Scientific studies* show that when the core tendon temperature goes above 42.5°C degeneration of the tendon cells can occur. Skin temperatures are thought to be 5-6 degrees lower than the core of the tendon. This could mean that the skin temperature only has to rise to 37 °C for the core temperatures to be within…
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It’s not just ridden work that our horses need to recover from, when we lunge on a circle this creates a very unnatural repetitive force on the horse’s musculoskeletal system including the horses lower legs. In order to balance on a lunged circle, the horse leans into the centre – a little like a motorbike…
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Often when we injure ourselves we will apply a bandage or support, but do we really know why this is a good idea? Compression increases cold transfer to the leg, reduces blood flow and helps minimise swelling by keeping fluids from gathering at the injury site. With less swelling comes less pain. Applying ice cold…
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Often we hear of horses with tendon or suspensory injuries, however did you know it is rare for these to occur from a one-off incident. The most common injuries affect the lower leg. What happens is these tendons and ligaments suffer tiny micro tears, the body usually repairs these but some are not given the…
DetailsAs riders, we would never dream of jumping on our horses and shooting straight off into canter. A gentle warm up stimulates blood flow to the horses’ muscles, tendons, and ligaments, so increasing their elasticity and ability to perform. We take the time to ease into the faster work. It just makes sense. How many…
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We all know that exercise boots cause horses legs to heat up and that cooling legs quickly after exercise is recommended. However, is there a way to minimise the heating effect? Do vented boots work? We tested a vented boot against a standard boot. Both boots are the same fabric and construction, the only difference…
DetailsWe all want to protect our horses’ legs, and using boots and bandages is common practice. However, do you know the effect of wearing bandages on the temperature of your horses’ legs? Watch this video to see how the temperature changes as the horse moves through the paces. Cooling the legs as quickly as possible…
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Suspensory ligament injuries are the most common injuries in dressage horses, and when it happens it’s heart-breaking. Months of rehabilitation and expensive vets bills. As riders we do everything we can to minimise the risk to our horses, warming up properly, being fussy about surfaces, protecting those precious legs. However a proper warm down and…
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Dressage is one of the most physically demanding disciplines for a horse. Lateral movements and even circles cause the joints to twist with uneven forces. The level of collection and increased engagement required puts extra pressure on the hindlimbs. After a hard schooling session, applying Cryochaps cools the legs and gives all the benefits of…
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Using Cryochaps could also ease any localised pain in a horse’s legs.Local analgesic benefits are believed to result when tissues are cooled to between 10°C and 15°C or when skin temperature decreases to < 13.6°C. When using Cryochaps external skin temperatures reach < 13.6° C The cooling, analgesic, and rewarming effects of ice massage on…
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