Rehabilitation
From diagnosis to a safe and successful return to work
A precise diagnosis is the first and most important step of any rehabilitation plan. but it doesn’t stop there.
Following an injury, the way a horse is rehabilitated can have a major influence on healing, recurrence and its ability to return successfully to its previous level of activity.
At ESMP, rehabilitation is considered an integral part of the treatment plan. Our goal is not simply to allow an injury to heal, but to help the horse progressively regain the strength, mobility and physical capacity required for its intended activity.
Each rehabilitation programme is individually designed according to the injury, the horse’s discipline and level, its previous fitness and its response to treatment.
An individualised rehabilitation programme
There is no single rehabilitation protocol suitable for every horse or every injury.
Depending on the condition, a programme may include:
- Controlled walking and progressive exercise
- Gradual introduction of trot and canter
- Specific ridden exercises
- Strengthening and conditioning work
- Recommendations regarding surfaces and training load
- Physiotherapy when appropriate
- Farriery recommendations
- Medical management where required
- Regular clinical and imaging reassessment
The programme evolves with the horse. Progression is based not only on time since injury, but also on clinical findings, tissue healing and the horse’s response to increasing exercise.
Monitoring healing
Rehabilitation should be guided by the horse, not simply by the calendar.
Regular reassessment allows us to determine whether healing is progressing as expected and whether the workload can safely be increased.
For tendon, ligament and other musculoskeletal injuries, follow-up ultrasonography or radiography may be used when appropriate to objectively monitor healing.
These examinations help us adapt the rehabilitation programme throughout recovery and make informed decisions about progression towards normal training.
More than healing the injured structure
An injury rarely affects only one structure.
Periods of pain, reduced activity or compensatory movement can alter mobility, muscle strength and movement patterns. These changes may persist even after the original lesion has healed.
For this reason, rehabilitation considers the whole horse, not only the injured area.
Our approach combines orthopaedic assessment, biomechanics and sports medicine to identify factors that may influence recovery or predispose the horse to recurrent injury.
When appropriate, we work together with physiotherapists, farriers, riders and trainers to provide a coordinated approach to the horse’s recovery.
Return to Sport
When is your horse ready to return to full training?
Returning to competition is not simply a question of whether an injury has healed.
The horse must also regain sufficient strength, cardiovascular fitness and sport-specific capacity to tolerate its normal workload.
As the horse progresses through rehabilitation, we can assess its response to increasing exercise and progressively bridge the gap between controlled rehabilitation and normal athletic training.
For sport and racehorses, our expertise in equine sports medicine and exercise physiology allows rehabilitation to be integrated with conditioning and, when indicated, objective exercise testing.
The aim is to make the transition back to full work as safe and progressive as possible.
Long-term soundness
Rehabilitation does not necessarily end when the horse returns to work.
Where appropriate, we provide recommendations regarding:
- Training and workload management
- Strength and conditioning
- Exercise surfaces
- Farriery
- Physiotherapy
- Follow-up examinations
- Preventive locomotor assessments
Our objective is not only to help your horse recover from its current injury, but also to identify and manage factors that may help reduce the risk of recurrence and support long-term soundness.
Looking for answers about your horse's health, well-being or performance?
Our team combines clinical expertise with advances diagnostic tools to support your horse’s health and well-being at every stage.