Читать книгу Equine Lameness for the Layman - G. Robert Grisel DVM - Страница 34

SECTION II

What Is Lameness?

Lameness in the horse has been around for as long as the horse has been around. Before horses were domesticated, lameness became a factor when it precluded animals from keeping up with the herd or avoiding predation.

Nowadays lameness is, if nothing else, the most common reason why horses are unable to perform their job.⁵ This form of debilitation is much less of a hindrance to humans who have devised ways to survive by doing things that involve very little (if any) physical exertion (such as writing a book). Every modern horse, on the other hand, is a bona fide athlete. In order to perform its job properly, the equine athlete must be physically comfortable and sound. This is true for racehorses as well as trail horses. Even the retired horse has to ambulate comfortably. This concept becomes clearer as we begin to compare the careers of average horses with those of professional human athletes.