Lameness and Pelvic Height

The results of a recent study published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research suggest that hind limb lameness in the horse can be evaluated most effectively and objectively by measuring changes in pelvic height during trotting.

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The results of a recent study published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research suggest that hind limb lameness in the horse can be evaluated most effectively and objectively by measuring changes in pelvic height during trotting.


Accurate assessment of lameness in horses is essential for making the correct diagnosis and deciding on the proper treatment. Detecting and evaluating hind limb lameness can be difficult, especially when the condition is mild or intermittent. Although several methods have been developed to assess forelimb lameness, few objective techniques exist for evaluating lameness of the hind limbs.


The lead investigator in the hind limb lameness study, Joanne Kramer, DVM, clinical assistant professor of equine surgery at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, explained, “In the trotting horse, the pelvis normally rises and falls twice during each stride–once when the horse lands on the right hind limb and pushes off, and once when the horse lands on the left hind limb and pushes off.”


To measure changes in pelvic height in sound and lame horses, 17 adult horses were filmed while trotting on a treadmill. The hind feet of each horse were shod with custom-made, adjustable heart-bar shoes designed to induce temporary lameness by applying reversible pressure to the frog

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Written by:

Rallie McAllister, MD, grew up on a horse farm in Tennessee, and has raised and trained horses all of her life. She now lives in Lexington, Ky., on a horse farm with her husband and three sons. In addition to her practice of emergency and corporate medicine, she is a syndicated columnist (Your Health by Dr. Rallie McAllister), and the author of four health-realted books, including Riding For Life, published by Eclipse Press and available at www.ExclusivelyEquine.com or by calling 800/582-5604.””allie McAllister

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