rowan666
Well-Known Member
as title really. is there any truth in it or is it just a myth??
can horses really 'fake' being lame??
- Thread starter rowan666
- Start date
FestiveFuzz
Well-Known Member
I'd be surprised if they did. Given that they're naturally a prey animal I doubt it'd be in their best interests to fake a weakness.
Goldenstar
Well-Known Member
I have seen a lurcher who did this but I have never seen a horse .
Buddy'sMum
Well-Known Member
Crafty old pony mares definitely can - my first pony could get the teeniest, barely-there scratch and you'd swear she'd broken her leg!!
hnmisty
Well-Known Member
When I was learning to ride, I had a fat and lazy little RS pony on "loan" 2 days a week. I'd ride him in the school and he would barely move. Instructor would step inside and he would clock her and spring into action...but the moment she left he would stop again.
He was very crafty!
He was very crafty!
AmyMay
Situation normal
No, they can't.
GlamourPuss86
Well-Known Member
Yes they can. We had a very fit horse who'd come in hopping lame, grab a mouthful of grass and start limping on another leg, stop and try and remember which he started limping on and carry on. When he realised he was only coming in for feed the limping stopped.
RutlandH2O
Well-Known Member
Don't be ridiculous...of course they can't!!! A lame horse is a horse in pain, I don't care who gets it to move!!
SatansLittleHelper
Well-Known Member
My thoughts also
competitiondiva
Well-Known Member
No..... they can be mechanically lame, they can tense and become lame through musculatory issues or they can be lame from pain. But they cannot 'fake' a lameness.....
(and my vet has confirmed this)
Hoof_Prints
Well-Known Member
No of course not! As someone has already said, they are a prey animal. Natural instincts are for them to minimize signs of weakness so they are not targeted by a potential predator. I also doubt horses associate 'acting lame' with not having to work, and associate it with more with pain and discomfort.
Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
No, but I discovered that it was a pretty handy excuse for an acquaintance who didn't want the vet bill that comes from a proper lameness exam.
"He's just lazy and fakes it to get out of work."
Ooooookay, I'm sure he does.
"He's just lazy and fakes it to get out of work."
Ooooookay, I'm sure he does.
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Kick On
Well-Known Member
defo agreed with this
Pearlsasinger
Up in the clouds
We've had 2 who did!
The aged Clydesdale schoolmistress was in the school with her novice rider, teaching him to trot. He was sure that she was lame. Novice got off, YorksG got on, with feet through stirrup leathers, rather than faffing around altering things, the mare trotted on beautifully.
On another occasion the WelshDxTB mare was put back into the field a stone flipped up and smacked her on the knee. she instantly went lame, understandably, I 'rubbed it better' and gave her a treat. We wanted to know if any real damage had been done so walked round the edge of the field to the other gate, watching her, she hobbled a bit and when we opened the other gate she hobbled towards us - but she was limping on the other leg. We laughed at her and she walked off perfectly sound!
I doubt though that a horse which sustains the lameness is faking it.
The aged Clydesdale schoolmistress was in the school with her novice rider, teaching him to trot. He was sure that she was lame. Novice got off, YorksG got on, with feet through stirrup leathers, rather than faffing around altering things, the mare trotted on beautifully.
On another occasion the WelshDxTB mare was put back into the field a stone flipped up and smacked her on the knee. she instantly went lame, understandably, I 'rubbed it better' and gave her a treat. We wanted to know if any real damage had been done so walked round the edge of the field to the other gate, watching her, she hobbled a bit and when we opened the other gate she hobbled towards us - but she was limping on the other leg. We laughed at her and she walked off perfectly sound!
I doubt though that a horse which sustains the lameness is faking it.
WelshD
Well-Known Member
When i was a kid my Welsh D came up lame on a show morning more times than i care to remember. We laughed this off at the time and said it was because he didnt want the busy day out
Looking back i am saddened to realise that it was probably down to the increased work and feed in preparation for the show at a time when the understanding of management of the barefoot horse was not widely known.
Looking back i am saddened to realise that it was probably down to the increased work and feed in preparation for the show at a time when the understanding of management of the barefoot horse was not widely known.
zigzag
Well-Known Member
I used to work in a riding school, and a little mare would be lame every Wednesday morning, once she saw the RDA bus... be sound as soon as it pulled away
Slightlyconfused
Go away, I'm reading
Our old pony went through a huge lameness work up......came back clear but still didn't know why he was going lame when ridden and intermittent leading.....
