I often get asked which is better:
A human to assess my horse's lameness
or
A sensory machine?
Veterinary knowledge and technology is always improving, however at this stage in 2022, there is no optimum way of guaranteeing 100% accuracy with the use of a machine or human observation. Many of us that have had a mildly lame horse will relate to the fact that lameness observation varies from person to person.
Machines
(Image from Google images)
Some veterinarians are now coming to yards with an Inertial sensor system. This is an easy to use system which provides immediate, measurable and objective information for the vet, however the information is limited to the software programming but also only to the parts of the horse that are connected with the sensors.
Where do we go from here?
At this stage, I would recommend a combination of:
* Daily monitoring of pain signs
* Trusted, experienced lameness vet
* Inertial Sensor system
Objectively assessing and spending time observing your horse is in my opinion the best way to monitor comfort and changes.
My question to you guys:
Do you know what tests and exercises you can do test your horse’s weaknesses and strengths?
Click on the link below to find out more :
