Symptoms of a Leg Injury in a Horse

Horses are strong, athletic creatures that make great sporting animals and pets. Their legs are their strength, so you must pay special attention to them. There are many injuries, wounds and problems that affect how a horse walks, trots or stands on its leg. Luckily, there are different signs and symptoms of different problems. If leg injuries, even mild ones, go unnoticed or untreated, the horse can become lame. The key is to monitor you horse and pay attention to how it moves so you can spot injuries before they get worse.

  1. Wounds

    • Any open wounds, lacerations, scratches or other tissue damage that bleeds, oozes or discharges pus is indicative of a leg injury. Horses often scratch their legs on fences, barn walls, trailer hitches and other obstacles. Horses need these wounds treated with antibiotic ointment or disinfectant, bandages and potentially stitches. If you cannot stop a wound, no matter how small, from bleeding, take your horse to a vet or other animal health professional.

    Tendon Injuries

    • In addition to leg injuries, horses often suffer tendon and ligament injuries from over-exercise, too much weight or rough terrain. Horses have large, visible tendons that wrap around the knees, upper legs and near the shoulder. Apply pressure to these areas when rubbing down you horse to check for sensitivity and swelling. Large swollen areas or sensitivity can indicate stretched or pulled tendons as well as other muscle-related problems that can slow down and weaken a horse.

    Front Leg Injuries

    • For problems with the horse's front legs, there are some physical gestures and movements that indicate which leg hurts and the severity of the injury. If the horse is reluctant to put weight on either front leg, it may be seriously hurt. The horse will move its head or appear to wince when it puts weight on an injured front leg. For mild leg injuries, it helps to have the horse trot. Pay attention to its head when each foot hits the ground. If the horse is favoring an injured leg and carrying more weight on its good foot, its head and shoulder will drop down slightly on the side of the normal leg to compensate for the injured one.

    Hind Leg Injuries

    • For rear or hind leg injuries, the hips will illustrate which side hurts and the level of pain. Again, the horse may not put any weight on seriously injured or lame leg. If the horse is putting extra weight on its health leg, its hip will swivel on drop on that side as weight comes off the injured foot. Injured rear legs may make the horse drag its hind hoof in a trot.

    Indications of Other Ailments

    • Sometimes a horse's legs and leg movements can signal serious pain or injuries in the shoulders and joints. If a horse is reluctant to take long steps but can do it, its legs are usually fine; however, its shoulders may be injured, jammed or otherwise hurting. When a horse begins to lose muscle in its shoulder and upper legs, it may have serious should injuries that need medical care.