your horse’’s health: lameness

This book is a thorough examination of all causes of lameness - the most common and frustrating problem faced by horse owners - written by a veterinary expert with hands-on experience and employing research in care and rehabilitation. Its cause can be difficult to diagnose and the problem can drag on for weeks, months or even years if the treatment is wrong. All horses are occasionally lame, from the regularly ridden and competed horse to the pony left in the field and only ridden at weekends. Its causes are diverse and many, ranging from a simple bruised sole to difficult to treat tendon injuries and potentially fatal laminitis. All horse owners need to be able to assess lameness, even a small wound can result in the death of a horse if it leads to an infected joint. On the other hand, horse owners can hardly afford to call out the vet every time their horse stumbles and tweaks a muscle when out in the field, so this book gives readers the skills they need to understand the causes of lameness and make well-informed decisions on how to address the problem - and when to call the vet.

Oliver Davis MRCVS, began his veterinary career in the USA before founding The Whistlejacket Equine Surgery in Dorchester, Dorset. Oliver also writes regularly for Your Horse magazine