An art or a science?

Is lameness more easily detected by the trained eye or technology? Thijs de Bont MRCVS discusses both

- Thijs de Bont MRCVS

MANY, if not all, horse owners will be all too familiar with those dreaded words “my horse is lame”. But what is lameness and what is the best way to investigate it?

Lameness can be described as an asymmetrical gait abnormality which is often, but not always, due to pain. One would be forgiven for thinking that it should not be too difficult to diagnose which leg is affected and the source of lameness, since horses only have four legs, after all.

In reality, it is not always so simple. Lameness can be acute or chronic, mild to severe, unilateral or bilateral (on one side or both), affecting fore or hind limbs, or both, and primary or compensatory in nature. In addition, apparent limb lameness can manifest from neck, back and pelvic problems.

Finally, not all lameness is due to pain and horses may show signs of lameness due to compensatory mechanisms, anatomical asymmetry or rider interference.

In practice, bar acute injuries, it is quite rare to make a “single-leg, single problem” diagnosis. Horses with performance issues, in particular, are usually cases involving multi-limb lameness, both primary and compensatory in nature and often also involving the neck, back and pelvis.

There is certainly an art as well as a science to lameness diagnosis, with many orthopaedic vets having a reputation for having a “good eye” or “feeling” for a horse’s movements. Anyone can look at a horse and assess movement, but what we see is not necessarily what someone else sees, which can make lameness assessment incredibly subjective.