Warmup and shoeing

 
We look at our horses as we do a human athlete and know that proper exercise nutrition supplements and enough rest are key. Proper warmup exercises and stretching to warm up before working are also necessary he notes.
Then theres the issue of shoeing. Making sure our horses are shod properly and at correct intervals is important to be sure the upper columns of joints are not tweaked by foot fall problems Dunning says . The bottom line Good technical shoeing can help protect the joints of a reining or cutting horse. In reining horses Dunning explains that performance shoeing will allow both the front and back feet to move properly without interference or adverse traction in a deep slide. If a cutting horse is shod he says that balanced feet backedup front toes and tight shoes with no overhang should enable quick movement with less chance of injury.

In addition he uses front and hind boots on reining and cutting horses but stresses that they must be applied properly conform well to the leg and guard against concussion issues. Depending on the exact activity we also use splint boots skid boots bell boots and knee boots he adds. 
Doing enough without overdoing
The show hunters jumpers and equitation horses that are Scott Licos stock in trade have one thing in commonjumping. Visualize the hind legs acting as springs with every gravitydefying leap. While a wellexecuted jump looks effortless it is also can take a toll on joints.
A United States Hunter Jumper Association certified trainer Licowho works out of Lake View Terrace Californiahas studied under many of the sports masters and specializes in highperformance show jumpers. The stress of jumping most affects the coffin joint fetlock hock and stifle he says. In my experience navicular disease is also a common cause of lameness in the jumping horse Lico notes.
Only so many jumps
He repeats a familiar refrain among hunterjumper veterans A horse only has so many jumps in its lifetime and we must take care to not overjump and to preserve the horses soundness.
Proper management is extremely important when it comes to the show jumper Lico continued. My horses actually do not jump very often or very big at home. In fact they spend more time working hard on their flatwork and only jump twice per week. At the shows which are a special occasion we will jump three times per week. He