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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2025; 15(12); 1740; doi: 10.3390/ani15121740

A Retrospective Study of the Evolution of Orthopaedic Injuries in 70 Dressage Horses.

Abstract: There is limited information about the orthopaedic health of dressage horses. This study aimed to document the orthopaedic status, lesion distribution, and evolution of injuries in 70 horses undergoing a minimum of five in-depth orthopaedic assessments at six-months' intervals. Warmblood (70.0%) and Iberian (24.3%) breeds predominated. The median lameness grade at initial examination was 2/5 (interquartile range 2,2; range 0,3). Hypermetria (42.9%) or hypermetria and weakness (12.9%) were observed at the initial examination and did not change over time. Metacarpophalangeal/metatarsophalangeal joint region injuries (osteoarthritis or suspensory branch injury), 58.6%, predominated at the initial examination; there was a high proportion of persistent or recurrent injuries (90%). Metacarpal/metatarsal region pain (predominantly suspensory desmitis) had a high prevalence at all examinations (24.3-41.4%), and a high proportion of recurrent injury (90%). There was an increase in spinal pain comparing the initial and final examinations (McNemar's < 0.001); 21.4% of horses with thoracic region pain subsequently developed lumbosacroiliac region pain. Twenty-six (37.1%) increased work level; nineteen (27.1%) remained at the same level, with 37% competing at Intermediate I or II, under 25 international, or Grand Prix at the final examination, compared with 3% at the initial examination. Serial monitoring and targeted treatment may facilitate horses reaching athletic potential.
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Publication Date: 2025-06-12 PubMed ID: 40564292PubMed Central: PMC12189668DOI: 10.3390/ani15121740Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research revolves around a study on the orthopaedic status of 70 dressage horses, capturing the types and evolution of injuries they face. Through several in-depth assessments at regular intervals, the research captures the injury distribution and frequency.

Orthopaedic health of dressage horses

  • The study was conducted on 70 dressage horses, with Warmblood and Iberian being the prominent breeds. This research was necessitated by the lack of extensive information about the orthopaedic health of dressage horses.
  • The horses underwent a minimum of five comprehensive orthopaedic assessments at six months’ intervals to determine the orthopaedic status and check the progression of any lesions or injuries.
  • The initial examination revealed a median lameness grade of 2 out of 5, indicating a moderate level of orthopaedic discomfort.

Injury Type and Distribution

  • Conditions such as hypermetria (excessive or awkward movement) and weakness were observed in approximately half of the horses at the initial examination and were found to persist over time.
  • The most common injuries discovered centered around the metacarpophalangeal/metatarsophalangeal joint region (the region of the lower leg similar to the area of the human ankle/wrist). These injuries were typically osteoarthritis or suspensory branch injury, accounting for 58.6% of all cases at the initial examination.
  • These injuries were notably persistent or recurrent, with 90% of horses showing repeated instances of these injuries.

Progression and Impact of Injuries

  • Generally, there was a rise in spinal pain incidents when comparing the initial and final examinations, indicating a possible long-term orthopaedic issue.
  • A notable finding was that 21.4% of horses with thoracic region pain eventually developed lumbosacroiliac region pain, showing a progressive trend towards more complex and severe orthopaedic issues.
  • Despite the injuries, 37.1% of the dressage horses managed an increase in their work level, while 27.1% remained at the same level. Towards the end of the study, 37% were competing at Intermediate I or II levels, under 25 international, or Grand Prix, which denotes a significant improvement from the initial 3%.

Conclusion

  • The research suggests that regular monitoring and targeted treatment might enable dressage horses to reach their athletic potential and manage orthopaedic health better, despite the commonality and persistence of certain types of injuries.

Cite This Article

APA
Boado A, Pollard D, Dyson S. (2025). A Retrospective Study of the Evolution of Orthopaedic Injuries in 70 Dressage Horses. Animals (Basel), 15(12), 1740. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15121740

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 12
PII: 1740

Researcher Affiliations

Boado, Ana
  • Independent Researcher, Equine Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Service, Avenida Salmoral 4, 28492 Madrid, Spain.
  • Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Av. Complutense, Moncloa-Aravaca, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Pollard, Danica
  • Independent Researcher, Rodham Road, Christchurch, Wisbech PE14 9NU, Cambridgeshire, UK.
Dyson, Sue
  • Independent Researcher, Church Road, Market Weston, Diss IP22 2NX, Suffolk, UK.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Boado A, Pollard D, Dyson S. Retrospective Analysis of Suspensory Ligament Branch Injuries in 70 Dressage Horses. Animals (Basel) 2025 Oct 23;15(21).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15213079pubmed: 41227410google scholar: lookup
  2. Boado A, Pollard D, Lopez-Sanroman FJ, Dyson S. Orthopaedic Injuries in 272 Dressage Horses: A Retrospective Study. Animals (Basel) 2025 Oct 14;15(20).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15202972pubmed: 41153899google scholar: lookup
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