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Look after his legs
Posted 1st March 2021
Join vet Kathy Duncan as she helps you get to grips with the treatment and prevention of an ailment every owner dreads – suspensory ligament injuries
While sure to be near the top of most horse owners’ worst fears, many people don’t actually have a comprehensive understanding of the ins and outs of suspensory ligament injuries. So what, exactly, does this structure do, how can it be injured and what effect does this injury have on your horse’s long-term soundness? I’m going to walk you through these ailments, from how they occur to how they’re treated – plus the best preventative care you can implement to avoid injury in the first place.
What is the suspensory ligament?
The suspensory ligament is a long band of fibrous tissue that’s present in all four limbs and it’s designed to support the fetlock joint. It protects the joint from over-extending when your horse fully loads his limb. The ligament begins at the top of the cannon bone, where it attaches and lies between the two splint bones. It’s composed of three parts…
- upper third, which is largely attached to the cannon bone
- middle third, also known as the midbody
- branches are formed when the middle third splits approximately halfway down the cannon. The branches run over the sesamoid bones at the back of the fetlock joint
How can injuries occur?
Clinical injury occurs when the stress placed on the ligament overwhelms its structural integrity, often resulting in irreversible damage. The suspensory ligament can be damaged internally through a strain, where the fibres become over-stretched and may rupture, or externally due to traumatic injuries, such as an overreach or wound. All of these injuries cause more damage here as there’s very little soft tissue cover, and therefore less protection, in a horse’s lower limb. They can also be complicated by wounds or inflammation between the skin and the damaged ligament.
Did you know?
Due to the close relationship of the suspensory branch and the sesamoid bone, injury to the branch can also cause significant inflammation and swelling of the joint.
Find out more about suspensory ligament injuries and how you can prevent them in April Horse&Rider, on sale 4 March 2021.
