Examining the lame horse

Image

Depending on the complexity of the case, this examination may take only one or two hours, or continue over several days, or in a small number of cases over several weeks.

In addition to the trotting-up and flexion tests that most horse owners are familiar with, we frequently perform nerve blocks or joint blocks to localise the lameness.

We may then take radiographs or perform an ultrasound examination, or a bone scan (scintigraphy) or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

Treatments routinely employed at the Large Animal Hospital include arthroscopy (keyhole surgery of joints), joint injections, stem cell treatment of tendons and ligaments and corrective farriery.

Examination time

In most cases this is not possible to say prior to the examination how long it will take.

Sometimes the cause of lameness is fairly obvious and you may be heading home after a couple of hours. In many other cases the examination may take several days.

For example, we have to wait for some nerve blocks to wear off before we can continue the examination, and that will take half a day.

Most clients find it convenient to stable their horse with us for one or two days if the examination lasts more than a few hours.

Horses' shoes

If your horse is normally shod then that is how we need to examine him / her. Many horses will rapidly become lame if trotted on a hard surface with no shoes, which will complicate our examination.

For radiography of the feet we need to remove the shoes, and a small fee is charged for this.

Horses on 'Bute'

You should check with your own vet, but unless your horse is very sore we need to see him/her without the possible masking effects of painkillers.

Your horse's tack

We rarely need to see horses ridden, unless the complaint is only apparent under the saddle, in which case please bring saddle and bridle.

If your horse is staying overnight please bring whatever stable rugs he/she normally wears. We have our own headcollars, lead ropes and feed.