Trouble afoot
HORSES and heavy ground do not always go well together. Having evolved in hot, prairie-like environments, horses are happiest when their feet are planted on firm, dry ground – which is not always possible during the colder, wetter seasons.
Soft going demands more of the horse’s limbs, especially the tendons and ligaments that run down the back of all four lower legs. The heel, which is narrower than the toe, will sink further into the soft surface and over-extend the lower joints in the process. As a result, both the superficial and deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT), along with the accessory ligament of
