05/11/2026
The article down below was written by Tami Elkayam. I see a lot of value in what she says because I’ve seen quite a bit of it myself. I’m going to explain a bit about why I feel this hits close to home!
But first please stay with me while I do a little rambling….
ME - I was recently was called in because a horse had recent stifle injections and after two weeks was STILL not moving quite right. I did thermography and could see right away that maybe the diagnosis needed to go into another direction; which would be x-rays of the spine. Horse had several lameness tests that were followed by injections in the stifles. The xrays showed several areas in the spinous processes that had been touching, but with the rehab the mare was undergoing they decided not to pursue surgery at this point, but changed her course of intense rehab. That did not originate in her stifles.
Another horse recently has thermography done – another follow-up vet visit with xrays showed very mild kissing spine. That horse had been starting to become stressed under saddle and was showing anxiety on the ground. Owner knew something was wrong but wanted a better direction to go with. That horse is undergoing intense rehab also.
There was a horse that I was asked to do thermography on and that horse had suspensory lameness, thermography actually showed uneven hoof walls, which with that strain will cause suspensory issues and lameness. Yup - horse had several xrays on the legs done - but the source was never found.
Another horse had ongoing behavioral issues – thermography showed several intense areas of compensation trauma. That horse had a number of followup xrays, which showed fusions in through the lumbar region, and possible C6-C7 malformation. That owner faced a huge decision and made the choice to put that horse out of its misery.
I do bodywork, and many times I can find issues with my hands. My training was originally with a local Wisconsin Massage School, and further advanced training with Beverly Brady of Midwest Natural Healing for Animals. Followed by many other courses, including a Tom Mayes Intense Craniosacral class this past spring.
And so this leads me into another growing concern I have; which is the number of “side hustlers” out there trying to make a quick buck using PEMF machines. I was called in to work on a horse that had some young gal with a machine come in and crank it and caused lasting spasms in the hamstrings. That horse suffered as a result of someone cranking the power just to watch the muscles fasciculate, because they watched videos of horses getting that kind of therapy.
If you choose to have someone come in and do MagnaWave, Pulse, or PEMF Complete please follow-up on their credentials and training. It truly is NOT very often your horse will be “CURED” or stay feeling good after a few days. It is NOT a stand-alone fix it for your horse! Do you go to the dentist and have the hygienist fix your teeth? Do you have just anyone come in and trim your horses feet?
Do your diligence and make sure your bodyworker knows what they’re doing. Many of these folks are buying machines to go out to make money; have not had training nor do they have the certifications proving their skills.
Now on to Tami's wise words:
TAMI ELKYAM - I saw the one lameness post that everyone was commenting on, which was interesting as an experiment. It was fascinating to see what people consider lameness and what they actually saw. It is eye opening to see how people respond both in assessment and in considerations of assessment.
For what it’s worth here is my two cents. There is no such thing as a "lame limb."
There is only a lame horse.
A horse moves as one integrated system.
Four limbs. One spine. One nervous system. One locomotory pattern.
So when one limb finally breaks down, that limb is often not the true problem. It is simply the part that has paid the highest price for compensation.
Unless there has been clear trauma or injury, most lameness is not isolated to a single leg. It is the result of altered load distribution, dysfunctional movement patterns, imbalance, and compensation spreading through the entire body.
The "diagnosed" limb is frequently the victim, not the cause.
Meanwhile the real issue, the struggling core, the opposite limb, the collapsing spinal mechanics, the dysfunctional motor pattern, the failed weight transfer, the restricted fascia, the struggling organ is often never addressed.
We treat the symptom. The horse improves temporarily. Then the cycle returns. That is why so many horses live on the cycle of intermittent lameness.
The lame limb is often just the warning light on the dashboard.
It is not the engine failure itself.
Until we stop viewing the body as disconnected pieces and start viewing the horse as an integrated mechanical and biological system, we will keep missing the bigger picture.
The lameness question is a trap, particularly in a ridden horse.
Hills Equine
Laurie Leverich Hills
