Silly question re checking for lameness

[Event_girl]

Sorry if this is a silly question, but I am a little confused.

I know that when checking for hind leg lameness, you can ask the horse to do a tight turn crossing over the back legs.

But when checking for front end lameness, when you turn in a tight circle, do you expect them to be able to completely cross over their front legs too?

 

[Event_girl]

Anyone?

 

[be positive]

I thought that the tight turns were to check for co-ordination, flexion and suppleness not soundness as such, they can be used as part of an overall assessment but I would not do it to find out if a horse is lame, I would just trot up on a hard surface.
When you do the tight turns I expect a sound horse to cross over evenly behind but not cross in front, a horse that is lame in front would be likely to show discomfort but trotting will be a more reliable way to find out where it is lame, which leg and how severe the lameness is.

 

[Event_girl]

Thank you