Gait Evaluation
A horse's walk and trot are most useful in gait analysis. The veterinarian looks for signs, such as shortening of the stride, irregular foot placement, head bobbing, stiffness, weight shifting, etc. The walk makes it easier to observe slight deviations that aren't readily apparent at a faster pace. However, the trot is perhaps most useful for evaluating lameness because it is the simplest gait, consisting of a two-beat stride pattern, and because the horse's weight is distributed evenly between diagonal pairs of legs. In some cases the speed and concussion of a faster pace (i.e. canter, gallop) is needed to help demonstrate the lameness.
Read more about this topic: Flexion Test
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