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| THE VET'S NOTEBOOK |
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Guidelines for Detecting Lameness, Part III
by Dr. David Ramey, DVM |
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In my first two articles, I explained how a veterinarian detects lameness--both how to determine which leg is lame as well as some methods used to locate the site of the lameness. I'd like to wrap up this series with a few of the basic causes for lameness.
It's not enough for most people to be able to recognize that a horse is lame. Inevitably they want to know why it happens (if only so that they'll know what or who to blame or how to prevent it from happening again). Unfortunately, there's not always a good answer to the question, "Why is my horse limping?"
Sometimes horses go lame because of an accident. This can happen when a horse trips over a jump, steps on a rock or gets kicked by a neighbor. These sorts of things are inevitable. You can't really do much about them except curse fate. About the only way that you can completely avoid accidents is to keep your horse in a padded stall by itself, miles away from other horses and never ride it. (Cynics would note that the horse might eat the padding in the stall and colic, just out of spite.)
Sometimes horses go lame because of what we do to them. A misplaced horseshoe nail, a ride that was longer or harder than what the horse could tolerate or a nail sticking up in the bottom of the stall can all cause a horse that was previously in good shape to end up limping. A good dose of common sense is invaluable for keeping a horse sound.
Many times these things can be avoided (there's really no excuse to work a horse so hard that you injure it) but such things are not always our fault. For example, in spite of careful efforts, it can be very difficult for a farrier to drive a nail in the right spot in a hoof with a thin wall or next to impossible to see the nail down in the stall bedding that punctured the hoof and caused the abscess. On the other hand, the hoof abscess that occurred because the horse was left standing in the mud or improper cleaning of the hoof that led to thrush are caused by neglect. These sorts of things can be easily avoided with a basic knowledge of proper horse care.
Sometimes lameness happens to a horse for no known reason at all. For example, nobody knows for sure why a particular horse may develop arthritis, navicular syndrome or osteochondrosis (to name a few conditions). People come up with all sorts of good ideas why they might happen, but as a point in fact, they don't KNOW. There is a certain, "stuff happens" aspect to medicine, after all.
The best thing that you can do to help keep a horse from getting lame is to take good care of it. Sensible riding, regular attention to the hooves and good overall care can go a long way toward keeping a horse sound. Having a horse examined by a veterinarian at the first sign of lameness will prevent it from getting worse.
If you have questions about lameness, please submit them to the editor for the new Q&A section of the newsletter.
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| Some Common Sense Rules for Preventing Lameness |
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Make the effort to educate yourself about basic horse care through lectures, video tapes, books and knowledgeable horse people, such as your instructor, your veterinarian or your farrier.
Learn and obey all safety rules for working around horses (this is for your safety as well as for the horse's). Be safety-conscious in the barn and fix things that may cause injury to your horse, such as throwing away nails you might find on the ground, keeping tack and equipment in safe places, hanging up hoses that might be laying in the barn aisles and keeping feed room doors closed.
If you will be competing, learn basic principles for conditioning your horse and develop a training schedule with your instructor, so that your horse will be prepared for the physical stresses involved in the competition.
Practice good hoof care. Always clean your horse's hooves before and after riding. Watch for signs of lameness after the farrier has put on new shoes.
Learn how to tell what is safe and unsafe terrain when you ride outside of the arena. Don't ride in unsafe footing (such as deep mud where a horse may slip or lose a shoe) or on dirt with lots of pebbles (where the horse might get a stone bruise) or canter your horse on hard surfaces such as cement or very hard ground. Know how to ride safely in all types of weather.
Learn about the various injuries, ailments and diseases that cause lameness so, where possible, you can prevent them (such as not allowing your horse to gorge himself on grain which may cause a disease called founder).
© 1998 by Dr. David W. Ramey. All Rights Reserved.
Dr. David Ramey is a 1983 graduate of Colorado State University. He is the author of numerous books and articles on horse health, including Horsefeathers: Facts vs. Myths About Your Horse's Health and the Concise Guide series on equine health care. He can be reached at (818) 953-8528. |
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