Gait Patterns
Article
Research Shows Responses to Flexion Tests can be Measured
Recent research shows that a sensor-based system can effectively measure a horse’s response to flexion tests.
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Article
Consider Trotting Speed when Diagnosing Subtle Lameness
Slowing down the trot during exams for mildly lame horses could yield more accurate results, researchers say.
Photo by Erica Larson, News Editor
Article
How Much Weight Can Horses Comfortably Carry?
Horses topped out at 29% of their body weight in a study that evaluated gait changes when loaded.
Photo by Anne M. Eberhardt
Article
Research Shows Responses to Flexion Tests can be Measured
May 23, 2013
Recent research shows that a sensor-based system can effectively measure a horse’s response to flexion tests.... Read More
Article
Consider Trotting Speed when Diagnosing Subtle Lameness
May 21, 2013
Slowing down the trot during exams for mildly lame horses could yield more accurate results, researchers say.... Read More
Article
How Much Weight Can Horses Comfortably Carry?
May 17, 2013
Horses topped out at 29% of their body weight in a study that evaluated gait changes when loaded.... Read More
Article
Horse Gaitedness: It's in the Genes
April 17, 2013
Swedish researchers discovered that genetic makeup affects locomotion patterns in horses.... Read More
Article
Hind-Limb Flexion Test Times Compared (AAEP 2012)
February 28, 2013
In this particular study, the 5- and 60-second flexions did not yield the same results.... Read More
Article
'Gaited' Gene Mutation and Related Motion Examined
September 05, 2012
Researchers have identified and are studying a gene mutation linked to altered gait in horses.... Read More
Article
Equine Gait Abnormalities as a Diagnostic Tool
May 03, 2012
Some disorders produce gait abnormalities and lamenesses that aid in a quick and accurate diagnosis.... Read More
Article
Equine Lameness Detection
May 01, 2012
Some veterinarians are adding a new tool to their lameness diagnosis arsenal... Read More
Article
Diagnosing Gait Irregularities in Horses
October 01, 2011
To get to the bottom of subtle performance-limiting gait abnormalties, vets must consider every puzzle piece.... Read More
Article
Detecting Equine Lameness with Motion Sensors
March 21, 2011
The most common ailment to affect a horse is lameness. A University of Missouri equine veterinarian has developed a system to effectively assess this problem using motion detection. The system is referred to as "Lameness Locator." Kevin Keegan ... Read More
Article
Stringhalt in Horses
October 01, 2010
Stringhalt seems to make horses yank their legs up and halt them there momentarily before taking their next step. This is the outward sign of neurologic disease, sometimes caused by toxicity, sometimes of unknown origin.... Read More
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Equine Lameness
May 01, 2010
Get the facts on lameness in horses, from causes of the disorder to diagnosis, treatment and future prognosis.... Read More
Article
Lameness: Getting to the Bottom of It
April 01, 2010
Pinpointing lameness in horses is crucial before proper treatment can be prescribed. There are several approaches to lameness examinations and diagnostic methods, which will be partly determined by the age of the horse and what it does for living.... Read More
Article
Vets Assess Back Pain, Vertebral Lesions in Trotting Horses
March 29, 2010
In a retrospective study of 118 French Trotters, a team of veterinarians found that horses with back pain had more severe and localized lesions identifiable on X ray than horses with no evidence of back pain, but even pain-free horses had lesio... Read More
Article
Indistinct Gait Deficits: Musculoskeletal and Neurologic Causes
March 01, 2010
Strategies to identify specific problems in a horse with indistinct or unusual gait deficits, particularly if... Read More
Article
Lameness Problems in Gaited Horses, AAEP 2009
January 14, 2010
About 75 veterinarians gathered to discuss common lameness problems faced by gaited horses during the 2009 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention. Foot lameness was the first topic of discussion, especially th... Read More
Article
Lameness Exams: Vets Seek Reliable Approach
December 20, 2009
After identifying a lack of reliability and repeatability in experienced veterinarians' evaluation of lameness, a group of vets have challenged the industry to search for and develop "a more objective and reliable method of lameness evaluation for us... Read More
Article
Training Alters Stride in Racehorses
September 19, 2009
Training mature racehorses produces a decrease in the protraction (extension) time of the forelimb and might reduce the risk of training-induced injuries, said Marta Ferrari, DrMedVet, PhD, MRCVS, of Park Veterinary Centre in Watford, U.K, and... Read More
Article
Surface Safety, Step By Step
April 14, 2009
What type of impact do various terrains actually have on the health of a horse's hooves and legs? French researchers are using a highly sensitive 3-D dynamometric shoe and other instruments to give unprecedented insight into the biomechanical... Read More
Article
Lameness in the Gaited Horse
April 06, 2009
There were comments from practitioners representing both the Morgan and American Saddlebred Horse breeds, stating that they had heard many positive breed industry comments in support of this white paper. Everyone in the room showed support for maint... Read More
Article
Lame or Ataxic? Kinetic Gait Analysis Can Tell
March 12, 2009
Being able to tell the difference between a mild lameness and subtle spinal ataxia is an important, yet challenging, endeavor in equine practice. Ohio State researchers recently reported that kinetic gait analysis--the computer... Read More
Article
Ataxia in a Young Horse: A Matter of Time and Luck
January 21, 2009
When we got a call from our boarding stable on the day of my 6-month-old Trakehner colt's first vaccinations, one word we weren't expecting to hear was "ataxia." As a freelance news writer for The Horse, I'm subject to the same kind... Read More
Article
Stiff Hocks and Knees
April 01, 2008
Q: My husband and I have raised several hundred horses over the last 40 years, but we have never seen an issue like the one affecting my 4-year-old Quarter Horse gelding. He does not like to bend his knees and hocks. When I ride... Read More
Article
Gait Analysis During Lameness Rehabilitation
October 26, 2007
At the AAEP Blue-Ribbon Panel Research Meeting in Ft. Collins, Colo., on Aug. 1, 2007, Hilary Clayton, BVMS, PhD, MRCVS, Mary Anne McPhail Dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine at Michigan State University, presented her findings on... Read More
Article
Sticky Stifles
October 01, 2007
My Thoroughbred's stifles have been making a popping noise for quite some time.... Read More
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Farm Call: Your Questions Answered
Stiff Hocks and Knees
Q. Q: My husband and I have raised several hundred horses over the last 40 years, but we have never seen an issue like the one affecting my 4-year-old Quarter Horse gelding. He does not like to bend his knees and hocks. When I ride him, he feels like he is walking on stilts. He does not like to go downhill and seems most comfortable at a slow lope. I had a vet check him out
Sticky Stifles
Q. I had my vet come out when I first got my horse to investigate a strange popping sound I heard when he turned in a small circle. My vet said it was in his stifles, but I'd like to get a second opinion. What questions should I ask?
Hitch in the Giddy-Up
Q. Question:I have a Trakehner/Thoroughbred cross that starts flexing his hind legs rather noticeably when trotting and/or beginning to canter. He usually does not do this unless he gets excited in the trot, is striking off in the canter, or is transitioning to trot from canter. He never does this at the walk. He is three years old and quite big, and he is probably still growing. His hind legs appear