One day after friend had ridden him for vet for the fourth time, pony hopping lame, he told us yo go get a bucket of nuts
Rattled bucket and the little s*** trotted up 100% sound, never had a days lameness out of him till we retired him 6 years later.....so yes I think they can.......in the sense that if I do this it means I don't do work if that makes sense, they are very smart animals.
One day after friend had ridden him for vet for the fourth time, pony hopping lame, he told us yo go get a bucket of nuts
Rattled bucket and the little s*** trotted up 100% sound, never had a days lameness out of him till we retired him 6 years later.....so yes I think they can.......in the sense that if I do this it means I don't do work if that makes sense, they are very smart animals.
Montyforever
Well-Known Member
Caught my old pony in the field limping on his back right, he then trotted over sound and then when he walked again he was lame on the back left .. For a few strides then fine then limping even more. Once he realised it had worked and i was bedding down his stable for him he pranced across the yard looking very pleased with himself and perfectly sound! Trotted him up the next morning in his pjs .. Sound. Minute the pjs came off .. Limping 
He was smart ill give him that! Cheeky little *** never had a real days lameness with him, as long as i kept him in during the bad weather we never had a fake days lameness either!
Tough little welshie he was not, proper mummys boy who loved his stable and lots of hay on a wet day!
Current pony doesnt fake lameness, she fakes being sound! Tough cookie she is, never even rolled when she had a nasty colic just looked a bit "off"!
They all have their own tricks imo
He was smart ill give him that! Cheeky little *** never had a real days lameness with him, as long as i kept him in during the bad weather we never had a fake days lameness either!
Tough little welshie he was not, proper mummys boy who loved his stable and lots of hay on a wet day!
Current pony doesnt fake lameness, she fakes being sound! Tough cookie she is, never even rolled when she had a nasty colic just looked a bit "off"!
They all have their own tricks imo
lannerch
Well-Known Member
I'm with the no they don't , certain lameness can work of in a few strides, horses ridden incorrectly can be bridle lame, adrenalin kicking in with excitement when a bucket is shaked can mask minor lameness, arthritic lameness may only show for a few strides, there are many reasons, but am certain all you that have known a horse so called faking it would have had one if them!
competitiondiva
Well-Known Member
^^ this
honetpot
Well-Known Member
I had one who had navicular disease, if I rode him in the field he could be unlevel but never if you trotted him to the gate. I also had a TB who would anticipate pain, if he trod on something he would go lame although the vet would find nothing and he would be sound in the field. As he had thin soles I am sure he could feel something but like a lurcher miked it a bit, and like a pony if you asked him to follow a feed bucket he would 'forget' to be lame
x-di-x
Well-Known Member
No!
Horses are animals. The do not have 'spite' like humans. Horses can go lame for a few strides and not be faking it! As humans when we are doing things we can tweak something that pains us for a few moments. The same thing happens with horses. Hence instant temporary lameness. Evenness of ground, cramp like symptoms in muscles etc are all factors.
Temporary lameness (especially on changing legs) can often be an early indicator of an underlying problem (early stages).
As a young teenage rider I became convinced my mare used to be 'at it' as everytime I got on she was lame. - never the same leg! Turns out it was due to how her shoes were fitted by then farrier (only lasted a few months with this one) she was sound when had no weight on her, but as soon as a lightweight rider hopped on she was hopping lame. New farrier sorted the issue out with one shoeing!
Likewise we have hares at the yard who is 'at it' with lameness..... Novicy owner takes great pride in telling us all this. You see her unqualified, inexperienced, uninsured, doesn't have a clue 'professional' has told her this! :sighs:
NO! The horse clearly has back an pelvic issues. It's so obvious that you can tell by looking, and the vet told them 3 years ago further investigative work was needed - therefore vet never been back. Now uses small animal vet for jags only.
Horses are animals. The do not have 'spite' like humans. Horses can go lame for a few strides and not be faking it! As humans when we are doing things we can tweak something that pains us for a few moments. The same thing happens with horses. Hence instant temporary lameness. Evenness of ground, cramp like symptoms in muscles etc are all factors.
Temporary lameness (especially on changing legs) can often be an early indicator of an underlying problem (early stages).
As a young teenage rider I became convinced my mare used to be 'at it' as everytime I got on she was lame. - never the same leg! Turns out it was due to how her shoes were fitted by then farrier (only lasted a few months with this one) she was sound when had no weight on her, but as soon as a lightweight rider hopped on she was hopping lame. New farrier sorted the issue out with one shoeing!
