You've decided to sell your horse and the potential buyer has sent a veterinarian to your farm to
perform a purchase exam. As you stand beaming with
satisfaction next to who you hope will be the new owner,
the veterinarian picks up your horse's left front leg.
Bending it at the knee, he holds it for about 60 seconds,
returns it to the ground and asks that the horse be
jogged down your asphalt drive. In astonishment, you
watch as the horse moves off most decidedly lame. What
happened?
What you have witnessed is a phenomenon
not necessarily of the veterinarian's creation, but
something that can sometimes occur following a procedure
called a forelimb flexion test. In a forelimb flexion
test, various joints and soft tissue structures of the
lower limb are stretched and/or compressed for a brief
period of time by bending the limb. Afterward, the horse
is immediately trotted off and observed for signs of
lameness.
Forelimb flexion tests were described
in Swedish veterinary literature as early as 1923. They
appear to have become an integral part of the evaluation
of the lame horse. In addition, forelimb flexion tests
appear to be routinely included in repurchase evaluations
of the horse intended for sale. In performing the tests,
a veterinarian will likely pick up the horse's leg and
bend it, with the bending force centering around the
fetlock joint. He or she will hold the leg for a period
of 30 seconds to 60 seconds, and then let go, asking the
horse to trot off immediately.
The test is not unlike what you might
experience if someone asked you to sit in a crouch for
sixty seconds and then run right off. Usually, you can
run off just fine, but occasionally, you may experience some soreness or
pain in the joint that results in some initial stiffness
when you first try to run. You may be normal or the
soreness could signal a problem (such as a bad knee).
While forelimb flexion tests are quite
commonly performed, veterinarians have not agreed on the
optimum duration of the test, which can vary from 30
seconds to three minutes. Although there are devices
available to measure the force applied during the test,
these are not widely used in practice. A study involving
50 horses has been conducted to determine the effects
that force of the test may have on the result. The study
suggests that reliance on forelimb flexion tests for a
diagnosis of impending lameness or other problems may not
be reasonable. The study also indicates that a positive
response to the test does not correlate well with other
indicators, such as x-rays of the lower limb.
A positive response to forelimb flexion
tests, meaning lameness was evident after the limb was
released, is one reason horses may be deemed unsuitable
for purchase during the repurchase exam. There seems to be
a wide range of significance attributed to these tests
that varies according to opinion and the experience of
the examiner. There have been many purchase exams
discontinued solely because a positive response to a
flexion test in one or both forelimbs. Because of the variable
response to the test depending on such things as the force applied, duration of the test,
age of the horse and the day of examination demonstrated
in this and other studies, discontinuation of a
repurchase examination based solely on a failed forelimb
flexion test is probably unwarranted.
Owners and trainers have become
increasingly skeptical of the significance of forelimb
flexion tests during these examination. Horses can and do
perform well for a variety of riding endeavors even then
they do not perform well on a forelimb flexion test.
If your horse does respond to forelimb
flexion test, don't stop there. Further examination of
the horse through the use of x-ray may be warranted. Look
for other signs of a problem, such as lameness, loss of
limb flexibility or a painful response to palpation
and/or manipulation of the area that you suspect may be a
problem. With a complete examination, you will likely
receive the answer you need and could be looking for.
Facebook
Twitter
HOME SITES 