lameness detection

[Eenergonzillen@aol.com]

Holy Guacamole.....I just got done reading my email today.  I got 114 
emails...there was only one that wasn't from ridecamp!!! I have to admit, I 
love it.  Oh......who am I kidding????  I'm addicted. Soon, I am going to 
start going to meetings...R.A.  ridecamper's anonymous.  :)  My friends are 
going to have to have an intervention.   
just kidding
I am learning so much from all of you (or, "all ya'll", depending on where 
you are from)  
Are any of you very good at detecting lameness in a horse.  I used to think 
that if their heads bob, they are lame.  And, though this is true to some 
extent, some horses' heads bob when they trot, even though they are sound.  
They don't bob a lot, and it is an even sort of bob, but they also don't stay 
totally still, like other horses.  And, when you are trying to detect hind 
end lameness, and you look from the back, their lame side stays up high when 
there is weight on it.  The sound butt cheek drops down to normal level with 
weight on it, but the lame leg doesn't allow all of the weight to go on it so 
it appears as though that cheek never drops down.  Oh, no, I'm sure I have 
made such a mess of this, it is so hard to explain what I am trying to say.  
I guess what I am asking is, how do you detect lameness??? I think I am okay 
at it, but I can't detect slight "offness".  When they are going in a circle, 
with the lame leg on the inside, they seem more lame, because there is more 
weight on it right?  
SOOOOOO, if any of you have a second, and can understand what the heck I am 
talking about, will you enlighten me, one more time.  I promise I will never 
ask another question...okay, okay, so that's not true.  :)
-Renee