Am I Making My Horse Lame - Biomechanical Restriction?

"Lameness can be due to biomechanical restriction.” Diane Howard, PhD, MSc, MMCP

Brilliant quote by Diane who is often a guest speaker on Compassionate Horse Click members only calls. Diane recently reviewed the Horse Grimace Scale for our CHC community. She presented on horses physical expressions related to pain, both physical and emotional. The group is currently studying emotional expression and learned much from Diane’s research including facial expressions that one doesn’t necessarily relate to a horse being in pain. One example that was new to me, specifically, is the ears being held stiffly held out to the side. Moreover, I found her quote especially intriguing because so many times, it is us, the humans, who are causing our horses’ pain through biomechanical restriction (see photo). Often, we don’t recognize it ,and other times we are living in denial. Our emotions can interject, and we can feel offended and/or become defensive if anyone dares to bring it up. We can even become angry at the party who suggests it and sever friendships, fire trainers, vets and farriers etc. because of it. Causing our horses emotional pain is a conversation unto itself, so in this summary I will only address physical pain as that was the main subject of Diane’s presentation.

There are so many ways that we can unknowingly cause physical pain in the form of lameness. It’s a touchy subject and although no one would do it intentionally, it’s important to be aware of the possibility that we can unwittingly be contributing to our horses discomfort by riding them without awareness of them being unsound or by causing the unsoundness through our own riding and management. To list a few possible causes of lameness accidentally created by humans:

• Providing inadequate turn out
• Believing that oral joint supplementation is sufficient when it often is not
• Using the reins to help us balance and other rider induced restrictions such as short neck, improper use of the horse’s back and hocks out behind
• Improper saddle fit
• Shoeing or trimming that does not support the horse adequately (this is a profession for a reason)
• Failing to recognize underlying gut and ulcer issues
• Improperly restricting the horse’s natural and correct biomechanics in a variety of ways such as when lunging, working in hand and under saddle
• Being unaware of the riding surface’s effect on the horse
• Too many circles, especially poorly balanced and small ones often used in groundwork, lunging, and under saddle
• Keeping a horse in work when it is lame, has unidentified pain, altered way of going, or expression that indicates pain (the subject of Diane’s study)
• Starting horses too young and retiring horses too late in life

Solutions

• Keenly observing your horse’s behavior, movement patterns, way of going, and expression.  Make it a top priority in a variety of circumstances. You are the horse’s best advocate.
• Use scientifically proven products that show enough difference that YOU can easily recognize a difference in your horse's behavior or movement patterns.
• Provide adequate turn out, as much as possible with well suited pasture mates.
• Learn to ride without reins and practice it often.
• Find an expert saddle fitter and have your saddle checked at least 2x/year if not quarterly.
• Ensure the person who cares for your horse’s feet is skilled and has experience, references, and truly cares about your horse’s welfare.
• Be sure horses have appropriate dental care for their age. Both young and old horses need more frequent visits
• Provide 24/7 forage and feed in a way that supports the horses front and hind gut and rule ulcers out when suspected.
• Ride and train in a way that enhances the horse’s physical well-being, even if it means sacrificing our human agenda.
• Only have the horse circle when they are properly balanced and conditioned for the size and type of circle being executed, lunge discriminately.
• Choose riding surfaces that are suitable for the horses, i.e. age, physical condition and ailments, fitness, feet etc.
• Choose to take horses out of work if pain is suspected until the issue is resolved.

As compassionate equestrians, we all love our horses. By cultivating a greater awareness of horses’ expressions as related to their way of going, discomfort and possible lameness and by proactively observing them and treating pain, we can enhance the quality of our lives and theirs. It’s up to us to know our horses well enough to be able to help and protect them and be the voice that brings them comfort and relief.