12/19/2024
Just because your horse is not LAME does not mean its SOUND.
It's time we separate soundness from lameness. Its part of our daily conversations with owners. They have seen multiple vets, trainers, and are even competing their horses because they are told the horse jogs and flexes fine so it is sound. There are a lot of horses showing that are not totally sound.
Lameness is defined as an impediment to walking due to feet or legs. Soundness is defined as the state of being in good condition. This is an important distinction we need to start addressing in horses. Just because your horse jogs and flexes without concern does not mean your horse is sound. We need to raise the bar in what we consider acceptable to horses soundness and overall well being. Horses are amazing creatures, that tolerate a lot from us. They try to express their discomfort but sadly most go unheard. If their message goes unheard for too long, they often become behavioral or checked out. One of our most common calls is that the horse is increasingly difficult to work with and is becoming dangerous but the owner have been told there is nothing wrong. They are at a loss for answers.
It is NOT okay they pin their ears, constantly swish their tails, get fidgety, are bad for the farrier, bite at or look at themselves, unable to lounge, buck/rear/spook, get cast, sit on the wall, bank shavings, toss their heads, kick out, are not be able to back up, avoid collection, hop into transitions, hate to be brushed, chronically shift their blankets/saddle, or stand abnormally. ALL of these are signs of discomfort.
Its not their temperament. It is their expression of PAIN! We need to stop excusing it as thats just the way they are or they are difficult/fresh/jerks/wimps. That is not normal behavior for horses. They are trying to tell you they are uncomfortable and they deserve for us to listen to them.
We owe it to them to look at their whole presentation not just how they jog/flex on their legs. We owe it to them to not ride them when they are clearly trying to show they are in pain
Its time we are better to these amazing athletes.
DeClue Equine