Likewise we have hares at the yard who is 'at it' with lameness..... Novicy owner takes great pride in telling us all this. You see her unqualified, inexperienced, uninsured, doesn't have a clue 'professional' has told her this! :sighs:
NO! The horse clearly has back an pelvic issues. It's so obvious that you can tell by looking, and the vet told them 3 years ago further investigative work was needed - therefore vet never been back. Now uses small animal vet for jags only.
Hawks27
Well-Known Member
Most definitely don't think its common ive only met one fraudster in my 18years working with horses, we had a TB on the yard as a kid and her lovely owner would come up saddle her get half a lap round the arena and she would be hopping on 3 legs dog lame. He'd spend an hour pampering her wrap her legs and pop her in the box. She'd soon be box walking bored and being a pain so fetched her out to check her legs trot her up and check for lameness, horse was sound as a pound turn out in field shes charging round like a 3 yr old kicking up a storm she just hated the school she never faked lame when going for a hack or with other riders but new her darling owner was a big softie
JillA
Well-Known Member
I don't believe they can "fake" but if they exhibit a behaviour and it gets reinforced, even inadvertently, they will repeat the behaviour (the basic rule of reinforcement = any behaviour which gets reinforced is likely to be repeated). So if they go unlevel and work ceases, a smart pony might go unlevel again. The more it is repeated the more confirmed it becomes.
My horse has had his "pretty face" (appealing with dipped head and fluttering eyelashes) reinforced one time by his feed arriving immediately after, so now, at feed time I get his pretty face. Much better than door kicking!
My horse has had his "pretty face" (appealing with dipped head and fluttering eyelashes) reinforced one time by his feed arriving immediately after, so now, at feed time I get his pretty face. Much better than door kicking!
BBP
Well-Known Member
With my old back injury I often 'go lame' for a few strides and am then sound again, people probably think I'm faking it too! I bet many horses exhibit similar tendencies as me, twinges, pinched nerves, that sort of thing.
YasandCrystal
Well-Known Member
^^ This exactly. Also those who quote a horse putting it on in a school - school work is much harder on the tendons and joints going around an unbalanced or arthritic horse could show lame in the manege but sound on hacks. Nothing weird there.
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Kikke
Well-Known Member
My mare can, had her schooled earlier this summer. Normally always schooled by me or my trainer who knows her ....... but seeing she was pregnant someone else schooled her.
Both the instructor (not my normal trainer) and rider gave up as she was lame on all 4 legs it seemed.
Got a email at work. All worried went to the yard to check.
Lunged her, nothing, rode her, nothing. Mmmmmmmmm spoke to my trainer who could only laugh. Honestly so could I.
Both the instructor (not my normal trainer) and rider gave up as she was lame on all 4 legs it seemed.
Got a email at work. All worried went to the yard to check.
Lunged her, nothing, rode her, nothing. Mmmmmmmmm spoke to my trainer who could only laugh. Honestly so could I.
splashnutti1
Well-Known Member
I dont think they can fake it as such but do think it can be a learned behaviour, our old mare had a cut to her leg which did make her lame for as while so wasnt worked for a while, she then came sound had full lameness check by vet and all was fine. However everytime we tacked her up to hack out she would limp so we would take her home, we soon realised that as soon as she was turned for home she was suddenly perfectly sound, vet came back did a second work up and all still fine so he said could be a learned behaviour and to ride her through it, after doing this twice she never limped again and was sound for the rest of her life right up to the grand age of 33 lol
also has a mare who was a bit of a wuss, if she knocked a pole jumping would instantly limp lol, she to came in lame on a tiny cut was so bad i called the vet, wlaked her up and she was literally hopping, vet looked her over could see nothin bad enough for her reaction so suggested getting a feed bucket and calling her to me, little sod trotted over perfectly sound lol! very odd
also has a mare who was a bit of a wuss, if she knocked a pole jumping would instantly limp lol, she to came in lame on a tiny cut was so bad i called the vet, wlaked her up and she was literally hopping, vet looked her over could see nothin bad enough for her reaction so suggested getting a feed bucket and calling her to me, little sod trotted over perfectly sound lol! very odd
Wagtail
Horse servant
Absolutely not!
MileAMinute
Well-Known Member
I don't think so no, I think it's more a case of anthropomorphism.
As said earlier, horses are prey animals, so it's highly unlikely they will fake lameness.
They do react though yes, I know of a mare who is very wary of having her legs bandaged and having medication/supplements administered, and my own dog will put a 'poorly face' on if you coo over him.
As said earlier, horses are prey animals, so it's highly unlikely they will fake lameness.
They do react though yes, I know of a mare who is very wary of having her legs bandaged and having medication/supplements administered, and my own dog will put a 'poorly face' on if you coo over him.