2001 S. Lincoln Ave. By Sarah Probst Information Specialist University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine Human and equine athletes can exercise too much for their own good. I know from firsthand experience. I was 16 with visions of a college basketball scholarship when I worked my heart out during sophomore pre-season training. Even when I started getting piercing pains up both shins, I kept going.
Horses can also work too hard for their bones.
Decreased performance, a slight limp, or significant lameness are all signs that your horse may have a stress fracture. Stress fractures are hairline fractures in bone that may develop into a complete fracture or irreparable lameness if not diagnosed early. Scintigraphy, a special imaging modality, may be necessary to determine if your horse needs to take a work break to prevent a bone break. In 1978, the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in Urbana became the first U.S. veterinary school to use scintigraphy in horses. Since 1992 more than 200 veterinarians from around the world have attended the annual equine nuclear medicine training workshop at the College, to learn how to perform scintigraphy in their own clinics or equine hospitals.