LAMENESS
Your horse relies on you to care for him and if there is an issue to sort it out and not make matters worse. You must be vigilant and know your horse. Is he stumbling more? Is he reluctant to walk downhill? Is he wearing one hoof more than the other?
If you suspect lameness, a vet or farrier should be called. Below are some pointers to help you diagnose the leg and problem area.
Lameness can be shown in many ways.
Your horse may be resting their leg and reluctant to put weight on it.
They may move oddly.
When trotting their head may bob or they may hold one hip up, made worse when taken on a circle.
Ed is lame front right so his head goes down when the sound leg is on the ground.
When trotting the triangle gaps made by the sets of legs may be different.
He is lame on the front left so the gap is shorter after the lame leg hits the ground.
They may have difficulty moving backwards (if no obvious lameness then this could be neurological).
If you suspect your horse is lame-
Check the legs for lumps, bumps, heat and swelling. If the issue is obvious, then a vet will probably be needed.
Pick the feet out, looking carefully for any sign of punctures.
Check the hooves for heat. If in one foot this could be an abscess, if in both, possible laminitis, or just warm feet of course.
If you suspect the hoof, use a hoof tester to pinch the hoof including the frog, to find any sensitive areas.
Smell the frog as, if it is thrush, there will be a smell of rotting flesh.
Pick the leg up and flex all the joints individually to see the horse’s reaction. This may give you an idea of where the problem is.
Ask the horse to walk forward and observe-
A- If he is reluctant to move even one step, then a vet is needed immediately, especially if he is sweating as well, as this is a sign of severe pain.
B- If he swings his leg the problem is usually in a joint.
C- If his head bobs down, it does so as the sound leg is on the ground.
D- See how he moves his joints, is he not flexing one as much as the others?
E- Observe how the foot hits the ground and if he is saving his heel or toe.
F- Is his movement slow, reluctant and steps very small then the vet will be needed, as this is an indication of lameness in both legs.
Spotting lameness at the trot
If you are still not sure, have someone trot your horse up for you.
They must do this trotting in a straight line with a loose lead rein so the horse’s head can move freely. Look from behind, in front and the side.
In trot, if the horse’s head bobs, the head goes down on the sound leg if the problem is in the front feet, and the opposite if in the hind legs.
Look at the triangles created by the sets of legs. The triangle is smaller after the lame leg is on the ground as already shown.
If the lameness is behind, the lame leg’s hip will appear higher.
If still unsure, have someone trot your horse in a 15m circle decreasing to 10m on both reins, start on soft surface then on hard.
The lameness will show more on the rein the lame leg is on. In this instance Blu is lame on the front left. There was no heat ,lumps or bumps. The farrier came and found no abscess or pain in the foot. He had a minor bone spur in his pastern. The vet gave him a steroid injection to relieve the pain and he is now 100% sound.
In this video, the shoe was taken off and 4 days of bute prescribed, but by the next day he was completely sound and has stayed that way ever since, thank goodness.
Final Thoughts
I have given you a few pointers to help you determine if there is an issue and where it is, but the vet is the best one to speak to and to help with the solution.
Calling the vet early can make a much more favourable outcome for your lovely horse.