Nodding occurs on the down with which limb lameness?

• A. Hind limb lameness
• B. Front limb lameness
• C. Bilateral lameness
• D. No lameness

Answer: (B)

When a limb is painful, the animal adjusts weight and head position to unload that limb during its weight-bearing phase. For forelimb (front limb) lameness, the head shows a noticeable nod as the lame limb makes contact with the ground in the stance (down) phase. This nodding reflects the effort to transfer weight away from the painful forelimb and to balance through the rest of the body. In contrast, hind limb lameness tends to alter pelvic and hind-end movement rather than producing the characteristic head nod during the forelimb’s stance, bilateral lameness reduces asymmetry, and no lameness shows a normal, symmetric head motion.