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l
ameness in the horse can be frustrating for both the horse owner and the veterinarian;
not least because often there can be difficulties in identifying the exact location of the
problem and scoring the severity of pain, especially when the lameness is mild.
Historically it has been the veterinarian who is called upon in the first instance to conduct an
evaluation of the lame horse, however, the problem has always been that any lameness evaluation
is subjective in nature ­ this is to say that there is always some observer bias at play because
the person conducting the examination is influenced by their own personal characteristics
and opinions. It stands to reason then, that devising a method of objectively assessing equine
lameness (i.e. an impartial assessment derived from observable and measurable data) would
be highly desirable, as it would enable veterinarians to diagnose,and subsequently manage,
lameness in the equine more effectively.
Researchers at the University of Missouri's College Of Veterinary Medicine have now achieved
this. They have developed a wireless inertial sensor system i.e. a system using motion detectors,
called The Lameness LocatorŪ, designed to identify lameness in horses more accurately than
human observers can (i.e. veterinarians). They recently conducted a study to compare the
sensitivity of The Lameness LocatorŪ in detecting lameness compared to subjective evaluation
by experienced equine veterinarians.