Front Leg Horse Lameness

Front 1

Unsoundnesses

Back 1

Defects in form or function that interfere with the usefulness of the horse

Front 2

Splints

Back 2

Calcification or bony growth, usually occurring on the inside of the cannon or split bone area of the front leg. They result from trauma but also things such as slipping running and jumping getting kicked or receiving a concussion.

Front 3

Sore or bucked shins

Back 3

In a large meant on the front of the Canon between the knee in the fetlock joints. Pause by trauma or concussion.

Front 4

Bowed tendons or tendonitis

Back 4

And inflammation in enlargement of the flexor tendons at the back of the front cannon. Caused by severe strain or actual rupture of tendon from stress.

Front 5

Sidebones

Back 5

Calcification of the lateral cartilages of the 3rd phalagx or coffin bone.

Front 6

Ring bone

Back 6

An exostosis of the pasture bone in the form of a raised bony ridge usually parallel to the coronary band. Usually caused by strain on ligaments or tendons where they attach to the phalanges.

Front 7

Osselets

Back 7

Inflammation of the periosteum on the interior surface of the fetlock joint may lead to periostsitis in subsequent bony outgrowths

Front 8

Sesamoiditis

Back 8

Inflammation of the proximal sesamoid bones that is serious because it usually results in chronic lameness. The initial causes trauma strained the fetlock region and injury to the sesamoid bones

Front 9

Suspensory ligament unsoundness

Back 9

This ligament attaches to the back of the cannon bone just below the knee, travels downward and splits above the sesamoid bones into 2 parts each attaching to a sesamoid bone. There can be tears in the ligament or fractures where the ligament holds to the bone.

Front 10

Wind puffs or Wind galls (road puffs or road galls)

Back 10

Soft, puffy, fluid filled swellings that occur around a joint capsule, tendon sheath, or bursa. They are excess synovial fluid and are caused by trauma. They are considered blemishes and rarely cause lameness.

Front 11

Navicular disease

Back 11

Any injury of the navicular bone of the front foot. Faulty confirmation and injuries are most important causes of navicular disease but can also be caused through nutritional or hormonal imbalances.

Front 12

Carpitis or popped knee

Back 12

An enlargement of the knee joimt as a result of inflammation to the joint capsule, the bones of the carpus, or the associated ligaments.

Front 13

Epiphysitis

Back 13

Inflammation of the epi physical cartilage plate (growth plate) of the long bones.

Front 14

Capped elbow or shoe boil

Back 14

Swelling at the point of the elbow and is usually caused when a horse irritates the elbow Bursa with the shoe or hoof of the front foot when lying down.

Front 15

Sweeney

Back 15

Atrophy of the muscles of the shoulder due to paralysis of the supracapsular . Usually caused by direct injury to the point of shoulder in damage to the nerve.