Lameness is one of the most common welfare problems in horses across working, sport, and companion contexts — causing chronic pain that is often inadequately detected and managed.
Horse lameness represents a major but often unrecognized source of chronic pain. The challenge of lameness welfare is twofold: detection is difficult because horses are stoic and subtle lameness is genuinely hard to see without objective tools; and economic and competitive pressures encourage working horses through lameness rather than providing rest and treatment. Nerve block and joint injection treatments may mask pain while not treating underlying pathology, allowing continued use of horses that should be rested. The development of accessible objective gait analysis tools is an important welfare advance that removes the subjective element from lameness detection. Equine welfare requires a culture shift toward conservative management, adequate rest, and prioritization of soundness over performance schedules.