How to Recognize Early Signs of Lameness
Lameness may only cause subtle signs at first. By the time your horse shows obvious signs of lameness, the problem can be severe and more difficult to treat. Recognizing changes in posture and behavior can help you ensure your horse gets the care it needs as soon as it's needed.
Common Lameness Signs in Horses
Lameness may change the way your horse stands, walks, trots, canters, jumps, or gallops. Changes that could indicate lameness include:
- Shifting Weight from One Leg to the Other or One Side to the Other
- Shortened Stride Length
- Awkward Gait
- Irritability During Grooming or When Touched in Certain Areas
- Trouble Making Turns
- Ear Pinning
- Dragging the Toes
- Dropped Pelvis When Pushing Off
- Tail Swishing
- Flexing Limbs Too Much When Walking
- Stumbling
- Trouble with Lead Changes
- Balance Problems
- Muscle Imbalances
- Stiffness
- Difficulty Standing After Lying Down
- Reduced Stamina
- One Hip High Than the Other
Head nodding or bobbing also indicates that your horse could be in pain. Nodding occurs when your horse raises its head when striking the ground with the painful leg, then drops the head when using the pain-free legs. Your horse might also point, or extend one leg, due to heel or toe pain. Does your horse prefer walking on the grass? Standing on soft grass may be more comfortable than walking or standing on sand, compacted dirt or hard surfaces.
Your horse may be understandably reluctant to move and might refuse to perform certain movements, such as cantering, jumping, or even moving forward or backward, if it's in pain. Some problems may only be apparent when your horse is tacked up or being ridden, according to the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine.
Have you noticed that your horse struggles to perform tasks it has performed easily in the past? For example, your horse may add an extra step before jumping over an obstacle if lameness is a problem. Take a look at saddle position too. A saddle that slips to one side may be a sign of lameness, according to UC Davis.
Signs of Injuries
Lameness happens for many reasons. Your horse may have turned an ankle or strained a tendon walking over uneven ground or experienced a repetitive stress injury after a training session. A quick examination of your horse may reveal injuries that could trigger lameness, including:
- Swelling in the Limbs, Particularly Around Joints and Tendons
- Heat in Hooves or Legs
- Strong Digital Pulses in the Feet
- Cracked Hooves
Although not an injury, uneven hoof wear or poor shoeing can also cause lameness.
Why Early Detection of Lameness Is Important
Minor issues can become severe injuries without proper treatment. Continuing to ride or work a lame horse may increase inflammation, strain tissues and joints, or even cause additional injuries if your horse stresses other limbs by constantly shifting its weight.
Determining why your horse shows signs of lameness isn't always easy, especially when there are only subtle changes in posture or behavior. In many cases, several days of rest, ice, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may improve early lameness, regardless of the cause. When your horse's condition doesn't improve after a few days, it's a good idea to call the veterinarian.
Your veterinarian will perform a thorough examination, including range or motion and soft tissue assessments and evaluation of gait and movement. Flexion testing may be used to find the source of lameness. The test involves flexing (bending) a leg for about 60 seconds, then watching the horse when it trots to determine which leg is lame. Additional testing, such as nerve blocks or X-rays, may also be needed to pinpoint the cause of lameness.
Worried that your horse may be lame? Contact our office to schedule a visit with the veterinarian.
Sources:
UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine: How Do You Know if a Horse Is Lame?, 1/19/2017
https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/how-do-you-know-if-horse-lame
Texas A&M University Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences: Don’t be Lame – Causes and Cures for Equine Lameness, 10/1/2009
https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/dont-be-lame-causes-and-cures-for-equine-lameness/
American College of Veterinary Surgeons: Lameness in Horses
https://www.acvs.org/large-animal/lameness-in-horses/
Merck Veterinary Manual: Lameness in Horses, 4/2026