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Written by Lady Anne
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Wednesday, 11 October 2006 |
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 What does it mean? How to recognize it? What to do? What are the possible causes? What could be related diseases? All this information for the welfare of your horse is available in the lines below.
What does it mean?
Lameness is the lack of ability to walk normally as a result of an injury or some other kind of problem, especially in a foot or leg. If your horse is lame he is hurting and the reason must be detected and treated. With proper care most lameness cases are temporary and the horse recovers. There can be chronic cases and if in spite of treatment the horse continues to suffer unacceptable levels of discomfort, there is sometimes no choice but to consider euthanasia.
How to recognize it
Lameness is most easily spotted when the horse is trotting. His movement becomes uneven, ranging from a mere hitch in stride to obvious reluctance to put weight on one of his feet. In addition, lame horses tend to throw their heads in rhythm with their stride. If the pain is in one of the front legs, a horse will throw his head up as that leg touches the ground. Pain in one of the back legs will result in the horse leaning onto the sound side, sometimes also dragging the toe on the sore side. If the problem is in both front feet or all four feet, there will be no limp but the horse will keep his head up and move with a short, stumbling stride.
When standing, a healthy horse will keep his legs under his body, his front legs perpendicular to the ground. A "Camped out" form of standing is a probable sign of soreness. Resting a hind foot is normal but the front feet should bear equal weight. If a horse is pointing a front leg forward with just the toe on the ground, he could be trying to avoid putting weight on a sore front leg.
What to do?
First and foremost, don't ride a lame horse (unless specifically directed to do so by a veterinarian). Lameness is a sign of pain and it is best to call a veterinarian to determine what the cause of the lameness is and exactly where the horse hurts. The sooner this is done, the less time the horse suffers and in most cases it also ends up being cheaper.
Possible causes
Although calling a veterinarian is recommended it is a good idea to conduct a basic search for any obvious causes. It is best to start at the bottom, picking out the horse's feet and making sure there are no stones wedged into the crevices. One should also look our for dark spots indicating a bruised sole and feel the hooves for heat and the pulse in the artery passing over the fetlock joint for pounding, both signs of injury. Badly cracked feet can also cause lameness as can feet that have been trimmed too short. If that is the case keep the horse on soft ground until the hoof grows in. If the horse has recently been shod it is possible one of the nails is badly placed or the shoe is pinching. A farrier could check this out.
Heat and swelling in the lower leg could be a sign of an injured tendon or ligament. This type of injury will require a long rest period in order to heal. Problems could also appear in the joints. The stifle (the equivalent of our knee) could slip and lock and if the horse has been overworked, particularly when young, there could be bone chips floating in the joints. Horses can also suffer from arthritis and bursitis and even from sore backs. This last is common among riding horses and can happen even if the horse is not lame. Resistance to saddling, bucking or flinching and sinking the back when brushed are all possible signs of a sore back.
Related Diseases
There are two common conditions to be watched out for. Laminitis, otherwise called founder, is an inflammation of the foot commonly cased by overeating. It often occurs in the front feet but can affect also the hind ones and is extremely painful. Navicular disease is the result of progressive degeneration of the navicular bone (a small bone inside the foot) and the tendon passing over it. This disease has no cure but proper treatment and corrective shoeing and trimming can minimize the horse's discomfort for many years. On and off lameness with no apparent cause, more wear on the toes than on the heels and standing with one or both front feet stretched forward are all possible signs of this disease.
Another serious condition, caused by a build up of lactic acid in the muscles, is tying up. If the horse seems to seize up during a ride or shows signs of stiffness and unwillingness to move after work, he may be suffering from this problem. It is important not to try to make him move but to cover him with a blanket and call the veterinarian. To prevent this disease reduce the amount of oats the horse gets when he isn't working and make sure to warm him up gradually at the beginning of each riding session and cool him carefully at the end.
See how JJ's is getting better after having a Navicular disease. |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 12 November 2006 )
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