Page 799 - Adams and Stashak's Lameness in Horses, 7th Edition

Lameness Associated with the Axial Skeleton 765

Table 6.2. Symptoms and locations.
VetBooks.ir Location within spine

Symptom Cervical Thoracic Lumbar Sacral
Gait abnormalities

Lateral walk Rare Sometimes Often Often
Bunny hop canter Rare Sometimes Often Often
Cross cantering Rare Sometimes Often Often

Toe dragging behind Rare Rare Often Often
Narrow behind Rare Rare Sometimes Often
Wide behind Rare Sometimes Often Rare
Hip lowered Rare Rare Sometimes Often
Tail fixed to one side Rare Rare Sometimes Often

Head out on circles Often Rare Rare Rare
Front limb lameness Sometimes Sometimes Rare Rare
Reduced stride length, behind Rare Sometimes Often Often

Reduced stride length, front Sometimes Sometimes Rare Rare
Behavioral issues
Downward transition difficult Rare Often Often Often
More complaints when ridden Sometimes Often Often Often
Refusal to accept the bit Often Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes

Refusal to jump Sometimes Often Often Often
Poor lateral bending Sometimes Sometimes Often Often
Poor collection Sometimes Rare Often Often

Resistance when tacked up Rare Often Sometimes Sometimes
Collapsing in hindlimbs Rare Rare Sometimes Sometimes
Rearing Rare Rare Sometimes Rare
Poor engagement of hindquarters in trot Rare Often Sometimes Sometimes
Poor engagement hindquarters in canter Rare Rare Often Often

Bucking Sometimes Often Often Often

Source: Reprinted with permission from van Wessum, p. 471.
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propulsion and power, unwillingness to jump and/or Other usual lameness issues also may be mentioned.
turn, and landing in the wrong lead canter. The qual- Forelimb lameness can be a result of thoracic problems
ity of the lope is a complaint in Western pleasure because the attachment of the scapula to the thoracic
horses. In racing horses, back pain is often located in spine causes painful mobility in the thoracic verte-
the lumbar region, which can limit dorsiventral flex- brae. 4,13,15 A reduced stride length of a hindlimb or lack
ion, thus decreasing propulsion and reducing the effi- of propulsion can be caused by pain in the lumbosacral
ciency of the canter and gallop and ultimately leading region, 10,11,14,15 and a lowered hip can be a sign of back
to poor performance. pain as well as an indication of hindlimb lameness.