What causes shoulder lameness in horses?

What causes shoulder lameness in horses?

The most common cause of shoulder lameness in adult horses is a traumatic accident — a fall or a collision, for example. The front of the lower end of the scapula, called the supraglenoid tubercle, is at particular risk of fracturing because it is relatively poorly protected by overlying soft tissues.

How do you treat an injured shoulder in a horse?

Injections of a corticosteroid into the joint may be of some benefit. Whole-body steroids or other anti-inflammatory drugs may relieve signs of pain. Hyaluronic acid, which lubricates joints and seems to benefit cases of degenerative disease in other joints, may also provide some relief.

Where is the point of shoulder on a horse?

The scapula is a plate of bone positioned on the side of the horse from the withers to the point of the shoulder, where it joins the upper arm bone (humerus) to form the shoulder joint. Fractures of this area are rare and usually occur when a horse falls on its side at speed or runs into a wall or heavy fence at speed.

How long does it take for a pulled muscle to heal in a horse?

A mild strain may take six to eight weeks, but a tear can take eight to 12 months. High hind suspensory injuries can be especially frustrating because your horse’s anatomy makes it hard to follow healing there and harder to know when your horse is ready to return to work.

What should I do if my horse is lame in his shoulder?

If lame in the shoulder, he will be more lame going uphill than down. In the case of foot lameness the reverse is the case. Ultimately it may be necessary to call out you vet to determine the cause of lameness. He or she may want to do blocking, xray and scans to confirm the diagnosis.

Where does the lameness of a horse come from?

Lameness in horses can be divided into two categories: Lameness coming from a problem in the legs. Lameness coming from a problem NOT in the legs — the back, head, neck, or pelvis (i.e. hip area). The first question to answer is: where is your horse’s lameness coming from? If you know, you can skip down to that section.

What does it mean when a horse is lame in one direction?

However, subtle signs of lameness such as short striding, intermittent lameness, or perhaps lame only in one direction can be very frustrating to deal with. Here’s the mental shortcuts I use every day: Lameness coming from a problem in the legs. Lameness coming from a problem NOT in the legs — the back, head, neck, or pelvis (i.e. hip area).

How are nerve blocks used to treat horse lameness?

Anesthetic nerve blocks are often given to horses exhibiting signs of lameness as a method of pain relief to help veterinarians find the source of the problem.

If lame in the shoulder, he will be more lame going uphill than down. In the case of foot lameness the reverse is the case. Ultimately it may be necessary to call out you vet to determine the cause of lameness. He or she may want to do blocking, xray and scans to confirm the diagnosis.

Lameness in horses can be divided into two categories: Lameness coming from a problem in the legs. Lameness coming from a problem NOT in the legs — the back, head, neck, or pelvis (i.e. hip area). The first question to answer is: where is your horse’s lameness coming from? If you know, you can skip down to that section.

However, subtle signs of lameness such as short striding, intermittent lameness, or perhaps lame only in one direction can be very frustrating to deal with. Here’s the mental shortcuts I use every day: Lameness coming from a problem in the legs. Lameness coming from a problem NOT in the legs — the back, head, neck, or pelvis (i.e. hip area).

Anesthetic nerve blocks are often given to horses exhibiting signs of lameness as a method of pain relief to help veterinarians find the source of the problem.