An Analysis of Risk Factors and Lameness Events in Equine Athletes Among Varying Disciplines

The purpose of this study was ultimately to identify the most prevalent lameness cases among equine athletes of varying disciplines. In order to do so, numerous national and international studies of lameness events in equine athletes were analyzed and compared in order to determine which lameness events were the most frequent both within and across disciplines. Six case studies are also presented to give a more intimate and anecdotal look at lameness in equine athletes of varying ages, sexes, breeds, and disciplines. Overall, the main expectation for this paper is an identification of the most common lameness events in equine athletes in each discipline. In this identification, it is the hope of the author that in the future, veterinarians will be able to better understand the prevalent lameness issues for each discipline of equestrianism and there will ultimately be less time taken to diagnose lameness issues in equine athletes. This could allow for a better prognosis of the lameness issue and a faster return to work for the equine athlete and rider.