![]() The leg flexion test often makes lameness worse, especially if the leg is adducted. These horses often present with lateral rotation and the leg abducted from the body. Acute lameness of the hip joint can vary widely in severity and is generally associated with some trauma or fall that can stretch the soft tissues of the joint capsule or the combined ligaments of the hip joint femoral head. It will present with lateral rotation of the leg and some form of muscle enlargement if it is acute or usually atrophy if it is chronic in the gluteal region.Ĭoxofemoral arthropathies can also present as an acute or chronic problem. The clinical presentation can vary widely with chronicity typically showing some form of gait abnormality or lameness, but often the horse Some of the most common clinical signs of horses and complaints from riders are lack of propulsion, poor hindquarters engagement, reluctance in turns, back stiffness, lack of power in turns, muscle pain, gait short / stiff and varying degrees of lameness. ![]() The old cliché of “no foot, no horse” still holds true.Hip joint lameness in the equine athlete can be an acute injury, but many of the conditions affecting this region can have an insidious onset and lead to reduced performance problems long before actual lameness is apparent. Regular and effective farriery is important in avoiding lameness as well as overall fitness and good management for every horse. In many cases a minor lameness can be rectified reasonably simply and quickly, but as the causes of lameness are so varied, the prognosis will depend on the type of issue found. Very few horses will enjoy their working lives without taking a lame step, in the same way that few active people will live without the odd ache or pain. Your vet will be able to advise on the best steps. Treatment for lameness will depend on the cause of the pain the horse is experiencing, but for mild lameness is likely to include rest, cold therapy and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), such as phenylbutazone. ![]() ![]() This work is enabling Dr Dyson to develop an ethogram to help identify lame horses with the intention of producing a functional guide for horse owners to use in the future. Previous research designed to investigate why saddles slip had shown that nearly half of sport horses thought to be sound by their owners were actually lame 5. Lame horses displayed an average of nine of the markers. As part of this work, 24 behavioural markers were consistently linked to lameness 4, with the presence of eight or more being a likely indicator of musculoskeletal pain. These gradings tend to be subjective and so are best used to monitor improvement or deterioration in a horse’s lameness, rather than to compare lameness among different horses.ĭr Sue Dyson, former head of clinical orthopaedics at the Animal Health Trust (AHT), has undertaken extensive research to identify the external signs that a horse is in pain. Levels of lameness are normally graded on a sliding scale, which can run from zero to five or zero to 10, depending on your vet. To support the vet’s eye, a number of computer systems that use wireless sensors to track the movement of the horse’s poll, pelvis and the flight of the horse’s limbs have been developed to help identify where there are gait abnormalities 3. Vets may also use a range of diagnostic tools, such as X-rays, ultrasound and nuclear scintigraphy (bone scans), MRI scans, as part of a lameness work-up. A thorough physical examination of the limbs, feet, neck and back, trotting the horse up in a straight line and on a circle on soft and hard surfaces, flexion tests plus nerve blocks are all common ways to pinpoint the location of the problem.
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