|
|
Discussion on Causes of bowed tendon
|
| Author |
Message |
|
Posted on Monday, Aug 13, 2001 - 6:23 pm:
I have always been under the impression that a bowed tendon is the result of improper work or conditioning ...
Are there structural/conformation faults that would predispose a horse to a bow?
|
|
Posted on Tuesday, Aug 14, 2001 - 4:09 am:
Yes, anything that may cause extra strain to the tendon or other supporting structures of the leg can increase the chance for a bow. Laxity of the suspensory appartus which results in a DrOpped fetlock would certainly increase the chance of a bow. Also on this list might be mild contracture of the flexors as in a horse slightly over the knees. Overweight horses would certainly be more prone to bow.
Improper conditioning is a factor particularly in race horses but the perfectly conformed and perfectly condition horse can still get a bow through an accident and there may even be some degenerative disorders resulting in bows. I have seen two in the last 5 years that have strong evidence of this last possibility.
DrO
|
|
Posted on Tuesday, Sep 4, 2001 - 1:15 pm:
Here's something interesting I learned about predisposition towards bows. While I knew that long cannon bones where a cause, I didn't know why. The reason is that the tendons are strongest as their origin and insertion points (makes sense), and weakest in the middle. Longer cannons = longer tendons = more "middle" that is weaker than the ends. I had also read (in a different article) that something like age 2 is when the tendons are at their strongest and that after that point they are either deteriorating or just not repairing adequately, making gradual, forced exercise imperative to a sound(er) animal.
|
|
|
