Horse Lameness

Lameness is probably the most common veterinary problem withwhich the horse owner is confronted. The possibility of the horsegoing lame increases with the speed at which he is required towork and with the demands of competition riding.

There are many reasons for a horse becoming lame: an injury,disease, immaturity, old age, or heredity. Some lameness is peculiar to certain types of horse and the work that they a i erequired to do. A major cause of lameness is the horse beingasked to carry out activities for which he has not been sufficientlywell prepared.

Lameness is manifested by the horse in his stance or gait. Insevere cases he may, whilst standing still, rest a leg or even hold itentirely off the ground. The lameness may show in walk but it isusually most easily seen when the horse is trotting.

Foreleg lameness is most easily seen as the horse is trottedtowards one. As the lame leg comes to the ground he will lift hishead up in an effort to take weight off that leg. As the sound legcomes to the ground he will lower his head again. Hind leglameness is best seen as the horse is trotted away. The hindquarter on the lame side will he raised as the foot or leg that is inpain is on the ground. The quarter will be lowered as the soundleg is on the ground.

Difficulty arises when the horse is lame in both forelegs, ordiagonally lame, for instance in the left foreleg and the right handleg. In principle he will try to reduce the weight that the painfullimb, or limbs, are bearing.

Having identified the limb in which the horse is lame, the seatof lameness must then be established. This is usually shown bythe presence of a wound, heat, pain, swelling or a combination oftwo or more of these symptoms. Infection is at times identified bysmell, as with thrush for instance. Where none of these symptomsis present, deep examination will probably be required. X-ray ornerve blocking can be used, both of which require professionalattention.

The chances of avoiding lameness are increased by:

1 Meticulous daily care of the feet. Regular picking out. Care ofthe frog, sole and walls of the hoof.

2 Careful, regular and correct shoeing.

3 Progressive training and preparation for hunting orcompetition riding.

4 Feeding the correct diet.

5 Good stable management.

6 Fitting the horse with protective boots or bandages whenrequired.

7 Avoiding work on very hard or very wet ground.

Lameness is most often caused by problems in the foot. The soleand the frog are very vulnerable to puncture wounds which cancause infection. This in turn brings heat and swelling, causingpain in the confined area within the hoof.

Pus in the foot This is a major cause of lameness and can arisefrom the infection of any foot injury. Its presence can often beestablished by manual examination. Pressing hard with thefingers on the sole, frog, bulbs of the heels or the coronet, ortapping the wall of the hoof lightly with a hammer, may result inthe horse flinching when the painful area is touched. Thisexamination, palpation as it is called, should be carried out withcare, especially when severe pain is expected. Pus may bedispersed with anti-biotics. It may also be drained by a veterinarysurgeon or skilled farrier by surgical means. This course shouldnever be undertaken by the unskilled. Relief of pain can beobtained by poulticing or tubbing thefoot. This treatment causes the abscess to mature and burst,sometimes through the coronet.

Laminitis This condition, which is more likely to affect poniesthan horses, is caused by over-feeding or a pony being allowedtoo much rich, spring grass. This results in the inflammation andswelling of the sensitive laminae within the feet causing greatpressure and pain. The condition occurs mainly in the forefeet.The animal will be reluctant to move and in severe cases willstand on his heels, with the forelegs stretched out in front in anattempt to take the weight off the feet. Laminitis can be treatedsuccessfully by immediate veterinary attention but if left it willalmost certainly result in irreversible damage. Temporary reliefcan be given to the animal by cold hosing the feet or standing himin a cool running stream.

Navicular disease This condition sometimes arises in the horse atabout seven years of age. It is the deterioration of a small bonedeep in the foot called the navicular bone. The reasons for itsdeterioration are not yet entirely agreed by the veterinaryprofession but various treatments do exist to relieve its effects.The onset of navicular disease is usually shown by a rather pottery stride, and lameness may come and go in the early stages.Both forefeet are usally affected although the symptoms mayshow rather more in one than the other. X-ray of the feet may berequired to confirm the presence of navicular disease.

