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Define “sound”
Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 3:51 pm
by Xanthoria
What’s your definition? I use two vets, and their lameness tests are very different.
One will trot up on asphalt, and do 20m lunge circle on sand.
The other wants a 10m trot on asphalt... very few horses pass that...
Re: Define “sound”
Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 4:05 pm
by heddylamar
On asphalt just seems far too stressful. Of course the horse will flinch! That's just setting them up for failure.
I use a Middleburg vet who specializes in lameness and diagnostics. They trot out on a flat crushed stone (roughly a #5, if that means anything) drive, then a 10-15m lunge in sand.
Re: Define “sound”
Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 4:59 pm
by StraightForward
Vets I've used usually do both soft and hard footing, because different types of issues will show up. Usually they will have the vet tech hand trot on a larger circle in the asphalt parking lot, and then lunge in the coverall that has nice arena footing.
IIRC, the vet that diagnosed Annabelle's coffin bone fracture was going at least in part on how she presented differently on hard-packed dirt/gravel vs. in the arena.
If they are equally sound on all four limbs, but the trot on asphalt is too much concussion, it seems like the horse would just be reluctant to trot out boldly, but shouldn't favor a specific limb.