As many horse owners know, identifying and treating lameness in horses can be a frustrating and expensive process. Lameness has been categorized as any alteration in the gait of a horse and can be caused by any number of issues and can manifest itself in many ways… from subtle lameness to complete loss of mobility.

Front limbs:

• Horses carry 60-65% of their weight on their front limbs
• Most lamenesses are in the front legs due to higher stress and strain from concussive forces
• 90% of front limb lamenesses are in the knee or below

Hind limbs:

• are used for propulsive force needed for galloping and jumping
• 80% of hind limb injuries are in the hock and stifle

Here is a review of equine anatomy. Click/Tap on the different terms to discover their location. Click/Tap on the Function tab to learn the function of the system and the associated causes of lameness.

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Is your horse at a higher risk of becoming lame?

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