Upright, boxy feet with contracted heels and steep pasterns aremore prone to this disease than are feet with betterconformation. It is probably due to the increased concussion onthe foot, caused by this upright conformation, that this disease isencouraged.

Whilst modern pain-killers reduce the effect of naviculardisease, the morality of their use must be questionable. Certainlythe horse in which navicular disease is confirmed is finished as areliable competition horse. Isis future as a riding horse must, atleast, be suspect.

Ringbone Ringbone is an arthritic condition causing pain in thefoot or lower part of the leg. Where it occurs between the longand the short pastern hones it is known as 'high' ringbone andwhere it occurs between the short pastern bone and the pedalbone it is called low' ringbone: These conditions are alsosometimes known as 'true' or 'false' ringbone . Its presence can befelt around these joints as a bony growth at the front and sides ofthe pastern bone. With a mild form the horse can continue inwork to a degree depending on the severity of the condition.Ringbone however will most likely preclude the horse 11 oni anyserious competition work.

Corns These are found on the underside of the foot, usually at'the seat of corn. They are caused by sustained orrepeated pressure, often from an ill-fitting shoe, which bruisesthe sensitive part of the foot. The corn can he cut out by theveterinary surgeon or the farrier. The hole is plugged and thehorse fitted with a corn shoe designed to take the pressure off theseat of corn.

Thrush This is an infection of the foot found in and around thecleft of the frog. It is generally accepted to be caused by neglectand poor stable management, and is the result of allowingorganic matter to build up and remain in the areas of the foot thatare abnormally deprived of ventilation and fresh air. The decomposition of this organic matter causes infection, and a foulcondition and smell become present in the foot. The horse's feetshould be thoroughly picked out at least once a day when he iskept at grass and three or four times a day when stabled. Whenthrush is found, the foot should be thoroughly picked out, andscrubbed with soap and water. It must then be completely driedand dressed with an antiseptic astringent such as Stockholm tar orcreosote. Mild thrush is unlikely to cause lameness, but if it isallowed to become a chronic condition, lameness may well occur.

Pedal ostitis (inflammation of the pedal bone) Pedal ostitis isusually caused by repeated concussion. It may occur in bothforefeet but usually only one is involved. The symptoms aresimilar to those of navicular disease: there is a pottery action andlameness, which goes when the horse is rested. It is generallythought to be incurable but expert shoeing and careful use maykeep the sufferer in modest work.

Bruised sole Some horses have particularly thin soles and are,consequently, prone to this injury. It is, however, not confined tothin soled horses and is usually caused by treading on a stone orsome other hard object. Rest is the most effective treatment,sometimes helped by tubbing the foot. Horses that sufferpersistently from bruising of the sole can be protected by having aleather pad fitted under the shoe to cover the sole, or by wearinghoots that protect the sole.

Sidebones These are caused by the ossification of the lateralcartilages which are two wings of cartilage either side of the footabout level with the coronary hand and just in front of the bulbsof the heels. In a young horse this would be considered to be anunsoundness as it may suggest a tendency to form new bonetogether with the lameness that it may cause. It is less serious inolder horses in that in time all cartilage tends to ossify and oncethe ossification is complete the horse will usually work sound.

Seedy be This is a separation of the horn of the foot from thesensitive, underlying tissues. It can appear in any part of the hoofbut is usually at the toe. It is sometimes caused, and certainlyaggravated, by grit or dirt being forced up into the gap between
the horn and the underlying tissue. It is usually the result iiipressure or careless shoeing, but at times the cause is difficult toidentify. The cure must be effected by the vet and the blacksmit It .

Sandcrack This is a crack that appears in the hoof starting at thecoronet and extending down the wall of the hoof to some degree.It is usually caused by injury to the coronet or something thatinterferes with the proper nutrition of the horn. Veterinaryadvice should be sought for horses suffering from this condition.

Grass cracks These appear in the wall of the hoof starting at thebottom and working up towards the coronet. They are usuallycaused by injury to the horn and are generally found in unshodanimals. Poor nutrition of the horn and neglect of the feet maycontribute to this condition. Treatment consists of the removal ofthe causes and the blacksmith burning a groove in the horn at thetop of the crack to discourage its progress up the hoof.