Lame vs. Off
What does it mean when we say a horse is “off?” What does it mean when we say
a horse is “lame?” What do we do in either case? Of course the above mentioned
terms have different meaning to different people. In this article, the term
“off” will be defined as the forerunner of lameness. This is usually an early
sign of the horse not traveling correct or moving unbalanced. Several things can
cause a horse to be “off”, and if the problem is detected early and intervention
is taken, the lameness may be prevented.
The term “lame” has several definitions also. Ted Stashak, the author of
Adam’s Lameness in Horses, describes lameness as “an indication of a structural
or functional disorder in one or more limbs or the back that is evident while
the horse is standing or in movement.” This definition is complicated, as is
diagnosing and treating lameness in horses. Lameness can be caused by several
things such as trauma, congenital or acquired abnormalities, infection,
metabolic disorders, circulatory and nervous disorders, or a combination of
these. Lameness can also have different degrees of signs, such as mild,
moderate, or severe. The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has
developed a grading system to describe lameness.
|
Grade |
AAEP’s Description of
Lameness |
| 0 |
Lameness not perceptible under any
circumstances |
| 1 |
Lameness difficult to observe; not
consistently apparent regardless of circumstances (e.g. weight carrying,
circling, inclines, hard surface) |
| 2 |
Lameness difficult to observe at a
walk or trot in a straight line; consistently apparent under some
circumstances (e.g. weight carrying, circling, inclines, hard surface) |
| 3 |
Lameness consistently observable at a
trot under all circumstances |
| 4 |
Lameness obvious; marked nodding,
hitching, and/or shortened stride |
| 5 |
Lameness obvious; minimal weight
bearing in motion or rest, inability to move. |
After reading through the descriptions of the different grades of
lameness, you can see that depending on what degree of lameness that the horse
is showing, will dictate what type of action must be taken. The severe lameness
(Grade 3 –Grade 5) must be addressed quickly and aggressively, because the
future use of the horse is at stake. A severe lameness can end a performance
career and may be life threatening. A horse was designed to bear weight on four
limbs. If one limb is non-weight bearing, extra stress is put on the other three
limbs. The extra stress may cause damage to the other limbs such as a bowed
tendon or strained ligament or joint capsule. Fortunately, severe lamenesses in
horses are rare. When they occur, most people take immediate action and with
proper treatment the horse can be restored to athletic use.
Mild lameness, (Grade 1 and sometimes Grade 2) are the most common, and can
be very complicated. They can be difficult to diagnoses because they are not
consistently apparent in each circumstance. In fact many times we do not call
this type of disorder, lame, instead we call it “off.” What causes “offness?”
Most occur when animals are completing normal tasks, or activities of daily
living. Horses are rear wheel driven, the movement starts in the hind end, (the
sacral iliac joint) and the movement is transmitted through the lumbosacral
joint up through the spine. The spine is comprised of several vertebrae and
vertebral joints, held together by a complex series of ligaments, muscles, and
tendons. If one or more of the involved parts are not functioning properly, they
will alter the horse’s way of traveling. Normal everyday activities can affect
the vertebral complexes such as shoeing, saddle fit, strenuous workouts, and
lack of turnout time.
Animal Chiropractors treat vertebral subluxations complexes (VSC). The
treatment procedures include adjustment of the spinal vertebrae (neck, back,
sacroiliac), four limbs, and the head. Animal Chiropractors use an adjustment to
treat subluxation complexes. The adjustment is very specific, short lever, high
velocity, low amplitude, controlled thrust, by a hand or instrument. The
adjustment is directed at specific articulations to correct vertebral
subluxation complexes throughout the body. The major distinction of the
chiropractic adjustment is specificity and precision. Therefore, the person that
is adjusting the animal must be trained in the proper techniques and anatomy in
order to deliver the best therapy to the animal. Currently, I am enrolled in
Options for Animals Chiropractic course. The course involves 210 hours of
classroom and hands on training on horses and small animals. The sessions meet
for five days, once a month for five months. After completion of the course in
January, I will be eligible to be certified with the American Veterinary
Chiropractic Association.
Most traditional veterinary treatment programs and modalities aim at treating
symptoms as they occur. The goal of chiropractic health care is to treat the
animal before and after the symptoms. The foundation and principles of animal
chiropractic take a preventative approach. This can be a powerful component of a
comprehensive prevention program, designed to increase the quality of daily
living and to decrease the possibilities of injuries of all kinds.
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