Methods to help diagnose lameness.

Injuries, inflammation and soundness problems are often described as acute or chronic. Acute means that the problem is happening now but will heal. Chronic means that the problem will not go away. Any lameness that has been present for more then one month may be considered chronic.

Lameness is a sign that there is something wrong with the structure of function of one or more legs of a horse. When a horse is lame, it will favor one or more feel / legs, not allowing it to touch the ground or limping on it to aviod placing its full weight on it.

Lameness evaluations are also routine in most purchase examinations. When your veterinarian evaluates an animal you are considering for purchase, you may be forewarned about potential problems and should be able to make a more informed decision.

The foot of the horse is a very unique structure that undergoes a tremendous amount of strain and stress. The foot is the foundation of the horse and a structure is only as strong and stable as its foundation. Hence, the old adage “No Foot, No Horse.” The foot is the most common area of forelimb lameness because of the amount of stress to which the equine foot is exposed. Thus it is necessary to have knowledge of the foot, clinical conditions associated with the foot and ways to avoid and treat the more common foot problems.