Signs of a Broken Leg in Horses

The only obvious sign of a horse with a broken leg, or bone fracture, that doesn't break the skin is lameness. Since lameness has a variety of causes, a veterinarian should be consulted. The vet can determine whether the leg is broken and what sort of bone fracture exists. Contrary to popular belief, horses with broken legs don't automatically need to be euthanized. The location and type of fracture are key factors in determining if recovery is a possibility.

  1. Hairline Simple and Incomplete Fractures

    • These fractures are the hardest to diagnose, since the lameness might be subtle and go unnoticed. The hairline fracture is a crack to the outer layer of the bone only, with minimal damage to surrounding tissue. The simple fracture is a clean, single break in the bone, and the incomplete fracture is a break that is very shallow. Unfortunately, these fractures are sometimes not diagnosed until the fracture has, due to overwork and further damage, become more severe. Often these types of fractures, if identified early, have a very positive prognosis. Since the skin remains unbroken, the chance of infection remains low. These fractures can generally be rehabilitated with rest and have a high recovery rate.

    Compound Fracture

    • A compound fracture is a serious break to the bone and will require some sort of treatment from a veterinarian. There are a couple of different types of casts that might be placed on a horse's broken leg. However, horses must put weight on their legs, cast or no, and this fact often prevents even a cast-enclosed compound fracture from healing properly. Horses with this sort of break might heal sufficiently to become a "pasture horse" or possibly even return to completely normal health. Some horses that suffer a compound fracture may need to be euthanized due to inability to put weight on a sufficiently healed leg. The location on the leg of the fracture is one variable that can increase or decrease the healing odds.

    Comminuted Fracture

    • This break is quite severe, as it is present when there are two or more bones that are broken or crushed. This fracture can be made even worse when it is combined with a compound fracture. Though the location of the break can help or hinder the potential for recovery. There are options for this sort of fracture, some involving surgery, but the treatments can be costly. Certain procedures can also place the horse under significant stress and might not be recommended for an older animal.

    Open Fracture

    • These fractures rupture the skin, immediately putting the horse at risk of serious infection. The advantage of an open fracture is that it does break the skin, so there is no need for guessing if the leg is broken or the horse is suffering from some other ailment. An open fracture is a compound, comminuted or a combination of both. The open compound/comminuted fracture is the most severe break a horse's leg can suffer and only 10 percent of horses with this sort of fracture are able to survive the injury.