# Explain the definition of mechanical lameness please



## applecart14 (24 April 2014)

To cut a very long story short - my horse was lame so went of a lameness work up.  The vet said two tenths lame left leg and three tenths lame right rein on the lunge, sound in straight line.   A nerve block into the near fore coffin joint resulted in the horse being one tenth lame which has been put down to the suspensory injury he incurred in June 2011 and recovered from before a traumatic injury in June 2013 on the same leg incurred reinjury in the same area.

Steroid was put into the coffin joint and I was told to put the horse into full work by the end of seven days.  10 days later the horse was still lame so I rang the vet and he said to give him another week. Roll on four weeks and the horse is still not right (worse on right rein as overcompensation from near fore suspensory so looks lame on the right rein but is definetely left leg lameness).

So we went for a bute trial, three bute a day for one week, 1 1/2 for 2nd week and 1 for third week.
Now we are on day three and by the time I rode him tonight he had had six sachets of bute in total.  He was more lame tonight than last night and the night before!

I am therefore assuming this is mechanical lameness.  But I am not really au fait with what the definition of mechnical lameness is.  And I assume it is different again from bridle lameness.

So my interpretation of mechanical lameness is this.  A horse using more of the opposite limb to the one injured.  Therefore taking weight off the injured limb.  When the pain is gone from the injured limb (due to a bute trial) the horse now takes more weight onto the once injured limb.  But because its been redundant for a while it takes time to adjust and therefore doesn't move correct as the muscle groups are out of practice.  Do I have this correct??  Or is it more technical than this?  AND - does it get better with time?

The horse does get 'bridle lame' as he is in a pelham most of the time.  My friend is going to film me riding him in a normal snaffle so i can get an idea of what he looks like and I will post it on here hopefully in the next couple of days.


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## be positive (24 April 2014)

Fairly hard to follow, or it may just be getting late! my question would be what was the actual diagnosis, steroid injections into the joint should reduce inflammation but if there is ligament damage then the horse will need time for that to properly heal, if it is arthritic then I would expect to see improvement more quickly. 
If there is an issue of balance within the foot this needs to be addressed at the same time, were his feet xrayed??

I am not sure what being in a pelham has to do with bridle lameness, it has little to do with the bridle more that it does not work through correctly.

I think mechanical lameness does happen, the way you describe it is how I would understand it but I would expect it to usually follow a long term injury, one of mine was unsound for months following an injury which meant an op, 3 months box rest  with the limb very restricted for all that time, he took months to learn to use it again, loads of physio, after 8 months in work I turned him away and hope when he comes back in he will use the leg correctly, it is only slight so he can do a job but may never be fully "sound" although there is no pain involved he is just a little restricted in his action.


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## Wishful (25 April 2014)

I'd define mechanical lameness as where the horse is physically unable to move correctly.   So due an injury or whatever a joint on one side will not flex as the contralateral one.  Probably due to bony changes rather than soft tissue although scar tissue can restrict flexion (but is possibly more likely to be painful)


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## magicmoose (25 April 2014)

As Wishful said, mechanical lameness is where there is no pain involved, but there is something restricting movement, such as a fused joint.

Your horse may have lameness stemming from compensation for another problem, but does not sound mechanical at all. If lameness was reduced even slightly with the nerve block, there is pain involved. More investigations from the vet required.


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## Goldenstar (25 April 2014)

I do not think this horse sounds mechanically lame I think he sounds lame .
A mechanical irregularity might be caused say by inelastic scar tissue following a wound or by damage to a muscle causing a different side to side in how the horse moves .
As magic moose says back to the drawing board with the vet.


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## Sheep (25 April 2014)

Wishful said:



			I'd define mechanical lameness as where the horse is physically unable to move correctly.   So due an injury or whatever a joint on one side will not flex as the contralateral one.  Probably due to bony changes rather than soft tissue although scar tissue can restrict flexion (but is possibly more likely to be painful)
		
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This is my understanding of mechanical lameness too.



Goldenstar said:



			I do not think this horse sounds mechanically lame I think he sounds lame .
A mechanical irregularity might be caused say by inelastic scar tissue following a wound or by damage to a muscle causing a different side to side in how the horse moves .
As magic moose says back to the drawing board with the vet.
		
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Again, sounds like he is not quite 100%. Also, I don't agree that bridle lameness exists, I don't think horses have the mental ability to fake being lame. Fingers crossed he comes right.


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## cptrayes (25 April 2014)

Ah, I do think bridle lameness exists Sheep,  because I've seen it. But I agree it's not really lameness. It's actually hopping/skipping due to backing off the contact and I think it's a mouth issue, not a leg one.


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## Sheep (25 April 2014)

cptrayes said:



			Ah, I do think bridle lameness exists Sheep,  because I've seen it. But I agree it's not really lameness. It's actually hopping/skipping due to backing off the contact and I think it's a mouth issue, not a leg one.
		
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That seems much more plausible, there are probably plenty of horses like that - I think the current term makes it sound like a conscious decision by the horse rather than perhaps a rider issue, I suppose it's like a good rider could potentially make a lame horse look sound(er) than it really is.


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## dotty1 (25 April 2014)

I had a mare who was mechanically lame, she tore a hamstring and it healed into a hard knotted patch. She couldn't step forward properly and slammed her foot down heel first . Wasn't noticeable in trot but def in walk and You could hear the odd footfall. . She wasn't in pain, just couldn't physically step far forward on that leg.


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## Nudibranch (26 April 2014)

Applecart I would agree with Magic Moose, your boy sounds lame - taking more weight on the good leg is lameness. As mentioned mechanical lameness is physical inability to move correctly but no pain.

An example being a very cow hocked mare I knew who used both hinds at the same time in canter - not in pain, just unable to move them correctly!


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## applecart14 (27 April 2014)

be positive said:



			Fairly hard to follow, or it may just be getting late! my question would be what was the actual diagnosis, steroid injections into the joint should reduce inflammation but if there is ligament damage then the horse will need time for that to properly heal, if it is arthritic then I would expect to see improvement more quickly. 
If there is an issue of balance within the foot this needs to be addressed at the same time, were his feet xrayed??

I am .
		
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Hi yes the horse has arthritis in both fore coffin joints.  There was suspicion that this was what the problem was and so he received a nerve block and his lameness going from a three to a one evidenced that the pain was coffin joint related.  Hence he received a steroid into the joint the following day.

The xrays taken before and after showed no huge difference in the arthitis which was a relief.  The xrays also showed that the farrier is doing an excellent job of foot balance.


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## applecart14 (27 April 2014)

Sheep said:



			I suppose it's like a good rider could potentially make a lame horse look sound(er) than it really is.
		
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If I ride the horse more uphill and slow the trot down so he is using his hind quarters the bridle lameness dissapears.

I have just put a post in Veterinay entitled 'comparison video of before and during bute trial' . You might like to watch it and see what you think.  On the left rein in the indoor school you can actually see him do this little 'hop' step, that is what he does on his forehand when I consider him 'bridle lame' when I ride him.


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