NEWS AND NOTES
November 15, 2013
By Kentucky Equine Research Staff
A study of the causes of lameness in horses has been carried out by researchers from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at The University of Nottingham in England. Somewhat surprisingly, the most common cause of lameness was not arthritis, muscle strain, or tendinitis. Among the 294 horses examined in the 13-month study, cellulitis, a bacterial infection of the connective tissues of the skin, caused lameness more often than any other factor.
The horses were all mounts from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, a London-based division of the British Army. Their purpose is to carry out ceremonial duties on state and royal occasions such as coronations, weddings, and birthday celebrations for members of the royal family. The research team chose to use these horses because it was felt their level of work was more similar to that of the average pleasure horse than to racehorses or other performance equines.