In vitro strength of the suspensory apparatus in training and resting horses.
Abstract: Forty-eight limbs of 12 freshly euthanized horses were used to generate data on the strength of the equine suspensory apparatus. The point of failure of the suspensory apparatus of each limb was determined. Immediately before euthanasia, 6 of the 12 horses (thoroughbreds and standardbreds) had been engaged in active training or racing, and six horses in stall and/or pasture activity. In the actively training or racing horses, the point of acute failure of the suspensory apparatus was within the proximal sesamoid bones in 20 (83%) limbs (resulting in 17 apical fractures, 2 basilar fractures, and 1 midbody fracture). In the pasture exercised or stalled horses, the point of failure of the suspensory apparatus was either acutely within the suspensory ligament (10 horses, 42%) or, if no acute failure occurred, insidiously within the suspensory ligament (12 horses, 50%). Active training appeared to have a strengthening effect on the suspensory ligament, causing the weakest point in the suspensory apparatus to become the sesamoid bones rather than the suspensory ligament. An average force of 1338 kg (between 1082 and 1673 kg) was needed to fail the suspensory apparatus in this group of horses. In nontraining horses, the site of failure was most often the suspensory ligament. An average force of 1100 kg (between 918 and 1241 kg) used to fail the suspensory apparatus in this group of horses was significantly (p less than 0.5) less than in the first group.
Publication Date: 1987-03-01 PubMed ID: 3507130DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-950x.1987.tb00923.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research studies the strength of the horse’s suspensory apparatus, discovering that active training appears to strengthen this system, evidenced by the fact that under force, less active horses would experience failure in the suspensory ligament while more active horses will see failure in the sesamoid bones.
Research Methodology
- The study used 48 limbs from 12 freshly euthanized horses. This allowed the researchers to directly study the effect of pressure on the horse’s suspensory apparatus.
- Out of the 12, six horses were noted to be actively training or racing before euthanasia and the other six were either pasture exercised or stalled.
- The research method involved determining the point of failure in the suspensory apparatus of each limb. This means identifying where the system failed when progressively more pressure was added.
Active Training and Racing Horses’ Findings
- The suspensory apparatus in these horses usually failed at the proximal sesamoid bones – failing in 20 out of 24 legs. The specific types of failures observed were 17 apical fractures, 2 basilar fractures, and 1 midbody fracture.
- An average force of 1338 kg, within a range of 1082 to 1673 kg, was required to cause failure within the suspensory apparatus.
Pasture Exercised or Stalled Horses Findings
- The study found that the suspensory apparatus most often fails at the suspensory ligament. It happened acutely in 10 horses (42%) or insidiously (gradually becoming apparent) in 12 horses (50%).
- For these horses, the average force required to cause failure was 1100 kg, falling within a range of 918 to 1241 kg, significantly less than the force in the first group of horses.
Conclusion
- The results of the study indicate that active training appears to fortify the suspensory apparatus in horses, shifting the weakest point from the suspensory ligament to the sesamoid bones.
- Furthermore, the study supports the notion that horses in active training or racing possess a stronger suspensory apparatus — capable of withstanding larger forces before failure — than horses in less strenuous activities.
Cite This Article
APA
Bukowiecki CF, Bramlage LR, Gabel AA.
(1987).
In vitro strength of the suspensory apparatus in training and resting horses.
Vet Surg, 16(2), 126-130.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-950x.1987.tb00923.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Ohio State University, Columbus.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Extremities / injuries
- Extremities / physiology
- Female
- Fractures, Bone / veterinary
- Horse Diseases
- Horses / injuries
- Horses / physiology
- Ligaments / injuries
- Ligaments / physiology
- Male
- Physical Conditioning, Animal
- Retrospective Studies
- Rupture
- Sesamoid Bones / injuries
- Sesamoid Bones / physiology
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Biggo MR, Jones SC, Wanstrath AW, Tinga S, Dyce J, Carson BA, Schaul K, Follette CM, Kieves NR. Characteristics, surgical treatment, and outcomes of injuries involving the tarsus in greyhounds. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1234206.
- Wagner FC, Gerlach K, Geiger SM, Gittel C, Böttcher P, Mülling CKW. Biplanar High-Speed Fluoroscopy of Pony Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon (SDFT)-An In Vivo Pilot Study. Vet Sci 2021 May 27;8(6).
- Peat FJ, Kawcak CE, McIlwraith CW, Berk JT, Keenan DP. Concurrent radiological and ultrasonographical findings in the forelimb proximal sesamoid bones and adjacent suspensory ligament branches in yearling and 2-year-old Thoroughbred sales horses. Equine Vet J 2025 May;57(3):654-665.
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