FastTrack BRACE

The World's First Rehabilitative Orthotic For Equine Lameness

FastTrack is a groundbreaking equine orthotic brace that provides a safe, controlled rehabilitation environment for horses suffering from soft tissue injuries of the ‘flexor apparatus.’  The ‘flexor apparatus’ includes the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT), deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT), their respective accessory (check) ligaments, suspensory ligament, distal sesamoidian ligaments, and their associated structures.

The brace prevents over extension of the fetlock (fetlock drop) during weight-bearing, which in turn reduces the loading forces on the flexor apparatus during exercise by redistributing them to the cannon bone. This allows the horse to enter controlled exercise as soon as the inflammatory phase of healing has passed, much faster than normal.  This controlled loading facilitates remodeling and organization of the healing tissue resulting in a stronger final outcome, more resistant to re-injury.    

The brace is a strong exoskeletal structure, padded for comfort and equipped with a safe stop dial. This dial is set to prevent fetlock extension (drop) past a certain range of motion (fetlock joint angle) during weight bearing. The dial can be set at 10 degrees to limit fetlock drop to 10 degrees for severe injuries or it may be increased up to 80-90 to allow close to full range of fetlock motion, essentially full weight bearing and load on the structures. As the horse progresses through rehabilitation and the injured structure continues to heal and gain strength, the dial is adjusted to allow more and more range of motion, strictly controlling the increase in force placed on the healing tissue at each stage.

The brace is custom fit to the horse by heating the thermo-formable padding, similar to heat fitting downhill skiing boots. Once fit to the horse, the horse may begin controlled exercise without concern of overuse of the injured structure.  The brace can be used in conjunction with other rehabilitative and therapeutic modalities and is strong enough to be used on the walk, trot and canter as the patient progresses through rehabilitation.

We have been very happy with the ease of the FastTrack brace and outcomes of our patients requiring the brace to facilitate their rehabilitation. More photos and information can also be found at the Horsepower Technology website: Horsepowertech.com