What is lameness?
Lameness is any change in a horse's gait caused by pain or a mechanical problem. It ranges from a horse that is subtly uneven under saddle to one that won't put a foot to the ground.
Vets grade lameness on a scale from 0 (sound) to 5 (non-weight-bearing). Grades 1 and 2 — hard to see consistently, or only visible under certain conditions — are where most performance problems live, and they're the ones owners most often miss.
How can I tell which leg my horse is lame on?
Watch the horse trot in a straight line on firm, level ground. For a front-leg lameness the head rises as the sore leg lands and drops as the sound leg lands — "down on sound". For a hind-leg lameness the hip on the lame side rises higher ("hip hike") and the horse may carry its tail to one side or take a shorter step with that leg.
- Forelimb: head nod at the trot; the horse lands harder on the good leg. Often easier to see coming towards you.
- Hindlimb: hip hike or drop, a shorter stride, dragging a toe, or reluctance to pick up a canter lead. Easier to see going away from you.
- On a circle: many lamenesses show only on a circle, with the affected leg on the inside (or sometimes the outside). Lungeing on firm ground and then soft ground is a useful test.
- Both legs: if both front or both hind legs are sore, there may be no head nod at all — just a short, stiff, "pottery" gait. This is common with laminitis and some foot problems.
What are the subtle signs of lameness?
Changes in performance are often the first sign: refusing or running out at jumps, becoming one-sided, not tracking up, swapping leads or disuniting at canter, bucking into transitions, girthiness, a change in attitude, or simply "not going as well as usual".
- Standing with one foot pointed forward or resting a front foot repeatedly (horses normally rest hind feet, not front).
- Reluctance to walk on hard or stony ground, or to turn tightly.
- Uneven shoe wear or a hoof growing a different shape.
- Heat in a foot or leg, swelling, or a stronger digital pulse at the back of the fetlock.
- Muscle wastage on one side of the hindquarters or shoulder.
- Back soreness — often secondary to a hind-leg problem rather than the primary issue.
What are the most common causes of lameness?
The foot is the most common site of lameness in horses. A hoof abscess is the usual cause of a sudden, severe lameness in one leg; bruising, laminitis and problems in the heel and navicular region are frequent causes of ongoing or recurring foot lameness.
Beyond the foot, common causes in horses in work include joint inflammation and arthritis (fetlocks, hocks, coffin joints), tendon and ligament strains (superficial flexor, suspensory), splints in young horses, and sore backs and sacroiliac regions that are often secondary to a lower-limb problem. In the Darling Downs and Lockyer Valley, wet seasons bring abscesses and thrush, dry hard ground brings bruising and concussion-related soreness, and lush pasture raises the laminitis risk in easy keepers.
What can I check myself?
- Pick out all four feet. Look for a stone, nail, black foul-smelling discharge (thrush) or a soft spot. Compare the warmth of each foot with the back of your hand.
- Feel for the digital pulse at the back of the fetlock on each leg. A pulse that is noticeably stronger in one leg points to the foot.
- Run your hands down each leg for heat, swelling or a flinch, comparing left with right.
- Trot the horse up on a hard, level surface, away and back, and watch the head and hips.
- Note when it happens — worse on hard ground, on a circle, when first out of the stable, or after work?
Write down what you find. It saves time and helps Christian get to the answer faster.
When is lameness an emergency?
Call straight away if the horse won't bear weight on a leg, if there is a wound near a joint or tendon, if a leg is obviously swollen and hot, if the horse is standing rocked back on its heels (possible laminitis), or if the lameness came on suddenly after a fall, kick or getting cast.
A sudden severe lameness is usually an abscess, which is painful but not dangerous — but it can also be a fracture or a joint infection, and the only way to tell is to examine the horse. Don't give pain relief before calling: it masks what the vet needs to see.
When should a mild lameness see a vet?
If a horse is still uneven after a few days of rest, if the lameness keeps coming back, or if performance has dropped off without an obvious reason, it's time for a proper work-up. Low-grade lameness that's ignored tends to become a bigger, more expensive problem.
A lameness examination at your property — history, palpation, trot-ups, flexion tests and nerve blocks where needed — localises the problem before any imaging or treatment, so you're treating the actual cause. Read about lameness visits →
Frequently asked
How do I know if my horse is lame in front or behind?
At the trot, a front-leg lameness shows as a head nod — the head rises as the sore leg lands. A hind-leg lameness shows as a hip hike on the lame side, a shorter stride or a dragged toe.
What is the most common cause of sudden severe lameness in horses?
A hoof abscess. It is very painful but usually resolves quickly once drained. Because a fracture or joint infection can look the same, the horse should still be examined promptly.
Should I give my horse bute if it's lame?
Not before the vet has seen it. Pain relief can hide the signs the vet needs to localise the problem, and can let a horse do more damage to an injury.
Can a horse be lame with no swelling or heat?
Yes. Many foot, joint and low-grade soft-tissue problems cause lameness with nothing to see or feel from the outside, which is why flexion tests and nerve blocks are used.
How long should I rest a lame horse before calling the vet?
If the horse is only slightly off and there's no heat, swelling or wound, a few days of rest is reasonable. If it isn't sound after that, or gets worse at any point, call.
This guide is general information for horse owners in south-east Queensland and is not a substitute for a veterinary examination of your horse. If you are worried about a horse, call a vet.