Common Injuries Part 3 - Cross Country

To conclude my three part post I'm looking at common injuries which can occur when participating in cross country. 

Bradwall Horse Trials 2015

Cross country demonstrates the strength, endurance and jump ability of the horse as well as how well the rider can use allotted time efficiently to get around the course. 

Injuries can occur during XC training and competition. It is thought that heavy conditioning training for XC increases the risk of injury however, insufficiently trained horses are just as susceptible to injury. A horse which is not fit enough to complete the course may have a rapid onset of fatigue as they're galloping above their anaerobic threshold, which increases the risk of in-coordination and reduction in muscular support due to the more erratic pace in which they are travelling at.

The main types of injury include: 

• Interference from another limb 
• Hitting an obstacle with forelimbs/stifles
• Rotational fall 
• Stress on the forelimbs (mainly distal) especially after jumping a fence with a drop
• Lacerations/contusions/punctures

The structures which are vulnerable to this external trauma include:

• Digital Flexor Tendons
• Extensor Tendons
• Tendon Sheath
• Fetlock joint and soft tissues
• Suspensory ligament
• Distal Sesamoidean ligaments
• Palmar/Plantar annular ligament
• Collateral ligaments in the fetlock joint
• Cannon bone trauma
• Skin
• Neurovascular system

Bradwall Horse Trials 2015

As I've covered off in the last two posts - thermography remains to be an amazing modality for XC too! :D

Happy eventing all! All you riders and horses stay safe!

Jess x