Lameness examinations are designed to locate an existing problem in a horse with a gait deficit. The examination begins with a thorough physical examination of the horse to see if there is any obvious heat, pain, or swelling to give you a clue of where to start. Next, the horse is observed at a walk and a trot, in a straight line and a circle, to help identify which limb the horse is off on. Identification of the correct limb is crucial to the lameness examination. After this, flexion tests, hoof testers, nerve blocks, joint blocks, etc. can be used to help narrow down the source of lameness on the affected limb. Once the site of the lameness is identified, radiology or ultrasound may be necessary to tell us exactly what the problem is. Once the problem is identified, we can proceed to different treatment options.
