Lameness check at home

Hello! To work out whether your horse is lame or moving unlevel, it helps to be systematic and to enlist someone who can watch, listen and film at the same time.

1) Lead the horse on a straight line in both walk and trot. Turn the horse away from you when you walk back.

2) If the horse is not too lame, it is also worth lungeing it in walk and trot, on both reins.

Watch and listen for any irregularity in the rhythm, and for how the horse moves through turns and changes of rein. A lame horse tries to take weight off an injured leg by shortening its stride or not loading the sore leg fully. Forelimb lameness often shows in how the horse moves its head and neck, since a lame horse nods its head as it puts down the foreleg it is sore on. Hindlimb lameness can be harder to spot. It helps to stand behind the horse as it moves away from you and watch whether the hindquarters move symmetrically.

If you are even slightly unsure, or your horse is clearly lame, always contact a vet. It is wise to film your horse regularly when it is sound, so you have something to compare against if you think it is moving differently. Good luck!