The Hidden Hazards: Why Running Horses on Hard Ground Is a Risky Business

The summer is a great time to get more riding hours in. Whether it’s racing, eventing or casual hacking, the longer days and lack of rain is appealing to all equestrians. However, there are many potential dangers to the soundness of horses with the hard, dry ground, including musculoskeletal injuries due to the compacted ground.

Awareness and understanding of the possible impacts and prevention of hard ground injuries is vital for the longevity and comfort of horses. Below we will discuss the definition of hard ground, what it can result in and how you can reduce the likelihood of injury.

The Science of Impact

Hard ground is created when a lack of rain reaches soil, causing it to be compacted and thin. The usual cushioning you get from grass and the give from damp soil is no longer there and it’s equal to running on concrete. The lack of shock absorption forces the impact to go, not in to the ground, but back up the horse’s leg, effecting hooves, joints, tendons and bones. The general term for this is ‘jarring up’ which involves inflammation and soreness up the leg from the hoof.

“A horse with straightforward concussion will feel much the same, with sore shins, bruised feet and general inflammation of the lower leg and hoof structures.” - Hattie Lawrence MRCVS of Valley Equine Hospital

Common Injuries Linked to Hard Ground

Repetitive strain from hard surfaces can lead to both acute and chronic injuries.

Osteoarthritis

The breakdown of cartilage in joints due to trauma, leading to pain, stiffness and reduced motion. Osteoarthritis cannot be cured.

Subchondral Bone Disease

Relating to the bone beneath cartilage, this bone disease goes hand in hand with osteoarthritis and can result in four major issues. Sclerosis, the increasing of bone density, cysts forming within the bone, tiny fractures along the bone and swelling and inflammation of bone marrow.

Fractures

The lack of shock absorption in the ground causes the force to go back up the leg, mainly affecting the pastern, coffin and fetlock. Repeated work on hard ground can lead to micro damage in the bone, which can develop in to stress fractures and even slab fractures, a type of fracture affecting the knee where a piece of bone becomes disconnected.

Tendinopathy and Suspensory Ligament Strain

The overuse of tendons and ligaments when working on hard ground and result in long term issues to these structures. Tendinopathy results in chronic pain and decreases the movement in the area, this can only be healed with rest and time. Ligament strain, also known as a strain is a result of a ligament being stretched beyond its limit or even torn due to stress on the ligament.

Suspensory ligament strain has symptoms such as lameness, swelling, inflammation and sensitivity. A nerve block is necessary for an ultrasound and modern therapies such as shockwave therapies and platelet plasma are costly.

Hoof Issues

Repeated trauma to the hoof sole can cause bruising, involving pain, inflammation, colour changes and in some cases a blood filled haematoma underneath the hoof tissue. Treatment for a bruised sole can range from rest to the removal of shoes and draining of the haematoma with significant time off work.

Navicular syndrome is a chronic condition that worsens over time and affects the navicular bone, navicular bursa, and deep digital flexor tendon in the horse's foot. Navicular syndrome is very noticeable through lameness, shuffling and a reluctance to go downhill or turn tightly. Navicular syndrome can majorly affect a horse’s life and treatment ranges from corrective shoeing to steroid injections and in worse case scenarios, surgery.

Research Evidence

A study by the Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort and INRA in 2917 split a group of 12 French Trotters in two groups, one of which trained and ran on hard ground, and the other on soft ground.

The group working on hard ground had 86 legions identified, over half of them were considered clinically relevant. The results of the study showed that horses worked on hard ground showed many more injuries than those on soft ground.

“Results of the present study indicated that horses involved in harness racing and trained on track with a hard surface developed a greater number of lesions and lesions of greater severity than did similar horses trained on a track with a soft surface” - Effect of track surface firmness on the development of musculoskeletal injuries in French Trotters during four months of harness race training (2017)

Read the full study here

Prevention and Management

Hard ground is sometimes something we cannot change. Many events may water their ground including cross country courses and race tracks but there are precautions that can also be taken at home also.

The first is the most obvious, don’t work your horse over hard ground, or vary the work you do on different surfaces. This can also be tailored around times when the ground is extra dry such as times of drought and strong sun.

After exercising your horse it’s important to treat them afterwards to ensure injury does not come later. Legs can be cooled down using ice boots, cold water or cool gel. Bandaging can also help to reduce inflammation and keep blood flowing through the legs.

Key Point: While hard ground is sometimes unavoidable, there are ways to reduce risk.

The last tip is to keep an eye on your horse and look for signs of lameness or discomfort. Signs could include hopping, pain to touch and reluctance to move or turn.

There are things that are unavoidable or unchangeable when it comes to the warmer months but there are things we can control when it comes to caring for our horses. Understanding, prevention and treatment help us deal with the issues of hard ground and keep our horses sound and healthy for years to come.