Horse knee injury treatment

I´ts not uncommon that horses suffer from a so-called patellar dislocation. This means that the internal patellar ligament is too loose and the kneecap bounces. In motion, the horse then sometimes bends the hind legs. In the prior, the therapist can trigger the jumping of the patella for the diagnosis. The patellar luxation is very painful. Therefore, when the horse is galloping the hind legs work in lang lay (rabbit gallop) and often trot awkwardly at the back. Some horses, on one hand, prefer gallop, while on the other prefer to trot. You want to avoid tight turns. The riding of many narrow turns worsenes the problem.

Therapy: When the horse has knee pain it whould always be ensured that pelvis and sacrum are straight, in order to minimize the burden. Riding transitions and bar work can train and strengthen the patellar tendon muscles.

Acupuncture can help to relieve pain and promote the healing process. Knee problems are associated with the stomach meridian. In horses up to 6 years old you have to wait for the growth to finish and treat as described above.

Reflex Therapy and Color Light Therapy are similar treatments to Acupuncture, however, they are easier to apply as you either gently massage the horse´s face or legs or do a non-touch treatment with the Tweaklite (Color Light Therapy).

In difficult cases, the veterinarian can treat the horse by placing an artificial inflammation, so that the internal patellar ligament shortens. Hyaluronic acid can be injected into the joint to improve the lubricity. The therapy can be supported by drugs, minerals and herbs. Of course, the cartilage layer suffers on the roll ridge and causes permanent damage when there´s lack of treatment.