Healing champions

Lee Evison has been involved in the rehabilitation of more than 3,000 horses from all over the world. Some recover well enough to race again, while others become family pets or live out their days in less strenuous pursuits than racing.

Evison’s strike rate is high: “We have had plenty of winners of group races and most days of the week there are horses running somewhere in Australia that we have helped to rehabilitate,” he said. He has worked with horses trained by champions like Chris Waller, Ciaron Maher, Peter Moody, Tony Gollan, and
many others.

Injuries to tendons require a meticulous and prolonged process of recovery and rehabilitation. When a horse injures a tendon, the initial treatment phase involves addressing the inflammation and preventing further damage. This acute phase, typically the first 21 days post-injury, is crucial.

Catching the injury early improves the horse’s chances of a speedy recovery. “When you get them in the first 21 days of an injury, when they are still in that inflammatory or acute phase, it is very easy to fix them. It’s a very straightforward process, and the results are excellent,” said Evison.

During this period, the tendon is still in the inflammatory stage and easier to treat effectively. If the injury is not treated promptly, the tendon begins to remodel, leading to the development of scar tissue. As the tendon thickens, the recovery process becomes more complex and prolonged.

Rehabilitation involves a combination of controlled exercise and medication. Controlled exercise is essential to restore flexion to the joints and stretch the tendon to regain its motion. “You have to get the tendon to a stage where they consolidate under a certain level of loading. Once they do, that’s the right time to give them a bit of a spell,” said Evison.

The final stages of rehabilitation typically include getting the horse up to working at even time, which prepares them for the rigours of training and racing. Once they reach this stage, they are handed back to the trainer with detailed instructions for continued care and training. This careful balance of exercise and rest, along with appropriate medical interventions, is key to ensuring a horse can return to the track without the risk of reinjury. “Medication is part of what we do, maybe 20 per cent of it, but the controlled exercise is probably the most important part.”

This meticulous approach to equine rehabilitation is mirrored in the recovery process for human athletes in the racing industry.

Dr Ben Barresi M.B.B.S., F.R.A.C.G.P., a Melbourne-based sports medicine doctor, is the chief medical officer for Racing Victoria and has supervised the rehabilitation of many different kinds of rider injuries.

“From the moment an injury is recognised on race day they are very well managed at the venue. We have first responders, paramedics, and experienced race day doctors who service meetings and have been doing it for decades. They are very well
supported by transport staff and our race day stewards, and they all work really well as a team,” he explains.

“There is also very close communication throughout the process – from when the injury is first sustained and during the rehabilitation phase – between welfare staff and the VJA, with Matt Hyland, Matt Pumpa, and Ron Hall.

“Once hospitals have done their assessments of an injury, they can send me a copy of the X-rays or a photo, and I can look at them online. I can think about what might need to happen, if they need surgery or not.

We can get very wide and knowledgeable advice early on to coordinate appropriate care in the least invasive way for our jockeys.”

Planning the return to action is key. “Often, they have to wait for injuries to heal, but when the injuries are sufficiently healed, they can start an active program under the supervision of a physiotherapist or a suitably qualified therapist, starting with light exercise or, if they can, running.”

Riders with leg injuries can’t run, but even then, says Barresi, they can work on their upper body strength using weights. “When they can stand, they might be able to do some work on a bike, some swimming or hydro exercise, walking in the water, running in the water.”

“There are different activities you can plan to keep them fit and stimulated while they are recuperating, but always with the jockey at the centre of it all. Then we start to map out goals to get them back to more activity. Some more fitness work, modified work, some work back at the stable, then some work handling horses and, when they are well enough, some work back on horses. They will start with some slow work on track, some faster work/gallops, jump outs, before getting them back to the races.”