By Pauli Grönberg

ABC of the Horse Biomechanics familiarizes the reader with how to examine and solve problems affecting the horse’s musculoskeletal system and mobility. Horses and their owners both benefit, the owners’ benefits being largely financial.

ABC of the Horse Biomechanics contains a section on clinical examination which will help those involved in equine rehabilitation as they define their treatment goals and make appropriate treatment decisions. It is quite common that problem- and/or injury-related physical examinations are limited to interpretation and treatment of consequences.

ABC of the Horse Biomechanics is also a handbook of manipulation treatment of the horse’s limbs and back muscles. A manipulation examination focuses on palpation of the horse’s treatment points and identification of the key points that are critical for the healing process. The aim is to find the culprit that needs to be treated and stimulated. Since the movements of the interosseous vertebrae and joints are mechanics-based, the beneficial results of manipulation treatment are seen as soon as the tension of the nerve-muscle system is released.

The book also contains sections on problems caused by shoeing, saddles, harnessing, and training. The biggest challenge facing rehabilitation and training is to gain sufficient knowledge of the horse’s musculoskeletal system and the problems that threaten its normal function, and to learn how to treat the horse and stimulate its muscles. Galloping is the best means of relaxing the muscles that support the spine and of returning the movements of the limbs back to normal state. Rehabilitative training that aims at restoring muscular elasticity requires both patience and perseverance.

Taal: Engels