Lameness Exams

Horse’s that are limping are said to be ‘lame’, and a lameness examination is designed to find the origin or the cause of the limping.  Horses are moved around in hand, on a lunge line, across various hard or soft surfaces, and sometimes evaluated with a rider to aid in this detection.  Flexion tests are also performed to try to isolate regions of the limb that may be causing discomfort.

Sometimes a region is treated with a numbing agent, called a Diagnostic Nerve Block, in order to aid in the location of the lameness.  Once a region is isolated, imaging with thermography, x-rays or ultrasounds can be done to aid in further diagnosis.  Once a diagnosis is made, appropriate therapy can be instituted to remedy the horse’s ailment.