To be sure, stand behind them – a safe distance from potential kicks – and check the symmetry of their hindquarters. Their hips and/or shoulders may appear lopsided or uneven. They may be standing to one side in an effort to take the weight off of an affected leg. You may notice that your horse is not standing normally. Turning puts different pressure on the joint and can exacerbate pain in an injured area. You may not even notice an issue until you ask them to turn. Sometimes the signs of lameness are more pronounced when a horse turns in a circle. If a horse bobs its head upwards more than downwards, then the problem is probably in the front legs. If a horse’s head drops noticeably as it walks or trots, then the issue more than likely is in the back legs. Interestingly, the way that a horse bobs its head will help you determine which leg is causing the problem. If the lameness is severe, you may even notice a horse’s head bobbing or nodding noticeably as it trots or walks, especially as it tries to shift the weight off of its injured leg. A painful hoof could cause a horse to refuse to walk on hard or rocky terrain. ( source) Unwillingness to MoveĪ horse with lameness may show an unwillingness to move at all, or it may refuse to put a lot of weight on a certain leg which limits its ability to move.Įven when you give the horse feed or do something that would normally cause excitement or movement, the horse will show little interest and continue to stay in the same place.Ī lame horse may also refuse to move onto different surface types depending on the source of their pain. It may even refuse to change gait at all. You may even notice that the change is more pronounced when the horse moves from a fast walk to a trot. The horse may be favoring a particular leg, meaning it avoids putting too much weight on it or using it at all. Most often, horse owners will first notice that their horse is walking strangely or differently than normal. The following are the most common signs of lameness in horses. Other times you may just notice that something seems ‘off’ in the way your horse is walking or behaving. Some signs are more severe which makes them easier to spot. Recognizing the signs of lameness in a horse is probably easier than you think. Are Certain Horses More Likely to Have Lameness?.Confirm your Suspicions and Prepare for the Vet.
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