Page 148 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

Patient details

• Age, breed and sex of the horse.
VetBooks.ir • What is its actual and intended use?

This information is important as some orthopaedic problems tend to occur more in certain
breeds or in young animals. Degenerative conditions are more likely in older animals. The

type of work the horse does is also important as the different disciplines, e.g. racing and
dressage, tend to put strain on different parts of the body. For example, sore shins often cause

forelimb lameness in two-year-old racehorses in training, whereas older racehorses
frequently experience knee and fetlock pain or tendon strains. The advanced dressage horse
is more likely to experience hock pain or back pain due to the rider sitting deep and asking

for collection.

It may be helpful if you consider the answers to the following questions in advance of the
vet’s visit.

Timing
• When did the horse first go lame?

• Did the lameness occur suddenly or was there a slight problem before? Many horses are

able to cope with a degree of pain for some time and then suddenly go very lame with
only a slight worsening of the injury.

• Is it a recurrent problem or is this the first time?

• Has the horse recently been purchased and is its previous history known?
• Has the farrier reported any recent problems with shoeing the horse? Horses that are

experiencing hind limb pain often find lifting their hind limbs for shoeing uncomfortable.

Possible causes
• What was the horse doing when the problem was first noticed?

• Has the horse fallen or experienced any other trauma?

• When was the horse last shod?

Exercise routine
• How fit is the horse?

• What sort of exercise routine has been followed?