Investigating Common Causes of Lameness in the Ridden Horse
Questionnaire Results
I obtained 97 responses in total.
I received information from a total of 88 individual horses.
71 owners responded with horses that had previous lame episodes or currently lame while under their
ownership.
17 owners responded with horses that had never been lame while under their ownership.
I received multiple responses for episodes of lameness from 8 individual horses. Totalling 80 responses for
lameness overall.
2. Age:
Age (Years)
Total
1–5
3
6 – 10
28
11 – 15
30
16 – 20
14
21 – 25
7
26 – 30
3
31 – 35
3
Total
88
3. Breed:
Breed
Total
Thoroughbred
14
Warrmblood type
14
Cob Type
12
Arab
3
Cob x Thoroughbred
3
Connemara
3
Irish Draught x Thoroughbred x Warmblood
3
Irish Sports Horse
3
Welsh Section D
3
Dartmoor
2
Hannovarian
2
Irish Draught x Thoroughbred
2
Oldenburg
2
Thoroughbred x Warmblood
2
Andalusian
1
Appaloosa
1
Appaloosa x Welsh Section D
1
Arab x Cob
1
Arab x Thoroughbred
1
Clydesdale
1
Cob x Clydesdale
1
Connemara x Thoroughbred
1
Dutch Draft
1
Friesian
1
Haflinger
1
Highland x Thoroughbred
1
Irish Draught x Shire x Thoroughbred
1
Irish Draught x Thoroughbred x Connemara
1
Irish Hunter
1
Lusitano
1
New Forest
1
Polish Sport Horse
1
Quarter Horse
1
Unknown
1
TOTAL
88
4. Sex:
Mare
30
Gelding
56
Stallion
1
Rig
1
TOTAL
88
5. Which discipline(s) is your horse used for?
Discipline
Total
General Riding
60
Dressage
38
Show Jumping
29
Eventing
14
Pony Club Activities
6
Other*
3
*Other – 1 - Ridden Showing, 1 – Light Hack, 1 - Hunter
6. How long have you owned your horse?
Years
Lame
Horses
Sound
Horses
Total
0-1
7
8
15
2–3
17
4
21
4–5
20
0
20
6–7
10
0
10
8–9
4
4
8
10 – 11
5
0
5
12 – 13
1
1
2
14 – 15
1
0
1
16 – 17
2
0
2
18 – 19
0
0
0
20 – 21
2
0
2
22 – 23
1
0
1
32 - 33
1
0
1
Total
71
17
88
7. Before purchasing your horse, was there any previous history of illness or injury that resulted in
lameness or would suggest your horse becoming lame in the future?
Yes
21
No
67
TOTAL
88
8. Has your horse ever been lame while under your ownership?
Yes
71
No
17
TOTAL
88
9. What was the cause of lameness?*
Hoof Conformation / Farrier
13
Turnout Related
9
Abscess
8
Concussion to hoof
7
Undiagnosed
6
Tendon Desmitis
5
Navicular Related
5
Joint Related
4
Bone Spavin
4
Laminitis
4
Muscular Related
3
Fracture
2
Ligament Desmitis
2
Back Related
2
Arthritis
1
Meniscus Tear
1
Old Age
1
Laceration
1
Hoof Puncture
1
Cellulitis
1
Bone Splint
1
*Some responses included multiple reasons that related to the episode of lameness
10. What clinical signs did your horse present of lameness?
Short stride
20
Lame on a circle
14
Heat
14
Severe limp
11
Non weight bearing on affected leg
11
Lack of expression / Stiff
10
Swelling
10
Changing behind in canter
6
Reluctant to go forward / walk
5
Lame in trot
4
Lame on a hard surface
3
Lame after canter
2
Refusal to canter
2
Laceration
2
Laminitic stance
2
Pain on palpation
2
Shifting weight
2
Rearing
2
Stopping at jumps
1
Lame in trot uphill
1
Lame on soft surface
1
Back Spasm
1
11. Approximately how many hours a week was your horse exercised for prior to this bout of
lameness?
