Horse Energy - Gesunde Pferde für gutes Reiten- Birgit Volesky

27/05/2026

Diffuse Lahmheiten und Unwillen das Hinterbein zu geben?

Das könnte der Grund sein……

What can happen as horses age

What we are looking at in the below photo is the femoral head ligament(accessory) this very important structure connects the hind leg into the hip socket. I observe it forms a sling that innervates onto the pelvis to the p***s symphysis which also forms the pre p***c tendon. This incredibly strong structure that supports the pelvis is prone to wear and tear particularly in sport horses, race horses and through geriatric degeneration.

The photo on the right was from a 28 year old horse that looked a picture of health from the outside but his movement had become stiff and guarded. Showing struggles to have his feet done and not wanting to give the hinds. The fermoral head ligament had been fully replaced by scar tissue and only a few tiny shreds remained attached to the head of the femur. The labrum(capsule) of the joint was thickened and full of synovitis. Unfortunately for this guy he had problems over many of his legs due to old age and so showed no notable lameness that would conclude the seriousness of what was going on inside. The comparison ligament is from a 4 year old standardbred.

Please be considerate with your oldies, better a week too early than a moment too late.

24/05/2026

Das Zusammenspiel der Muskeln ist immer wieder faszinierend zu sehen.

22/05/2026

18/05/2026

Sehr wichtig zu wissen!

Der Schädel ist eine Region, die wir uns immer sehr intensiv ansehen. Weil er grundlegend wichtig ist für das Wohlbefinden des Pferdes.

The horse’s nostril is supported by cartilage (the alar cartilage) — BUT not all the way around. The lateral side, the outer wall, is just a double fold of skin with a thin muscle in between. That muscle opens the nostril by pulling the wall outward — those big, flared nostrils you see when a horse is working hard or alarmed.
Unlike a dog or us, the horse can breathe only through the nose, not through the mouth.
Which means pressure on that soft outer wall from the outside is enough to close his airway.
Nothing more needs to be said.

18/05/2026

Die Bilder aus der Präparation sind wirklich großartig. Das sieht man sonst in dieser Art nicht. Nicht im Lehrbuch und auch nicht im Dialog mit den Professoren

Wie das Gewebe der Sehne sich verändert, ist auf diesem Bild erschreckend gut zu sehen

Geriatric break down of tendons and ligaments

In old age, tendon tissue gradually undergoes structural, cellular, and mechanical degradation. Tendons lose elasticity and become stiffer, collagen fibers become disorganized, and cellular density drops. This decline limits shock absorption, reduces the tendon's regenerative capacity, and increases the risk of tendinopathies and tears. This type of break down is age related. The horse in the photo below was 24 years old and never ridden but did do cart/harness work. The photo shows a normal superficial flexor tendon and a compromised suspensory ligament from a hind limb.

Key age-related changes in tendon tissue include, Collagen Disorganization, The production of new collagen (the primary protein for tendon strength) decreases, and existing fibers suffer from cross-linking caused by advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). This makes the tissue more brittle and less capable of elastic energy storage.Reduced Blood Supply, Tendons have a naturally poor blood supply, and this vascularity further diminishes with age, making it harder for the tissue to receive necessary nutrients and heal properly. Cellular Senescence, The overall number of tendon-maintaining cells (tenocytes) and tendon stem cells (TSPCs) significantly declines. The surviving cells exhibit lower metabolic activity, meaning they are much slower at synthesizing new tissue or migrating to an injury site.

Microscopic Accumulation of Damage because the healing and remodeling processes are less efficient, repetitive daily strain can lead to the slow buildup of microscopic damage and disorganized scar tissue (degeneration) over time.

To offset these biological changes and stimulate collagen synthesis, safe, controlled mechanical loading (such as heavy slow resistance training or specific strength exercises) is often recommended. Tendons respond well to stress, but require longer adaptation and recovery times in older age. The balance to strike in old age is enough resistance to keep tissue function but not so much the tissues are challenged too much. This balance differs horse to horse. Keeping horses moving into old age to maintain health is key, movement is medicine and the body as a whole needs movement to function optimally.

Making the call for humane euthanasia before catastrophic failure is a final gift we can give our horses in old age….this is the burden we must carry. Better a week too early than a day too late. It’s better to plan the event than to find your horse writhing in pain.

16/05/2026

Großangelegte Studien zu ECVM

Auszug aus den Ergebnissen alter Studien von Sue Dyson: „Die Forscher fanden keinen Zusammenhang zwischen ECVM und Ataxie, Schmerzen oder Lahmheit. Bei den Pferden, die diese Symptome zeigten, fanden Dyson et al. (2024) stattdessen häufig andere Befunde wie Arthrose an den Gelenkfortsätzen, Wirbelgleiten/ Fehlstellung der Wirbel, Einengungen der Zwischenwirbellöcher (durch die die Nerven verlaufen) oder Veränderungen an den Bandscheibenverbindungen.

Dr. Sue Dyson, die übrigens auch am aktuellen Forschungsprojekt der EQUCAP beteiligt ist, grenzt ECVM und CVSM klar voneinander ab. Sie rät, bei Pferden mit CVSM-Symptomen (Ataxie) nach degenerativen Verschleißerscheinungen zu suchen. ECVM-Variationen sind aus ihrer Sicht oft nur ein unbedeutender Nebenbefund.“

Über ECVM wurde bereits viel geforscht, aber nun soll eine neue Studie wirklich Klarheit über Relevanz, Symptome und Vererbbarkeit bringen.

14/05/2026

27.5. 20 Uhr. ZOOM
Tolle Insides aus der Pferdewelt mit Emma.
Total cool, was Emma schon für Erfolge aufzuweisen hat. Das wird sicher sehr interessant 😇🔝🎁🙏