Glossary Index

Soft tissue means structures such as tendons, ligaments, muscles and other non-bony tissues. Soft-tissue injuries can cause lameness and may need ultrasound or MRI to investigate.

Soundness is a general term for a horse moving comfortably and without obvious lameness. Owners and vets often talk about protecting long-term soundness or returning a horse to soundness after injury.

The source of pain is the area or structure causing discomfort and contributing to the lameness. Identifying it helps your vet choose the most appropriate treatment, imaging or next step.

Standing MRI is an MRI scan performed while the horse is standing, usually with sedation, rather than under general anaesthetic. It can provide detailed images of certain lower-limb areas.

A static examination is the part of the lameness exam where your vet assesses the horse standing still before watching them move. It can reveal clues such as swelling, conformation, muscle symmetry, heat or pain.

Subtle lameness is lameness that is hard to see all the time and may only show in certain situations. It can be mistaken for stiffness, behaviour, lack of fitness or a training issue.

Surface means the ground the horse is moving on, such as an arena, road, field, hard surface or soft surface. Lameness may look different depending on the surface, so noting this helps your vet.

Swelling means an area looks filled, enlarged or puffy, often in a limb, joint or around a tendon. It can be an important clue, especially with heat, pain or lameness.

Transitions are changes between gaits or movements, such as walk to trot, trot to canter, slowing down or moving off again. Difficulty or reluctance in transitions can be a subtle sign of discomfort.

A trot-up is a simple in-hand assessment where the horse is walked or trotted, often in a straight line, so the vet can watch how they move and compare changes.

Ultrasound is an imaging technique that uses sound waves to look at soft tissues such as tendons, ligaments and muscles in real time. It is commonly used to investigate and monitor soft-tissue injuries.

A lameness work-up is the step-by-step investigation your vet uses to understand where lameness is coming from and what may be causing it. It may include trot-up, flexion tests, blocks and imaging.