PERFORMANCE EXAM

Symptoms may not always appear as obvious lameness, but rather as subtle performance issues like difficulty swapping leads, reluctance to move forward, toe-first landings, stumbling, abnormal head or tail carriage, stopping at jumps, muscle atrophy, or soreness. These cases require a thorough exam including palpation, hoof testers, flexion tests, brief neurological checks, and observing the horse jogging in hand, on a lunge line, and often under saddle. Very rarely is it just one area of the body creating the lameness so our goal is to address the entire horse

LAMENESS EXAM

True lameness appears as a noticeable change in gait, often due to arthritis, tendon or ligament injuries, muscle strain, fractures, or foot pain. The exam targets the affected leg and may use diagnostic nerve blocks if the cause is unclear on physical exam. We also evaluate whether other sore areas are contributing to the problem. Early diagnosis and treatment can speed up your horse’s recovery and return to performance.

Treatment may include injections, mesotherapy, shoeing or trimming adjustments, systemic medications, or referral for chiropractic, acupuncture, myofascial, or body work.