Ask Dr. Kaia

 

Q: I am starting to have some problems with my barrel horse. He is not as willing as normal and he seems a bit axious but he is not lame.

A: Actually, I get a version of this question frequently. Barrel horses, like all race horses are asked to give their all regularly. For this reason, they tend to develop what we call sub-clinical problems. This means that they are not obvious to most people and may require advanced diagnostics to locate. Often, though, if you are lucky enough to have a veterinarian close to you that is experienced with perfomance horses, he or she can probably find the problem. Sometimes there can be a leg problem that causes resistance. This is the reason that you should familiarize yourself with leg anatomy so that you know if there is something going wrong.

There can be other causes of soreness that can relate to the surface that you are riding on. The classic example is sand. Sand is only good to ride on when it is wet. Dry sand causes sliding and pulling and tearing of muscles, tendons, and liaments. Sometimes these may be hard to find and treat. It is always worthwhile to consult perfomance horse vet whenever perfomance deteriorates rather than waiting for the horse to start to refuse to enter the arena-we have all seen too many of these horses!

Next, we will discuss some of the psychological aspects of perfomance horse training.

Send your questions to:
countryclassicsnaches@hotmail.com
Kaia Sorem, DVM
WSU 1984
Veterinary Service
Pet Grooming
Country Classics Antiques
Hwy. 12 & 410 across from Slim's Market
Naches WA 98937
1-509-653-2108

 

Past Dr. Kaia columns:

Sept. 10, 2003 Horse Not Conditioned Properly