Hrs/Week
Frequency
0
2
1
1
2
1
3
4
4
12
5
23
6
15
7
3
8
5
9
4
10
10
TOTAL
80
12. Was your horse turned out regularly prior to lameness? If so, approximately how often?
Turned out during day / Stabled overnight
46
Lives at Grass
22
24/7 in Summer / Stabled overnight in Winter
8
2 days a week turnout
1
Daily turnout in Summer / 24/7 in winter
1
Never turned out
1
Unspecified
1
TOTAL
80
13. Did you call a vet as a result of this lameness?
Yes
71
No
9
TOTAL
80
14. How soon after becoming lame was the vet called?
Immediately
27
1 week
10
2 Days
9
Unspecified
6
1 Day
5
2 Weeks
4
3 Days
4
4 Days
3
5 Days
2
1 Month
1
TOTAL
71
15. Was the vet able to diagnose a cause of lameness in one visit?
No
37
Yes
34
TOTAL
71
16. Was your horse referred as a result of this lameness?
Yes
38
No
33
TOTAL
71
17. What work was carried out at the referral centre?
Imaging Scans
33
Nerve Blocking
15
Lameness Work Up
11
Steroid Injections
3
Surgery
2
Unspecified
1
First Aid & Sutures
1
Blood Work
1
I Raps Therapy
1
Physiotherapy
1
Shock Wave Therapy
1
18. What was the advice given by the vet/referral centre with regards to box rest, riding,
turnout, treatments, and medication to help the lameness?
Box Rest
25
No Ridden Work / Rest
18
Walking In-Hand Recovery Programme
16
Bute
9
Restricted Turnout
8
Physiotherapy
5
Steroids
5
Remedial Shoeing
5
Specifically Designed Ridden Work Programme
4
Antibiotics
3
Continue to Ride
3
Joint Supplement
3
Put To Sleep
2
24/7 Field Rest
2
Pain Relief
2
Sedation (for box rest purposes)
2
Turnout as Normal
2
Tildren
2
Anti-inflammatories
2
Abscess Drain
1
Poultice
1
Retirement
1
Deep Bedding
1
No Hard Ground Work
1
I-Rap Continuation at Home
1
19. What did you do to recover your horse with regards to box rest, riding, turnout, treatments,
medication and diet to aid recovery?
Box Rest
10
Bute
8
Antibiotics
6
Remedial Shoeing
6
Poultice
5
Restricted Diet
5
Unspecified
4
Specifically Designed Ridden Work Programme
4
Pain Relief
3
Joint Supplement
3
Restricted Turnout
2
Deep bedding
2
No Ridden Work / Rest
2
Changed Hoof Care Provider
2
Turnout on Soft Ground
1
Reduce Ridden Work Until Comfortable
1
Hoof Supplement
1
Anti-inflammatories
1
Walking In-Hand Recovery Programme
1
No Treatment
1
Cold Hosed
1
Sedated (for box rest purposes)
1
Turned Away for 3 Months
1
Steroids
1
No Hard Ground Work
1
Tildren
1
Overall responses for 18 & 19 combined
Box Rest
35
No Ridden work / Rest
20
Bute
17
Walking In-Hand Recovery Programme
17
Remedial Shoeing
11
No Hard Ground Work
11
Restricted Turnout
10
Antibiotics
9
Specifically Designed Work Programme
8
Poultice
6
Joint Supplement
6
Steroids
6
Restricted Diet
5
Pain Relief
5
Physiotherapy
5
Unspecified
4
Deep Bedding
3
Anti-inflammatories
3
Sedated (for box rest purposes)
3
Tildren
3
Continue To Ride
3
Changed Hoof Care Provider
2
Put To Sleep
2
24/7 Field Rest
2
Turnout As Normal
2
Turnout on Soft Ground
1
Reduce Ridden Work Until Comfortable
1
Hoof Supplement
1
No Treatment
1
Cold Hosed
1
Turned Away For 3 Months
1
Abscess Drain
1
Retired
1
IRAP Therapy Continuation
1
20. Did your horse receive any complementary treatment or alternative therapies such as equine spa,
physiotherapy or corrective shoeing?
No
32
Remedial Shoeing
23
Physiotherapy
12
Magnetic Boots
5
Annual Back Checks
3
Hydrotherapy Equine Spa
3
Acupuncture
1
Yes But Unspecified
1
Bowen Therapy
1
21. How long did it take to recover your horse back into full work?
1 month or less
21
Ongoing
16
2 months or less
10
1 Year +
8
Retired
7
6 months or less
6
3 months or less
3
4 months or less
3
Put To Sleep
1
5 months or less
1
8 months or less
1
11 months or less
1
Unspecified
1
Never Stopped Work
1
12 months or less
0
Total
80
22. Has this bout of lameness hindered the performance of your horse?
No
51
Yes
24
Maybe, Cannot Tell Yet
5
TOTAL
80
23. On hind sight, do you feel the lameness was preventable and if so, what can you do in the future to
prevent reoccurrences?*
No
47
Yes
21
Unsure
9
Unspecified
3
TOTAL
80
*Also within this response, 34 owners specified that they had learned from this bout of
lameness and that they would do things differently in the future