Lameness with no heat or swelling? This type of lameness can have a number of causes, and could be a symptom of an underlying condition. In this article, we consider reasons why lameness can occur, including what to do, and equine vet, Alex Mould leaves his remarks on the matter.
So, you go to get your horse in from the field when you notice lameness without any heat, swelling or obvious injury. You tentatively walk the horse back to the stable where you can have a closer look, but what do you do next?
Important: This article is intended as a general guide only and is not a substitute for veterinary assessment, diagnosis or treatment. If your horse is lame, particularly if the lameness is sudden, severe, persistent or the cause is unclear, contact your vet for advice.
Can a horse be lame without heat or swelling?
Yes. Lameness can occur without obvious heat, swelling or an external injury. Lameness is a change in a horse’s normal gait or stance and can have many causes, with pain being the most common. Identifying the source isn’t always straightforward, particularly when there are few visible signs.
Problems within the hoof are one possibility. Bruising and hoof abscesses can cause lameness, for example, while other potential causes may involve joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments or other structures. A veterinary lameness examination may therefore be needed to establish where the pain originates.
Possible causes of lameness with no obvious heat or swelling
There are many potential causes of lameness, and the absence of visible swelling or heat cannot be used to diagnose the problem. Possible causes can include:
- Hoof abscess
- Sole bruising or corns
- Hoof imbalance or shoeing-related problems
- Early or subtle laminitis
- Joint pain or arthritis
- Tendon, ligament or other soft-tissue injury
- Muscle, back or pelvic pain
- Hoof conditions such as thrush
- Trauma or injury that has not produced obvious external swelling
- Less commonly, fractures or other more serious musculoskeletal problems
What should you do when there is no obvious cause for the lameness?
You may first notice something isn’t right while bringing your horse in from the field, turning them out, riding or simply watching them walk across the yard. The horse may take an uneven or shortened step, favour one limb, move differently through the body or show a more obvious limp.
If you’ve checked your horse and cannot find any obvious heat, swelling, wound or other external injury, don’t assume the absence of visible signs means there isn’t a problem. Stop ridden exercise and consider when the lameness first appeared and anything that may have changed beforehand.
Think about whether your horse has recently been shod or trimmed, worked on harder or uneven ground than usual, increased its workload, slipped or stumbled, or returned to exercise following time off. Also note whether the lameness is apparent in walk or only becomes noticeable in trot, whether it appears to affect a front or hind limb, and whether it changes when the horse turns.
These observations can provide useful information for your vet, but avoid repeatedly walking, trotting or lunging a lame horse simply to try to identify the cause yourself. If the cause is unclear, contact your vet for advice, particularly if the lameness is sudden, significant or persists.
Horse lame in trot but showing no heat or swelling
A horse may appear sound when walking but show signs of lameness once asked to trot. This is because trot is a symmetrical, two-beat gait where diagonal pairs of limbs move together, making differences between the way the horse loads and moves each limb easier to see. Subtle lameness that is difficult to detect in walk can therefore become more apparent in trot.
One of the most recognised signs of forelimb lameness is a change in head movement. A horse may raise its head as the painful forelimb takes weight and lower it as the sounder limb bears weight. Hindlimb lameness can be more difficult for an owner to identify and may appear as uneven movement of the pelvis, reduced weight-bearing on one hindlimb, a shortened stride or one side of the quarters appearing to rise or fall differently.
Other signs you might notice include the horse:
- taking shorter steps with one limb
- appearing uneven or losing its normal rhythm
- being reluctant to move freely forwards
- repeatedly stumbling or catching a toe
- tracking up differently on one side
- showing an obvious change when turning or changing direction
Where and how the horse is observed can also make a difference. Vets commonly assess a horse moving in a straight line and, where appropriate and safe, on a circle and different surfaces because some types of lameness become more or less apparent under different conditions.
However, repeatedly trotting or lunging a horse at home to try to identify the affected leg isn’t advisable, particularly with sudden or significant lameness. If the horse is clearly lame, stop ridden work and seek veterinary advice. A vet can perform a structured lameness examination to determine which limb is affected and begin localising the source of the pain.
What else can you check when your horse is lame?
If there is no obvious injury, take a methodical approach when checking your horse. Compare both sides of the horse rather than concentrating only on the limb you think may be affected. When checking the legs for differences in temperature, use the same hand on each limb, as this can make subtle differences easier to detect.
Check each hoof carefully for anything unusual, including a loose or twisted shoe, damage to the hoof wall, stones or other foreign material. If an object has penetrated the hoof, don’t remove it before speaking to your vet, as its position may be important when the injury is assessed.
If you know how to do so safely, check the horse’s digital pulses and take their temperature. Knowing what is normal for your individual horse can make changes easier to recognise.
Look at the horse as a whole too. Changes in appetite or behaviour, reluctance to move, repeatedly resting one limb or standing unusually can provide useful information when there is no obvious external explanation for the lameness.
Could a hoof abscess cause lameness without swelling?
Here, Alex Mould, the iPET Network’s equine specialist, explains what you should do, to give your horse the best care as soon as you detect that they are lame.
Alex says: “Check if there is anything lodged in the hoof; if the horse is wearing shoes, then check the shoe is not twisted. If nothing can be detected, there may be an abscess. If it is acute lameness, my first thought would be an abscess, so I would speak to the farrier, but if nothing can be detected and the lameness continues, speak to your vet.
“An abscess is like having a stone in your shoe, so many sudden-onset bouts of lameness with no swelling can be caused by this.
“Abscesses are very treatable but can cause very dramatic symptoms which come on very quickly.
“Your vet or farrier will do a test, whereby hoof testers (large pincers) are used to apply pressure around the hoof, and if there is a reactive point that suggests there is an abscess, this can be drained and treated by poulticing until the abscess is completely drained.
“If your farrier cannot detect an abscess, you must then speak to your vet, as it could be a sign of a more serious injury elsewhere in the body, which needs urgent care. Lameness is alarming and scary, but don’t panic and seek the support from professionals to take the best course of action.”
Important: This article is intended as a general guide only and is not a substitute for veterinary assessment, diagnosis or treatment. If your horse is lame, particularly if the lameness is sudden, severe, persistent or the cause is unclear, contact your vet for advice.
