Glossary
Lameness.
Direct answer
Lameness in the horse is a visible disturbance of gait caused by pain or by a mechanical restriction of movement. Lameness is a clinical sign rather than a diagnosis: it shows that some structure is involved, without indicating where the problem sits or what caused it.
Classical assessment remains subjective: the horse is watched at walk and trot, in hand and then on a circle, and the lameness is graded. Several grading scales are in use, so a grade quoted without naming its scale carries little information. Agreement between experienced observers is limited for subtle lameness, which is why objective measurement systems now supplement the eye.
A common error is to equate the limb that looks lame with the site of pain. The horse carries its mass on four limbs and compensates, so hindlimb pain can produce a head movement that mimics a forelimb problem. Unlike a person, the animal cannot point to the painful place, hence the reliance on imaging and on diagnostic analgesia.
Dynamic examinationDiagnostic analgesia (nerve block)Movement asymmetrySuperficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT)
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