What is the most common lameness cause you have seen in horses and how could it have been prevented?

Lameness in trail horses is caused by:

1. lack of attention to foot care (neglect)
2. unbalanced and/or too short trimming of the foot
3. shoes poorly applied by inexperienced and untrained farriers or by unknowledgeable horse owners
4. genetically produced conformation defects
5. riding an unconditioned horse over rough terrain

Horses with all sorts of lameness issues can be handled by a well trained and experienced farrier. Even horses with navicular disease can often be made comfortable with accurate therapeutic shoeing by a knowledgeable farrier. What we do with domesticated horses is not “natural”, and what are frequently called “natural solutions” aren’t necessarily practical.