BASIC EVALUATION

When observing a horse for potential lameness, don’t just chase him in the round pen for a few strides. You’ll get no useful information that way. Instead, take a few minutes to set the stage for a more “formal” lameness assessment.

Start by observing the horse when he’s not moving, from all angles. Look for asymmetries---his left side should look just like the right. Some minor asymmetries are normal, but really pronounced differences in muscle mass, limb conformation or joint size can be indicative of lameness. You’ll need to consider this information in a larger context, though, so make a note of it and move on to jogging the horse.

Obviously, if a horse is not moving well at the walk, there’s no need to make him trot to confirm that a call to the veterinarian is in order. However, often much more subtle d we genert at the it is al, t is a two-beat qual ng onal ses.

A horse can

ess at the walk because there is minimal concussion, and the canter is a fast, asymmetric gait. Thus, if a horse is lame, we are usually going to see it in the trot.

Here, I’d like to say a quick word about gaited horses: Looking for lameness in Tennessee Walking Horses, Paso Finos or other gaited horses may be challenging because they do not have a two-beat trot. The discussion in this article may not necessarily apply to those horses because we focus on the two-beat trot for lameness detection. Many of the principles of lameness detection may be employed with these horses but gait irregularities can be harder to detect and require a more experienced eye.

Ideally, you’ll have someone to trot

won’t see it at the trot, but it will be clear at the walk. This scarring is not causing pain, just a mechanical restriction.

Another example is stringhalt, which causes exaggerated flexion of the hind limb with each stride. The cause of this condition isn’t thoroughly understood, but we know it isn’t associated with pain.

Neurological deficiencies can also cause gait abnormalities without pain. The big indicator with these is what we call “inconsistent inconsistencies.” The horse will take a big stride, then a few small ones, then a few big.

the horse for you. Have her lead him on a loose line---it is important that the horse’s head is not restrained. Start at the walk, then have the helper cluck and begin jogging to encourage the horse to pick up a trot to follow---again, no pulling on the lead. If the horse is reluctant to trot, a tap on the shoulder with a long dressage whip can provide some encouragement, but be careful to avoid getting stepped on.

Jog the horse on a flat, firm surface where, ideally, you have enough room for a long, straight stretch of 15 or more strides. Start by watching the horse trot toward you in a straight line, paying particular attention to his head movement. Then observe the horse trotting from behind, focusing on his hips.

You can’t get any type of rhythm.

When dealing with these horses it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking “this is just how this horse moves” and not pursuing things further, but that’s not a good approach. You need a diagnosis to confirm that he is truly not in any pain. Maybe he’s always moved this way because he’s always hurting; you owe it to your horse to know for sure.

And, of course, it’s important to call your veterinarian right away if you suspect your horse has a neurological condition. These can be progressive, and the horse may become dangerous to be around if he is very incoordinated.

Finally, stand to the side and watch the horse trot past you, standing far enough away so you can view his entire body. If you need to gather more information, longe the horse---some lamenesses reveal themselves better on a circle---or try different footing. Sometimes it helps to see the horse being ridden but the addition of a rider can also complicate the lameness.