A new tool helps to recognize mild lameness in horses

The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram is based on 24 behaviors that are 10 times more common in horses with a limp.

Mild lameness can be difficult for horse owners to detect. With this in mind, veterinary specialists recently developed a tool to help owners recognize this lameness. The tool, called the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE), collects 24 behaviors that are 10 times more likely in horses with a limp. When anesthesia (e.g., nerve or joint block) was used to eliminate pain, these behaviors decreased.

Some examples of behaviors included in the RHpE include:

Changes in head position during movement.
Ears turned back or flat.
Closed eyelids, frequent blinking, repeatedly exposing the whites of the eyes or glassy expression.
Frequent opening of the mouth, protruding tongue.
Shake the tail during transitions.
Abnormal changes in gait, stumbling, irregular rhythms, speed changes.
Refusing to move, fidget, or shake.

To develop the RHpE, the horses were examined and videotaped as they walked, trotted, and galloped. From the observation of these behaviors, a numerical scale was applied. Scores of 8 or more on the 24-point scale reflected the presence of musculoskeletal pain.

When the RHpE was applied to a group of 60 sporting horses and riding school horses, 73% showed low-grade lameness in one or more limbs (lameness grade 2 or less on an 8-point scale). RHpE scores ranged from 3 to 16, with a mean score of 9 out of 24.

“The behaviors included in the RHpE should be considered a sign of chronic distress rather than normal behavior in pain-free horses. Once these behaviors are recognized as abnormal, lameness can be addressed, and the horse's well-being and performance improved, ”advised Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D. of Kentucky Equine Research.

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