Top jumper rider Tiffany Foster and her head groom share their leg care regimen for before, during, and after competition.
Tiffany Foster and her head groom, Caroline Holmberg, work closely together to monitor any minor changes to their horses’ legs. This means that an intimate knowledge of each horse’s ‘normal’ is of paramount importance in order to identify any slight changes and address the issue before it turns into something serious.

“It is of the utmost importance to know your horses’ legs,” explains Foster. “Every horse is different and every horse’s ‘normal’ is different. Some horses, especially the older ones that have a lot of mileage, might always look thicker than what is considered ideal, but if you know that, then there is no cause for alarm. On the other hand, if your horse’s legs are usually tight and you pull them out of the box one morning and one leg looks bigger, you know that it needs attention.”

Any top rider’s relationship with their groom is based on trust and communication. Often the first person to examine the legs in the morning and the one who will handle the horse the most throughout the day, grooms are the horse’s first line of defence. “The groom probably plays the biggest role in really knowing a horse’s legs,” says Foster. “They handle them several times a day and should be very in tune with what their horse’s legs look like. A good groom can be the difference between a little problem and a big problem.

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