hindlameness

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Holly Covey Horses
Information About Horse Care and Training ~ Holly Covey, hollihorse@yahoo.com ~ The article below was written and copyrighted by Holly Covey. Must have permission to copy, resend, or reprint.

Examining A Horse Yourself For Hind Leg Lameness

With lameness -- everything the horse does, he does in pain -- no wonder many so-called training issues, personality quirks, or disobediences are misdiagnosed. When a horse gives you an "attitude", or refuses to do something, or seems to resist exercises, the very first place to start is to find out what hurts and where.

Start at the bottom on the foundation. Examine the hoof carefully, take your time. Look at it's shape , compare the shape to the other hind hoof. Check the temperature of the hoof and any differences in angle, length of toe, etc. This time of year there are a lot of abcesses in feet from hard ground so it's a good place to start. Next go up the leg checking for heat, gradual swelling, tenderness, hidden cuts that are sore, etc . Pick up the leg, palpate the tendons on the back of the leg, the fetlock joint . Stand back and compare the fetlock joints, the cannon bones, the tendons, the hock outlines from one leg to the other and see if the profiles match. If one shows a bowed look, or a lump, or a bump that the other leg doesn't, it's possible an injury to that area is the cause. Examine the joints; Fold the fetlock joint and hold it, to put pressure on the sesamoid area, then let the horse put it down, and trot him off. "Crunch" the hock for a few moments and see how the horse reacts. Press on the stifle joint, manipulate with your hand. Pull the tail and rock the horse's weight from one leg to the other. Watch them when they stretch to urinate; often a sore hock or stifle will have the horse doing a really odd contortion in order to pee without straining the sore joint.

Going on up the leg, take three fingers, press into the hip muscle at the top of the quarters and drag your fingers down the top of the big muscle; if he shrinks down, that muscle could be sore. Check the interior muscles, they are very large and have wide areas of attachment in the hindquarter, and you really have to push and poke, do not be afraid to use your elbow, for instance. Watch the horse's face and be sure to keep well away from any hind legs that might be kicking at the unexpected or painful pressure. Keep your exam on the bones and muscles of the hip; don't irritate the horse by mucking about the flank, for instance, that's a sure way to get kicked -- it's instinctive in the horse to protect this vulnerable area. Keep your head in the clear, and stand parallel to the body of the horse rather than face the horse. Muscles in the hind quarter can get severely painful, and here are any number of reasons for muscle soreness, including past episodes of tying up, overwork, skin soreness from ill-fitting blankets, saddles, harness, etc., being shipped in a slippery-floored horse trailer, an immunization or medication given via intramuscular injection, such as penicillin, or from being body slammed from another horse, etc.

Compare and check the hind leg's shape and movement carefully. Horses don't "nod" down on hind legs that hurt like they do on front legs. You have to be much more of an observer to find a hind leg lameness, therefore, because so much less of the horse's weight is carried over the backend, and he can more easily lighten the hind leg as it lands to prevent painful impact. Carefully watch and measure the angulation of the hock joint or stifle joint, from one leg to the other, to help you pinpoint the leg. Horses cannot speak, but they are also simply made and usually a little common sense detective work will find your horse's lameness. No one can have a great attitude if they hurt!

This article is cross referenced under: Lameness - Hindquarters - Hoof - Stifle - Hock - Muscle Soreness - Examining The Horse - Training Problems. For more information on your selected topic, click any one of the listed links for related articles.