"Questions from Readers
"ENCOURAGING PROGNOSIS
Q: "I have a filly who had her check ligament
snipped as a six-month old to straighten her front feet. She is two this
year (a May filly), and her feet appear to be fine. Will she be able to
race sound as a three-year-old? ---Donald Mularkey, Westfield , Wisconsin
A: "It sounds like this filly had a inferior check ligament desmotomy
performed to correct a raised heel or club foot. Many horses have raced
successfully following this procedure. The fact that the hoof wall angle
now appears normal is encouraging.
"The inferior check ligament is located just below the back of the knee.
It is attached to the deep digital flexor tendon which functions to flex
the coronopedal joint (hoof). The surgical procedure involves separating
the check ligament from the deep di gital flexor tendon to release tension
on the tendon.
"... --- Dr. Ed Reuve"
It sounds as though this is a similar procedure to what your horse had
done. Sprint racing (which is what Thoroughbred racing is comparatively
speaking) is, in my experience, much harder on a horse's legs than
endurance is; so I should think that if inde ed 'many horses have raced
successfully following this procedure' that a horse with similar surgery
would stand up to endurance.
Additionally, however, 'The horse is unique in having so-called check
ligaments attached to both the superficial and deep flexor tendons. This
means that the rotation of the coffin and fetlock can be resisted without
any muscle action whatsoever.' If I had a horse which had had such
surgery, I would delve more deeply into the mechanics of just how the
check ligament works, and try to find out if there were some exercises
that I could do to specifically strengthen muscles (which would otherwise
not be us ed in stabilizing the coffin and fetlock), tendons, and/or
ligaments involved in this process.
Considering that it is the ability of the leg to resist rotation of the
fetlock and coffin joints that may be impaired as a result of the surgery,
I would also be much more careful about making sharp turns and travelling
at speed through rough terrain. A dmittedly, race horses are rarely asked
to make sharp turns or travel through rough terrain, which may mean that
race horses can go around a well groomed, left-handed oval successfully,
but endurance horses cannot negotiate Noble Canyon (for those of you who
have not ridden the Mt. Laguna Ride, Noble Canyon is 8 miles of rock
hell--the longest 8 miles of my life).
Maybe contact Professional Choice and ask them if their Sports Medicine
Boot would help provide support for these joints.
Hope this is what you wanted to know.
kat
Orange County, Calif.