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Signs
If your horse is lame or becoming lame, you will probably first notice it in its gait. It may lift its head when one of its forelegs comes in contact with the ground. This means that it is trying to reduce the weight that will bear on that leg. If you watch your horse from behind and see that it is raising one side of its hindquarters for one pace and then lowering the side for the next, the hind leg on the side that it lifts is probably lame.
General Causes
One obvious reason for lameness is through injury. Other general reasons include that your horse may be getting old and suffering from diseases associated with old age, such as arthritis. Another is that your horse may be overworked or doing work that is inappropriate for its size and breed. Alternatively, the horse's diet may be poor and it may be lacking essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins.
Common Ailments that Cause Lameness
Most ailments that cause lameness are manifest in the hooves and surrounding bone structures. A very common one is from punctures that can cause infections. Another is laminitis and is caused by your horse eating too much rich pasture grasses. In the wild, horses have to roam widely and consume a large amount of low-nutrient grasses. Their digestive systems are therefore designed for this manner of intake. Domesticated horses live in confined pastures and the grass is often high in nutrients and sugars. These cause laminitis. If your horse is going to develop navicular disease, it will usually be when it is about seven years old. Its causes are unclear, but it involves the deterioration of a bone within the hoof.
Ringbone and Sandcrack
Ringbone is osteoarthritis and can affect horses of all ages. If the condition is severe, it may mean that your horse will be in constant pain for the rest of its life. It can affect the bone above the hooves or the bones in the hooves themselves. Sandcrack occurs when a crack appears in the hoof. It can be caused by injury or a lack of proper nutrition.