![]() Therefore, it is important to have both the lameness and the indications of any neurological problems evaluated as soon as they are recognized. This may complicate the lameness evaluation and possibly its treatment. Horses, particularly those with chronic problems, may develop compensatory gait abnormalities to deal with the primary problem making diagnosis more difficult. Neurological diseases such as Wobbler Syndrome and Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis, trauma, and other diseases and conditions can cause severe neurological deficits that result in performance problems and lameness. Horses with neurologic disease often move and carry themselves abnormally causing painful orthopedic conditions as the horse attempts to compensate. Is it lameness or a neurological disease?Īnother consideration for the veterinarian is whether the apparent lameness might indicate a neurological disease caused by spinal cord damage, especially if it is mild. Cases of lameness may take several days to investigate and are even more difficult to evaluate once the lameness becomes chronic. The evaluation process and comprehensive lameness examination requires patience by the horse owner and veterinarian. The horse needs to be observed carefully to see if the lameness worsens, stays the same, or improves under different conditions and with varying degrees of exercise. A horse may show no evidence of lameness on a soft, smooth surface, but show a high degree of lameness on rough, hard terrain. A horse that is walking around in a pasture may not appear to be lame, but, with a rider on it's back, may show significant lameness when urged into a trot or canter.ĭifficulty of terrain or different kinds of surfaces may impact the grade of lameness. The degree of lameness may vary depending on the ease or difficulty of movement, the stage of the movement or exercise, and the cause of the lameness. Lameness is a dynamic rather than a static event and needs to be examined under a variety of conditions to fully assess the horse's capabilities since a horse may not show the same grade of lameness under different circumstances. Such abnormalities may be caused by pain in the back, shoulders, withers, neck, loin, hips, legs, feet, or other factors that affect the horse. ![]() ![]() Lameness is any abnormality of the horse's gait that is caused by pain or restriction of movement. Watching a horse trot may be key to pinpointing the cause of lameness. Lameness Diagnosing Horse Lameness - The Veterinary Process ![]()
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