Horses can experience several types of lameness, depending on the origin of the problem. It can have a range of origins as well, making diagnosis difficult. Lameness is incredibly common and can range in severity from mild to severe. Lameness is an abnormal gait in horses, often caused by pain or injury in the limbs and/or joints. After a lameness diagnosis, the horse can be treated with a range of therapies, including PEMF and laser therapy.A lameness exam usually consists of a visual inspection, a physical examination, and diagnostic tests.Treatment and therapies vary depending on the type of lameness.Lameness is a common equine health issue that should always be addressed promptly.We also provide lameness prevention tips to keep your horse healthy and active. In this article, we discuss the lameness diagnosis process, what to expect during an exam, the causes of lameness, and the treatments available. This finding reflects the high clinical significance of problems in the knee.Lameness is one of the most common issues that afflict horses, and it can be difficult to diagnose without a thorough examination. In one North American study, an incidence of 2.7% was reported and these horses were significantly less likely to start a race at 2 and 3 years compared to yearlings without lesions. Studies of radiographic changes to the knee in sales yearlings have been performed. Although these chips can be removed, and many horses compete successfully, osteoarthritis cannot be reversed and ongoing modification to training programs and veterinary treatment are required to achieve racing success. These chip fractures can occur as yearlings, although more commonly at 2 or 3 years of age. Chip fractures of the knee may occur as acute “overload” injuries but they more commonly occur in combination with osteoarthritis as this process causes a “weakening” of the bone. If these signs are ignored more permanent changes can occur, resulting in radiographic changes of osteoarthritis and lameness. These signs may include joint swelling, pain on joint flexion or subtle changes to the horse’s action, such as a wider limb stance, changing of lead legs, “hanging”, or a reluctance to work. The early signs of osteoarthritis are important to recognise as changes to exercise/ training programs and pharmaceutical treatment can stop the formation or progression of this disease. It is the skill of the breeder, trainer and their veterinary advisor that helps to determine the level of exercise needed to achieve this balance. The actual amount of exercise needed to achieve this balance will vary between horses and will depend on a number of factors, including conformation, genetics and track conditions. Appropriate training or “conditioning” stimulates this process and there is a balance that needs to be achieved that stimulates adaption but not degeneration. A horse’s skeleton, just like its muscles, needs to adapt to the forces placed on it. It may occur secondarily to “over-exercise” on an immature skeleton or be a consequence of acute injuries such as intra-articular fractures or joint infection. Osteoarthritis, which is also known as Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) is an irreversible and chronic joint disease that is typically the “end stage” of various joint insults. The knee of a thoroughbred is unfortunately a “weak point” and common site of lameness and career ending injuries. Following on from last month’s article on lameness in yearlings associated with development conditions including OCD and cystic lesions, this article will focus on lameness associated with degenerative conditions with particular reference to the knee.

Hind leg lameness in horses