What if a hind limb is lame? A hind limb lameness most commonly presents as a “hip hike,” sometimes also called a gluteal rise. The best place to see a head bob is when you are watching the horse trot from the side. This can help you start to see a pattern and then match footfalls to the beat.
When horse owners are first starting to learn how to look for lameness, they will sometimes hear people call out the head movements: up, down, up, down.
For example, if the head goes up when the left front leg hits the ground, you’ve found a left front lameness. This requires you to watch head movement and match it with corresponding foot falls. Just as you shift weight to the right if your left foot hurts, a horse will lift his head when a lame front leg hits the ground. A horse that is lame on a front leg will have what is called a “head bob.” Although a horse has a natural head movement at the trot, this up and down movement will become exaggerated when a front leg hurts. When in doubt, call the vet.Now let’s learn about identifying a front leg lameness. Some causes of lameness are minor and will resolve with stall rest, but some causes may be so severe they could lead to euthanasia. Apart from fractures, injuries include sprains, strains, and damage to ligaments or tendons.
Too much selenium can lead to hoof cracks.Īn open fracture with bone poking out of the skin is an obvious injury, but others are less obvious and may be more difficult to diagnose. Too many carbohydrates can lead to rhabdomyolysis, otherwise known as shivers and Monday Morning Disease. Omega-3 fatty acids provide hoof resilience and prevent hoof cracks. Zinc, biotin, copper, and protein are needed to strengthen hooves. Too little or too much of certain nutrients can lead to many problems that may cause a horse to become lame. In some cases it may be so severe that the horse needs to be euthanized. It can be caused by a sudden increase in grain consumption, pregnancy, hormones, obesity, infections, and drinking cold water too quickly. Laminitis, otherwise known as founder, is a result of the bone in the foot losing its connection with the hoof wall and rotating or sinking within the hoof. Some examples of infections that cause ataxia are tetanus, West Nile Virus (WNV), rhinopneumonitis (rhino), and Equine Protozoal Myelitis (EPM). You might be thinking about a wound that becomes infected, which can certainly cause problems, but there are many different kinds of infections that can cause horses to lose their balance (ataxia) and affect their ability to walk normally and become lame. Navicular syndrome is a term for many problems affecting the navicular bone, which may have many different causes. There are many different structures in the hoof that can cause heel pain, such as the suspensory ligament of the navicular bone, the impar ligament that connects the navicular bone to the back of the coffin bone, and other collateral ligaments. The body naturally repairs the cartilage in joints after normal wear and tear, but excessive wear can overwhelm this process, leading to stiffness and diminished range of motion, which can ultimately lead to a lame horse. Otherwise known as arthritis, Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) is common in equine athletes.
While lameness is a somewhat broad term, it is characteristically defined by common signs and symptoms: Here are 6 common causes of lameness in horses. Some of the things that cause a horse to be lame are preventable and many are manageable if caught early enough. Up to 90% of lameness originates in the foot, but there are a wide variety of causes. Lameness is a problem that will affect most horses at some point in their lives.