The range and prevalence of pathological abnormalities associated with lameness in working horses from developing countries.
Authors: Broster C E, Burn C C, Barr A R S, Whay H R
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary Lameness represents a significant welfare crisis in working horses across developing regions, yet robust data on the underlying pathological changes remain sparse. Broster and colleagues conducted standardised clinical assessments on 227 working horses from India and Pakistan, systematically documenting pathological abnormalities of the feet, limbs and spine alongside gait and pain response evaluations. The findings are sobering: every horse examined presented with lameness, 87% exhibited severe lameness (grades 3–4) in at least one limb, and multilimb gait abnormalities affected 98% of the population; moreover, chronic foot pathology was universal, chronic joint disease present in 94%, and digital flexor tendonitis affecting 83%. These pathological changes correlated directly with identifiable pain responses during palpation and manipulation, indicating that lameness in these populations is neither incidental nor mild, but rather reflects accumulated, often multifactorial tissue damage requiring comprehensive intervention strategies beyond simple corrective farriery. For practitioners working with or advising on working equids in resource-limited settings, this data underscores the complexity of lameness cases and supports a systematic, pain-informed approach to assessment and management alongside efforts to address underlying risk factors such as workload, surface conditions and hoof care standards.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Lameness in working horses in developing countries is multilimb, multifactorial and severe—expect multiple concurrent pathologies rather than single-cause lameness
- •Universal presence of chronic foot pathology and joint disease suggests prevention through improved farriery, work management and nutrition is critical since the damage is already established in working populations
- •Assessment must evaluate all four limbs and the spine together, as gait abnormalities and pain are distributed across the entire locomotor system in these populations
Key Findings
- •100% of working horses examined were lame, with 87% having at least one limb scoring 3-4 on the lameness scale
- •Chronic foot pathology was present in all horses (100%), chronic joint disease in 94%, and digital flexor tendonitis in 83% of horses
- •98% of lame horses showed gait abnormalities in all four limbs, indicating multilimb involvement
- •Multiple pathological abnormalities within individual limbs were associated with lameness and specific pain responses in feet, limbs and spine