Читать книгу Equine Lameness for the Layman. Tools for Prompt Recognition, Accurate Assessment, and Proactive Management онлайн

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The lame horse alters its gait to avoid pain, accommodate some biomechanical restriction in movement, and/or maintain balance.

Depending on the degree of asymmetric movement, lameness might be easier or more difficult to discern with the naked eye. Veterinary studies suggest that, on average, the human eye requires approximately 25% asymmetry in movement in order to detect lameness.ssss1 As we’ll learn, however, knowing where to look, when to look, and what to look for can dramatically enhance our ability to detect even slight variations in movement.

The reality is that every horse is probably lame to some degree; only those displaying enough abnormality to be perceived by the observer’s eye will receive further attention. Put more simply, our ability to distinguish abnormal movement from normal movement is primarily what separates unsound horses from sound horses, respectively.

Foremost, we should consider the basic rationale behind why horses limp. Is it pain? Is it some biomechanical restriction that prohibits normal movement? Pain might be an inciter in some instances, but the uncomfortable horse actually limps in an attempt to avoid pain. The resulting gait abnormality, therefore, is a voluntary action executed by the horse to circumvent the problem as opposed to an involuntary product of the problem. This is an important distinction, because as observers we don’t directly appreciate the source of the horse’s pain. Rather, we see how the horse alters its movement to escape it.