Quarter Crack Vertical crack in the wall of the hoof quarters or heel. May extend as deep as the soft tissues, resulting in pain and lameness. Many different techniques are used for repair e.g. screws, wire, fibreglass, bar shoes etc

Quittor Discharging wound caused by infection in lateral cartilage of pedal bone. Shows above rim of hoof. Can be difficult to resolve and may cause permanent lameness.

Quidding Dropping partly chewed food from the mouth during or after eating. Factors: Dental problems, injury to tongue or inability to swallow properly.

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Sepsis Infection. Joint sepsis is infection within a joint, severe damage can be done in a short space of time by the bacteria. Treatment includes flushing the joint with saline and aggresive use of antobiotics.

Sarcoid Tumour-like growth on the horse's skin, particularly limbs and face. Possible treatments include; surgical, laser, freeze removal, cytotoxic creams and BCG. Often recurrent and believed to be caused by a virus.

Sclerosis Abnormal increase in density of bone. Seen in damaged bone that is attempting to respond to injury or wear and tear. Sclerotic bone can be more brittle than normal bone and prone to fracture.

Seedy Toe (White Line disease) Condition in the hooves where there is separation between the sole and the wall. May result in lameness. The ony treatment is to remove the separated horn and apply antiseptic preparations to the damaged tissues.

Septicaemia Infection of the blood or carried by the blood to other tissues. Usually seen in foals rather than adults. Requires immediate antibiotic treatment.

Sheared Heels Condition of the hooves caused by one heel being longer than the other. Unequal movement causes inflammation and pain. Treatment by the farrier is to restore balance to the heels.

Sickle Hocks Conformation defect where the hocks appear to be excessively bent so that the hind feet are too far under the horse.

Side Bone Calcification of the lateral cartilages of the foot. Very common in older horses.

Slab Fracture Fracture through a bone of the hock or knee producing a large slab of bone off the front surface. Many of these fractures heal with box rest but some require the use of screws to reattach the fracture fragment.

Spleen The spleen is attached to the outside of the stomach on the left side of the abdominal cavity. The spleen acts as a filter to remove damaged or old red blood cells.

Sprain Stretching or tearing of muscle, ligament or tendon so that it cannot return to its normal state.

Splint The splint bones are two narrow long bones that sit on either side of the cannon bones from just below the knee or hock. Splints occur when damage to the splint bones or the interosseous ligaments results in the production of new bone. This causes a hard lump. In some severe cases splints may be surgically removed.

Stay Apparatus The muscles and ligaments which allow a horse to sleep standing up without expending much energy.

Stomach Tube A plastic or rubber tube which is passed through the nostril into the stomach to allow administration of fluids, oil or medication.

Strain an injury that stresses and inflames a fibrous structure (muscle, ligament etc) but does not break fibres.  A strain is caused by overloading, often combined with twisting.

Strangles Highly contagious respiratory infection. Symptoms include; high temperature, swollen lymph nodes, loss of apetite and profuse, thick yellow nasal discharge. The swollen lymph nodes often burst releasing large amounts of infected pus and also providing relief for the animal. Horses with Strangles (or suspected) should immediately be quarantined and have veterinary treatment.This is a highly infectious bacterial disease of the upper airways of horses. Outbreaks of the disease may be expected in groups of horses where there is a changing population. Animals taking part in gymkhanas and pony club activities may also be exposed. Cold weather and poor ventilation assist the spread of the disease. Although common in young animals, it occurs at any age.  Strict hygiene is required to prevent spread to other animals, esp food and water bowls. Most horses recover but the infection can cause death or chronic illness. Vaccination, involving an initial and then yearly boosters, will assist in the control of strangles.

Stress Fracture Usually a result of overloading or overwork, this type of fracture only affects one surface of the bone. Most common sites for stress fractures include the cannon bones, tibia, and pelvis.

Suspensory Apparatus Group of structures that support the fetlock, including the suspensory ligament, sesamoid bones, superficial and deep flexor tendons and the ligaments below the sesamoid bones. 

Stringhalt Involuntary flexion of the hock when the horse is walking. Can affect one or both hocks. True stringhalt is a pain free condition, that doesn't necessarily affect performance.

Suspensory Ligament Strong ligament which extends from the back of the lower knee and upper cannon, over the sesamoid bones and attaches to the front of the pastern bones. Supports the fetlock joint.

Synovial Fluid Lubricating fluid in joints, tendon sheathss and bursae which allows them to move freely.

Sweet Itch Intense itchiness of the skin causes rubbing of the neck and tail areas. Due to an allergy to fly bites. Treat by reducing exposure to flies with fly repellents and summers sheets, some cases respond well to corticosteroid creams. Some horses will rub out mane and tail hairs causing bleeding and thickening of the skin.

Synovitis Inflammation of a synovial fluid-containing structure such as a tendon sheath. May cause some pain. Some cases respond to rest while others require medication or surgery.

Tarsus Hock. The hock consists of 3 rows of tarsal bones between the end of the tibia and the upper cannon bone.

Tendonitis Inflammation of or within the tendon. Swelling of the damaged area is accompanied by pain and heat. Treatment should include rest or restricted exercise.

Tendon Sheath Membrane or sheath which surrounds a tendon as it passes through a bony tunnel or over a joint or bony surfaces to allow free movement of the tendon. 

Tetanus (Lockjaw) Clostridum Tetani bacteria enter wounds esp punctures and the toxins cause muscle spasms and rigidity. The type of wound commonly infected is the deep puncture which may be caused by penetration of a splinter or a nail often wounds are so small they are not noticed. Horses are particularly susceptible. An affected horse becomes stiff in its movements, the ears are pricked, and the tail is held out stiffly. Generalised muscle spasms may then occur and death results from paralysis of the breathing muscles. Tetanus is difficult to treat, and even with intensive veterinary care the chances of saving the horse are slight. Death can be caused by respiritory failure.  Tetanus can be easily prevented by vaccination. For full protection, a horse is given a course of 2 injections at a 4-week interval, and a booster injection within 12 months. A booster dose every three to five years thereafter will maintain continuous protection. If your horse is not vaccinated and it suffers a wound, veterinary attention should be sought immediately.

Thoroughpin Synovitis of the sheath surrounding the tendons as they pass down the back of the hock joint. Swelling occurs just above and in front of the point of the hock and is rarely painful.

Thrush Fungal infection of the frog. Causes foul smell and softening of the frog which becomes eaten away and in extreme cases may cause lameness. Treatment involves cutting away damaged tissue and\or use of disinfectants such as iodine, bleach,Koppertox etc. 

Thumps Regular flutter of the diaphragm, a condition resembling hiccups and normally related to electrolyte imbalance. Usually disappears once the fluid/electrolyte balance is restored.

Toxaemia Extreme toxic blood posioning from bacterial toxins. Symptoms of shock which lead to collapse and death. Common after severe colic or obstructions which cause death of part of the gut. Treatment includes fluid and anti-inflammatories. Check Veterinary research for latest research into prevention of early damage caused by Toxaemia.

Toe In \Toe Out Conformation faults where the toes point inwards (pigeon toed) or outwards.

Treads Wounds of the coronet region either self-inflicted or caused by another horse placing his shod foot on his neighbours coronet.

Twisted Gut Twisting or obstruction of the large or small intestine. Requires surgical correction.

Tying-Up (refer Azoturia, aka setfast, Monday Morning sickness)

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