Why is My Horse Lame?

Learn to recognise the signs of lameness and what it can mean for your horse’s health…

As horse owners and carers we are usually pretty in tune with our animals’ health. With so many elderly, recuperating and rescued horses here at Remus, we are always on the lookout for problems, so we can treat them before they become more serious.

We all worry when a horse appears to be lame, but it’s useful to be able to identify the severity of the lameness and what it might signify. For instance, a severely lame animal may hold up their leg, and avoid putting any weight bearing on it, even when just walking – it could be the sign of a hoof abscess.

Less severe lameness might be the sign of tendon strain or arthritis. In that case you might not see the issue until they are going at a trot – you’ll likely see your animal’s head go down on the good leg and up on the lame one. It’s often something that is not noticed until the horse is lunged.

More serious is a lameness in both front legs – look out for the horse holding its head and neck in a rigid position, and moving with a short, choppy movement. Time to call a vet!

Finally, as a general point, being aware of your horse, the way it moves and its general disposition, will help you to more quickly spot anything out of the ordinary.

You can read more about lameness in this article on the Horse and Rider website: Looking into Lameness.

As the wet and windy weather continues, we are continuing to raise funds for our Winter Appeal. Please do make a donation to our cause – whether a grand gesture or small, every little helps and we and the animals are so appreciative.

Pop Sunday 4 May into your diaries to join us for our first Open Day of the 2025 season.