The Lame Horse [Paperback]

James R. Rooney (Author), Jean Abbett Higgins (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1998

This updated and expanded edition is packed with the knowledge about lameness Dr. Rooney has accumulated since he wrote the first edition in 1974. He explains the function and mechanics of the front and hind legs, and discusses what happens when things go wrong. He covers fractures, injuries to tendons and ligaments, muscles, the nervous system and much more. Dr. Rooney discusses the causes of lameness, how to diagnose every condition and the state-of-the-art methods of treatment.The book is full of illustrations and actual X-rays to help you understand what went wrong and what to do about it. Also featured are sections on gait analysis, biomechanics, and the horse's response to training to help you avoid problems.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Rooney, D.V.M., is recognized as an authority on equine biomechanics and lameness. He has taught and conducted research on horses at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania - New Bolton Center, the Equine Health Trust in Newmarket, England, and The Royal Veterinary College in Sweden. He served as Director of the University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

From the Preface: Most lameness is mechanical in origin, and it will be necessary, therefore, to talk about mechanics. I shall avoid the mathematical aspects of mechanics as much as possible and keep it simple when it seems necessary. This is not, however, a "pattycake" book. Whether the purpose be pleasure or profit, I know that horse people - men, women, boys, girls - take horses and horsemanship seriously and this is a serious book for serious readers . . . with maybe a few laughs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 261 pages
• Publisher: Russell Meerdink Company; rev. updated edition (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0929346556
• ISBN-13: 978-0929346557
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,251,549 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important reference book, November 25, 2008

By 

M. Santos (Riverside, Ca) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Lame Horse (Paperback)

Great to study and to familiarize oneself with everything that is inside the equine foot and lower limb. Easier then doing dissections yourself!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read and understand, January 24, 2008

By 

Thomas Bloomer "Tom Bloomer, CF, RJF" (South Carolina) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lame Horse (Paperback)

James Rooney is one of my favorite authors. I highly recommend this book to farriers, veterinarians, trainers, and even horse owners. It is very well written and very easy to understand. Dr. Rooney has been a long time contributor to the body of scientific knowledge in hoof care industry and a big favorite among farriers who specialize in lameness and therapeutic horseshoeing.

If you are having trouble decidng whether or not to buy this book, you may want to check out the author's web site:

"[...]" << cut and past that in your browser's address window.

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book!, January 12, 2011

By 

Kathy - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lame Horse (Paperback)

I recently checked this book out from my library and have been thoroughly enjoying it. Many of the strange words often heard associated with the horse world are now coming together more firmly in my mind. The book explains the anatomy and physiology of the horse. It is divided into 3 sections: the front limbs, the rear limbs, and the back. The anatomy of each limb is described in detail and is sketched in simple drawings. The author then describes a list of problems that occur with that limb starting near the top and working down. Terms like "splints" "bucked shins" "sweeny" and "epiphysitis" are explained in the book. I highly reccommend it for every horse owner so that they can have a basic working knowledge of their horse, to help figure out what is wrong with it shall it ever become lame (they all do at some point or another), and to be able to discuss the lameness more clearly with their vet.

That being said this is not a "fun" read, it is not a novel, it reads like a textbook so you will not be able to sit down and breeze right through it. The book requires careful thought and attention as the reader has to at least somewhat memorize the terms (bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons) to have a clue what the author is describing or they will quickly find themselves skimiming along and not learning much. Also there was a few parts of the book that I personally disagreed wtih that the author mentioned. For example saying that ringbone, navicular disease, and founder are chronic and untreatable conditions is just plain wrong. With today's modern medicine many horses with these problems are being successfully rehabilitated. (Then again I am reading the 1974 edition- perhaps modern renditions have been edited.)

Overall, I feel that the book offers a wealth of information to the reader and describes why problems occur and shows how one can prevent them. The majority of the books suggestions can be summed up with what the author hates: that being shoes, hard ground, low heels, long toes, unlevel feet, unlevel ground, overworking the young horse, and fat horses. That being said this is definitely not a "barefoot" book (for those of you aware of the current shoeing - barefoot controversy). It is just a classic that I assume would be mandatory reading for any farrier, vet, or horse owner wanting to familiarize themselve with the lame horse.