The first is between the cannon bone and the suspensory ligament. There are two easy-to-find grooves in each lower limb above the fetlock joint. If you know the anatomy of the lower leg, it helps. There are four places you can check the digital pulse in your horse’s lower leg. The artery will pulse with each beat of your horse’s heart. The pulse comes from the blood flowing through the artery to the hoof.
LAME HORSE MEANING HOW TO
How to check your horse’s digital pulsesĭigital pulses can be felt on the lower leg of your horse in the fetlock and pastern area. He may have a history of exposure to rich grass or other dietary stimulant. The horse may shift his weight from foot to foot, or lie down more than normal. In fact, bounding digital pulses and hoof pain are often the first signs of laminitis. If you find stronger or bounding pulses in two or four hooves, laminitis is a possibility. The horse may stand with little weight on the affected limb. Generally, an increased pulse in one hoof can indicate a localized problem, like an abscess or a bruise in response to an injury. This doesn’t mean an increase in pulse rate, but in the strength of the pulsations you feel. These strong pulses are said to be “bounding”. But if there is any inflammation in the hoof, or a backup of blood because of inflammation, the pulses will feel unusually strong because it’s harder for the blood to pass into the blood vessels below. If all is well, the pulses can be a bit difficult to detect. What do digital pulses tell us?ĭigital pulses are a reflection of the blood flow to the hooves.
However, being able to monitor your horse’s digital pulses – and knowing what is normal and abnormal – is an important health care and management tool that can provide valuable insight in the face of lameness or other health concerns.
In addition, if digital pulses are normal, they can be hard to find! In other words, you may not be missing anything. You call your farrier or vet, and one of the questions he asks is, “How are the digital pulses?” Do you know the answer? Assessing your horse’s digital pulses is not a difficult skill, but it can be confusing because you will hear all kinds of ways to check and measure them. Learn how to find and assess his digital pulses. A bounding pulse in your horse’s digital artery can be a warning sign of pain or inflammation in the hoof.
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