The Obel Grading System for Describing Laminitis

The Obel Grading System is used to classify and understand laminitis progression in horses.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

Veterinarians use an evaluation method called the Obel Grading System to classify and understand the progression of laminitis in horses during diagnosis and treatment of this complex disease.

Raul Bras, DVM, CJF, APF, described this system and emphasized its importance in helping both veterinarians and farriers understand individual laminitic cases. Bras is part of the podiatry department at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, in Lexington, Ky., and he spoke at the 2012 International Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Equine Foot, held Nov. 2-3 in Monterey, Calif.

The Obel system categorizes clinical signs of laminitis-related pain into the following four categories:

  • Grade I: Horses shift weight from one foot to the other or incessantly lift feet. Lameness is not evident at a walk, but at the trot horses will have a shortened stride.
     
  • Grade II: Horses move willingly at a walk and trot but with a noticeably shortened and stabbing stride. A foot can be lifted off the ground without difficulty.
     
  • Grade III: Horses move reluctantly and resist attempts to lift affected or contralateral feet.
     
  • Grade IV: Horses express marked reluctance or absolute refusal to move.

Identifying a laminitic horse’s pain level is subjective, Bras noted, which is why the Obel Grading System’s four stages work as helpful guides for practitioners to quantify and communicate each case’s clinical signs. Using the system also creates a benchmark for monitoring the improvement or worsening of the disease

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Michelle Anderson is the former digital managing editor at The Horse. A lifelong horse owner, Anderson competes in dressage and enjoys trail riding. She’s a Washington State University graduate and holds a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in business administration and extensive coursework in animal sciences. She has worked in equine publishing since 1998. She currently lives with her husband on a small horse property in Central Oregon.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

Where do you primarily feed your horse?
296 votes · 296 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!