click click* what is it?...

Chloe_GHE

Chloe_GHE

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Dustry has clicked since the day I bought him, the volume of it varies, and some days it doesn't occur at all. I think it is worse the less he is worked, but tbh I'm so used to it I would really have to make a point of paying attention to it when it happens to be sure when it is louder/not happening.

It seems to come from his back end/back legs/joints, and I have a vague memory that someone explained to me once that it was the sound of air popping in a joint?...think that's right?...

Anyhoo I'm not bothered by it, he is sound and even, and it's never bothered him, but I was wondering if anyone had a deeper understanding of this 'click' noise and what causes it?...

I click too at times (ankles and elbows) and it never hurts so I am confident this is the same thing he has but...what IS it?...

a slice of the new banana malt loaf on offer, hurry coz it's yummy and disappearing fast!
 
Mine does this, I think it comes from hocks, physio said its nothing to worry about and he's sound working well etc, it's normally worse if he's been stabled and stood still for too long.
 
No idea but interested as a mare I have been riding does this

Thought it might interest you as she clicks on every stride from either hock of fetlock in walk and trot , she is 16 now and has done it all her life and is and always has been sound in limb although not always mentally sound :rolleyes:
 
Yes I'm not worried about it being an indicator of anything bad/deteriorating because I click myself quite a bit too, but I would like to know a more scientific reason/explanation for it....anyone?....

Yes he's also not the 1st horse I've had who clicks......maybe he swallowed a metronome?... ;)
 
I've often wondered this! A mare I help with can sound like firecrackers are going off in her legs somedays - I have just found this, though:

It doesn't explain what's causing your horse's joint to 'pop' as such, just what's happening when they do...


Raymond Brodeur in the Ergonomics Research Laboratory at Michigan State University responds:

To understand what happens when you "crack" your knuckles, or any other joint, first you need a little background about the nature of the joints of the body. The type of joints that you can most easily "pop" or "crack" are the diarthrodial joints. These are your most typical joints. They consist of two bones that contact each other at their cartilage surfaces; the cartilage surfaces are surrounded by a joint capsule. Inside the joint capsule is a lubricant, known as synovial fluid, which also serves as a source of nutrients for the cells that maintain the joint cartilage. In addition, the synovial fluid contains dissolved gases, including oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide
The easiest joints to pop are the ones in your fingers (the interphalangeal and the metacarpophalangeal joints). As the joint capsule stretches, its expansion is limited by a number of factors. When small forces are applied to the joint, one factor that limits the motion is the volume of the joint. That volume is set by the amount of synovial fluid contained in the joint. The synovial fluid cannot expand unless the pressure inside the capsule drops to a point at which the dissolved gases can escape the solution; when the gases come out of solution, they increase the volume and hence the mobility of the joint.

The cracking or popping sound is thought to be caused by the gases rapidly coming out of solution, allowing the capsule to stretch a little further. The stretching of the joint is soon thereafter limited by the length of the capsule. If you take an x-ray of the joint after cracking, you can see a gas bubble inside the joint. This gas increases the joint volume by 15 to 20 percent; it consists mostly (about 80 percent) of carbon dioxide. The joint cannot be cracked again until the gases have dissolved back into the synovial fluid, which explains why you cannot crack the same knuckle repeatedly.

But how can releasing such a small quantity of gas cause so much noise? There is no good answer for this question. Researchers have estimated the energy levels of the sound by using accelerometers to measure the vibrations caused during joint popping. The amounts of energy involved are very small, on the order of 0.1 milli-joule per cubic millimeter. Studies have also shown that there are two sound peaks during knuckle cracking, but the causes of these peaks are unknown. It is likely that the first sound is related to the gas dissolving out of solution, whereas the second sound is caused by the capsule reaching its length limit.

Another source of popping and cracking sounds is the tendons and ligaments near the joint. Tendons must cross at least one joint in order to cause motion. But when a joint moves, the tendon's position with respect to the joint is forced to change. It is not uncommon for a tendon to shift to a slightly different position, followed by a sudden snap as the tendon returns to its original location with respect to the joint. These noises are often heard in the knee and ankle joints when standing up from a seated position or when walking up or down the stairs.
 
"The synovial fluid cannot expand unless the pressure inside the capsule drops to a point at which the dissolved gases can escape the solution; when the gases come out of solution, they increase the volume and hence the mobility of the joint."

So this ^^^^^ may explain why it is louder at the start of a schooling session and quieter/gone by the end, as the joint is used more and becoming more mobile crack by crack.....so in a way it's a good noise...kinda... :)

this also ties in with it getting louder the less he is worked, because he isn't working the joint just pottering about in the field on his own each day, he just eats and EATS some more!

Thank you :)
 
star said:
my eventer boy is really clicky. Neither physio or vet worried about it.
Click to expand...

deducing a bit more from the quote above, the pressure in the joint needs to lower for the gases in the joint to be able to 'pop' out. This ties in with Dustry's clicking because one of his lazy habits is to stand on 3 legs, and rest a hind (either leg he's not bothered) so resting a leg, in theory will reduce the pressure on the joint, and so make it prone to click.... if that theory is correct he should be at his most prone to 'clickyness' immediately after he gets up from a nap, having been resting all his legs whilst asleep
 
My mare does this too and the vet thought it worthy of commenting on last time she was here. As in, it's quite bad compared to normal, obviously. It doesn't seem to bother her though?

I always thought the air in the joints was a bit of an urban myth. However, I learnt to dive about 10 years ago, and ever since, my shoulders crack on occasion in a spectacularly dramatic fashion, so perhaps I have long-term Bends!
 
now_loves_mares said:
My mare does this too and the vet thought it worthy of commenting on last time she was here. As in, it's quite bad compared to normal, obviously. It doesn't seem to bother her though?

I always thought the air in the joints was a bit of an urban myth. However, I learnt to dive about 10 years ago, and ever since, my shoulders crack on occasion in a spectacularly dramatic fashion, so perhaps I have long-term Bends!
Click to expand...

maybe Dustry has a hidden past as a scuba instructor?... ;)

My ankles click quite impressively in the morning, and at times my elbows get 'stuck' and so I thrust my arms our straight and they go 'click' sounds awful....never feel a thing! :)
 
The stifle joints have a locking mechanism. If for any reason this becomes disturbed,possibly due to fluid build up after a day off. The "lock " will tend to click in and out . Some horses may have had this for years and it is nothing to worry about,but if a horse suddenly develops it . Take the warning that the stifle joint has been agravated , and act accordingly. This gives a very definate click and can be felt in the horses gait. Of course other joints can click for other reasons so you need to be sure where the click is actualy comming from.
 
Mike007 said:
The stifle joints have a locking mechanism. If for any reason this becomes disturbed,possibly due to fluid build up after a day off. The "lock " will tend to click in and out . Some horses may have had this for years and it is nothing to worry about,but if a horse suddenly develops it . Take the warning that the stifle joint has been agravated , and act accordingly. This gives a very definate click and can be felt in the horses gait. Of course other joints can click for other reasons so you need to be sure where the click is actualy comming from.
Click to expand...

ooooh that's interesting too.

Deffo not stifles in his case as gait and ease of movement etc is perfect, sometimes a little too exuberant and fluid!!! ;)
 
We bought our Eventer just before his 5th birthday and his stifle clicks pretty much all the time. He passed 5 stage vetting and we got it re-checked by own vet and physio. Answer from all 3 was the same - paranoid parents, nothing to worry about!!
 
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