TENDONS AND LIGAMENTS

Tendons and ligaments are essential structures in your pony’s body. They work together with muscle and fascia to create movement and allow your pony to do all the marvellous things he is capable of!

Tendons

Tendons are long, cordlike, fibrous bundles that attach muscle to bone. They are very strong but do not stretch very much.

Tendons help your pony move by either:

1. Pulling on a bone – With this, the muscle contracts causing the tendon to pull on the bone to move the joint.

2. By stretch and recoil – In this case, tendons are stretched when the weight is on the leg; then, as the pony takes the weight off the leg, the tendons snap back like an elastic band to create movement.

Ligaments

Ligaments generally connect bone to bone across joints and are found throughout the body. They are different from tendons as they do not connect to muscle, only bone. Their job is to support the joint and prevent over-stretching of the joint.

Ligaments, like tendons, are made of fibres. The amount of stretch within the ligament depends on the amount and type of the fibres, the ligament’s location, the ligament’s job, and the range of movement within the joint it crosses.

Injuries

The most common cause of tendon and ligament injury is repetitive strain. Repetitive strain occurs when the same movement is repeated over and over again. For instance, always practising the same dressage movement could lead to tendon or ligament strain.

Other factors that can cause damage to a tendon or ligament are:

• poor posture

• inadequate warm-up or cool down

• overworking a tired pony

• trauma to the tendon or ligament

• damage to the muscle attached to a tendon

• poor conformation such as long, sloping pasterns

• poor hoof balance

• a pony carrying too much weight either because of a heavy rider or being overweight themselves

• rough, deep or hard ground

• overheating of the tendons with bandages or poorly ventilated boots

• too much fast work before the pony is ready.

Injuries are most common in flexor tendons, check ligaments and the suspensory ligaments. In the case of a mild strain to a ligament or tendon, there is little or no heat, pain or swelling in the area, but where more serious damage has occurred, and collagen fibres have been torn, the fibres produce heat, swelling, pain and normally lameness.

If you think your pony may have a tendon or ligament injury, you must phone your vet immediately.

Unfortunately, because tendons and ligaments do not have a blood supply, they can take 12-18 months to heal fully.

Avoiding tendon and ligament injuries

• Cold tendons are less stretchy and more prone to injury than warm ones, so warm up the legs properly before exercising.

• Very warm tendons are also more prone to getting damaged, so make sure your pony does not wear bandages for prolonged periods, particularly if your pony is doing fast work. You must also make sure that your boots are well-ventilated to avoid tendons getting too hot.

• Remove boots and cold hose legs after work to cool the tendons down.