Every horse owner knows that turnout time is play time, and their animal will likely take full advantage of its freedom by running, bucking and rolling around to its heart's content. Running free, without rider or rope, is what horses were meant to do -- but many domesticated horses live exclusively in stalls or small paddocks, so the occasional turnout time is the only time they are allowed to do it.
Unfortunately, says equine veterinarian David Ramey, turnout time can be dangerous. "When a horse takes off into an exercise arena, many of them head full speed for the other side. ... Then they stop, spin, and run back at the same breakneck speed," Ramey wrote in a 2012 blog article at DoctorRamey.com.
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The torque created by an animal turning at such speeds is tremendous, and, every once in a while, creates a disaster. If for any reason (e.g., deep, soft dirt) the horse can't turn its leg at the proper speed, all of that torque gets applied to the leg instead of to the ground. Horses' legs are strong and built for running, but the short pastern bone just above the hoof can't take that much pressure and can shatter.
Ramey had seen two shattered pastern bones in the year previous to writing the article in November 2014. He warns that although this injury usually doesn't happen during turnout, it can, and many times corrective surgery is both and prohibitively expensive and less than curative.
A good way to help prevent this disastrous injury, Ramey says, is to bring the horse into the arena and let it run around for a minute or two before releasing it from the lunge line. This allows the animal to blow off a little steam before running free.
"It's pretty unusual for a horse to go sprinting off after they've already been able to act like an idiot for a minute or two," Ramey said.
The technique is seen in the video below from Carly Pearl-Sacks. She brings her miniature horse, Turbo, into the arena and keeps him on the lunge line while he enjoys a berserk roll in the dirt before trotting over to her. When she releases him, the stallion pauses before running off at a happy -- and safely relaxed -- gallop.
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