June 2006

Quarter Horses Have Particular Muscular Worries

Your Quarter Horse may never run into a muscle problem, but knowing what to watch for and how to handle it will give you a jump on dealing with any trouble.

Post-exertion muscle soreness/strain can happen to any horse, but the high demands placed on the muscles of a Quarter Horse can easily lead to some soreness. Add to that the fact that they’re also prone to some breed-related muscle problems, and you know you need to pay attention to their muscles.

Quarter Horses are popular horses for a variety of disciplines.

Slow, careful conditioning is the best preventative. Training improves both strength and flexibility of muscle groups and the tendons attached to them. Practicing movements in a controlled training setting will fine tune the reflexes the horse needs for quick changes of direction or fast starts. Training also improves levels of stored carbohydrate, glycogen, within the muscle, the only fuel that…