Glossary Index

Farriery is professional hoof care, including trimming and shoeing. Foot balance and support can play an important role in some lameness cases, and your vet may work closely with your farrier as part of the plan.

A flexion test is when your vet holds a limb in a flexed position for a short time, then watches the horse trot away. It can make some sources of discomfort more obvious and guide the next stage of assessment.

Forelimb lameness means lameness affecting one or both front limbs. Vets may look at how the horse carries their head, shoulders and weight to help identify front-limb discomfort.

A fracture is a break or crack in a bone. Some fractures are obvious emergencies, while others need imaging to detect. Severe, sudden or non-weight-bearing lameness should be treated as urgent.