Lameness

Lameness is a term used to describe the horse’s gait being adversely affected by pain or a restriction in movement.

It can range from just a decreased ability or willingness to perform to the horse being unable to carry any weight on the affected limb at all.

The pain or restriction can originate in the hoof, in the leg, or elsewhere in the horse’s body, such as the back or neck.

Our aim is to identify the cause of the problem, recommend appropriate treatment and get your horse back to normal as quickly as possible.

Investigations that can be carried out if necessary at your yard include:

• examination of your horse’s movement, stride and limb placement

• palpation of the limbs and muscles

• ridden or working examination

• nerve or joint blocks

• x-ray or ultrasound

If more advanced investigations are required we have close working relationships with several highly specialised equine referral centres that can perform scintigraphy (bone scans), MRI scans, CT scans and arthroscopy/tenoscopy (using a camera to visualise inside a joint or tendon sheath).