Can flexions really lame horses long term?

[cptrayes]

Whenever the subject of flexions comes up, there are always some posts saying that they can do permanent damage. In 35 years of seeing flexion tests done, I have only ever seen them expose lameness that was latent in any case, just waiting to be stressed to be exposed.

I know that there are plenty of cases of horses which fail flexions which go on never to be lame in a long career.

But does anyone have a verifiable case of a horse which has been permanently or long term lamed by a flexion test?

Or is it not the case that the horse had a latent problem which had not been spotted, or was sub-clinical, and the test just sent it over the edge into the state it would soon have ended up in anyway?

 

[GinaGem]

No i haven't. I've had one fail a flexion which i bought anyway and he was retested as sound at a later date and has so far (fingers crossed) stayed that way.

 

[chestnut cob]

I'd think that even if a vet was quite aggressive with a flexion test, it wouldn't be able to *make* a horse lame if there wasn't something underlying in the first place.

You wouldn't be able to prove a horse was made lame solely by a flexion test. Surely you'd need x-rays and/or scans before and after, to prove there was no damage before and some damage after. Something quantifiable would be needed, not just "my horse wasn't lame before and now he is and it's your fault, Mr Vet".

 

[Caol Ila]

I've never heard of it or seen it. Sounds like a classic dodgy seller line, though. "I swear he was sound before the vet did the flexion test. That's why he's gone lame." Aye right.

 

[hnmisty]

Unless they tore the meniscus doing it (old people tear theirs getting up from chairs- and I'm a poet).

In which case...it was probably going to go at any point anyway, and torn menisci really only manifest themselves later on when osteoarthritis kicks in. Initially it just causes a bit of pain, probably some swelling. Back in the day, the NHS used to whack them out of people left right and centre because they thought they served no purpose...until years down the line when they developed severe arthritis.

So unless there was something else going on already (dodgy joints) then no, I don't think a vet could cripple a horse with it. Sounds like a good cover up for another underlying issue.