To use the term lame because a horse demonstrates a subtle gait alteration, causing it to fall below the threshold, could be inappropriate, particularly as it might not affect the horse’s welfare in any way, van Weeren says. | Photo: Kevin Thompson/The Horse

Paul René van Weeren, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ECVS, professor in the department of equine sciences at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, commenting in an editorial the autumn issue of the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ), suggests that equine lameness needs to be redefined to reflect new digital assessment techniques that use preset parameters to detect gait asymmetries.

The traditional method for detecting equine lameness is subjective, using expert visual evaluation of gait to identify the presence or absence and degree of asymmetries. The lame horse is described as having a disorder, defect, or loss of function and this clinical diagnosis has associated welfare implications if the horse is still asked to perform.

Advanced computer technology is starting to change all this. Optic motion capture or the use of inertial measurement units (IMUs) is now enabling the detailed study and quantification of the horse’s gait and objective assessment against preset thresholds