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This may be obvious if only one leg is affected but can be
harder to detect when more than one limb is involved, and
may described as 'stiff'. Lameness is very common in
older horses as the bones, joints and soft tissues have
experienced 'wear and tear' over many years of use.
If you think that your horse may be lame, arrange an
appointment with your vet to have him/her examined. It
may be wise to ask your vet to check for lameness at the
annual health check even if you have not noticed any
problems as subtle, chronic (long term) problems are
often difficult to detect.
In some cases it is possible to diagnose the cause of
lameness on clinical examination alone, but further tests
may be necessary.
These might include:
l
nerve or joint blocks (using local anaesthetic to
pinpoint the site of the lameness)
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x-rays
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ultrasound scans
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bone scanning.
Lameness
07
Old Friends...
Hoof testers being applied to a horse’s foot
for lameness investigation.
Caring for the
older horse
A horse is considered to be lame if it
experiences pain or difficulty when
putting the foot to the ground whilst
walking or trotting.
If you think your horse may be lame make
an appointment with your vet.