Lameness is a common condition that we see and our vets are experienced at investigating the cause – be it in a family pony or a competition horse. Investigation starts with examination of the horse at rest and then assessment of its gait in hand, on the lunge and occasionally ridden. This can be done at your premises if facilities are suitable, or the horse can be brought into our practice. In order to determine the location of the problem in the affected limb, areas of the leg are sequentially desensitised (nerve blocks/joints blocks) until the horse’s gait has a significant improvement. On other occasions, the problem is discovered not to be in the limb but in the horse’s neck, back or pelvis. Once the location has been determined, further investigation can be carried out with our modern mobile digital x-ray and ultrasonography units. Occasionally a diagnosis is still not yielded and we may have to refer your horse to a specialist hospital for further diagnostic imaging (MRI, Scintigraphy, CT scan). Often, we are then able to choose the appropriate treatment to resolve your horse’s lameness or poor performance.