Equus – August 2019

58 EQUUS 498 AUTUMN 2019

enough positive tension in the nuchal

ligament to protect the back,” she says.

It makes sense that a strong joint

is probably less prone to injury. But

how to develop that strength? In her

experience, von Neumann-Cosel says,

the movements required in dressage

up to Grand Prix---”when training

mindfully, with a horse in self-carriage

---are actually the perfect strengthening

exercises for the equine athlete to stay

sound and happy.”

She adds that things to avoid

include too many big trot extensions

and staying in a collected movement

for too long---not to mention working a

tired horse. “The harder the work gets,

I reward with a walk break often; that

also keeps the horse from getting too

fatigued,” she says. “A tired horse will

get injured.”

Leg protection, appropriate

shoeing and regular turnout are other

considerations. “For external protection,

we use fl eece-lined boots on all four

legs,” von Neumann-Cosel says. In

addition, “I have a fantastic farrier who

keeps the horse’s feet balanced and

short enough to hit the ground level

and to be able to push off the ground

easily,” she explains. “Our horses have

a regular turnout routine of three

Glucosamine: naturally occurring sugar that is one of the

building blocks in the production and repair of cartilage.

Hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid, HA): a key structural

component of connective tissue, cartilage and synovial fl uid.

Chondroitin sulfate: a large protein molecule used in the

formation of connective tissues and cartilage.

MSM (methylsulfonylmethane): an organic compound

that contains sulfur, a macromineral necessary for the

production of collagen.

Avocado/soybean unsaponifi ables (ASU): extracts from

soybeans and avocados that prevent the destruction

of existing cartilage while stimulating the repair of

cell tissues.

Resveratrol: a compound derived from the skin of red

grapes that is believed to have antioxidant properties.

Antioxidants protect cells against the effects of free

radicals, helping to reduce the body’s infl ammatory

response. Research suggests that resveratrol dietary

supplements can be benefi cial to joint heath when used

by themselves or in conjunction with joint injections.

COMMON INGREDIENTS IN JOINT SUPPORT SUPPLEMENTS

Training horses

mindfully in self-

carriage provides “the

perfect strengthening

exercises for the equine

athlete to stay

sound and happy.”

---Grand Prix dressage

trainer Felicitas von

Neumann-Cosel

AM

Y^ D

RA

GO

O

SUPPLENESS AND

STABILITY

One of the most elegant equestrian
disciplines to watch, dressage is
training in the purest sense and a
building block for other horse sports.
But at the upper levels in
particular, dressage horses can be
vulnerable in the hocks and stifl es
due to the increased demand on
those joints during movements that
call for collection. So says Felicitas
von Neumann-Cosel of Woodsboro,
Maryland, who has trained horses to
Grand Prix level: “In the front legs,
the joints from the ankle down can
be affected from horses landing too
hard on their front feet if they are not
working in balance.”
To protect joints from injury, von
Neumann-Cosel believes a careful
conditioning program is essential.
She recommends including a warm-
up phase in the walk---particularly
with older horses. A change of
scenery doesn’t hurt, either. “I do like
walking the horses outside when
possible on a trail, believing that a
change of surface and terrain can be
helpful for conditioning as well as for
proprioception,” she says.

Balance is important, too, she

maintains. “In the actual work, I believe

that a horse evenly balanced on four

feet, ridden in the right tempo with

cadence so the feet hit the ground

with springs, helps to preserve all

joints. This work, ridden with the horse

reaching to the bit with an arched

neck [and] lifting its sternum, will give