The relationship between lameness and crooked tail carriage (CTC) in horses is unclear. The objectives of this study were (i) to determine the association between CTC and lameness; (ii) among lame horses, to determine associations between CTC and lameness diagnosis, saddle slip, thoracolumbar range of motion (ROM), epaxial muscle tension and pain, and sacroiliac joint region (SIJR) pain, and (iii) to determine whether abolition of lameness and SIJR pain by diagnostic anaesthesia modified CTC. In this study, 520 lame and 170 nonlame sports horses were examined for CTC and other characteristics by one clinician (S.J.D.). All horses were evaluated when ridden. Lame horses were also assessed in hand and on the lunge. Crooked tail carriage, its direction, lameness, musculoskeletal and tack-related parameters were recorded as binary variables and analysed using 2 × 2 contingency tables. Sacroiliac joint region pain was diagnosed using local anaesthesia. Standard errors are shown in square brackets. 32.5% of lame horses had CTC, compared with 5.3% of nonlame horses (odds ratio = 8.6 [confidence intervals 4.4, 16.7]; P = 2×10⁻¹²). Of 169 lame horses with CTC, 103 (60.9% [3.8%]) held their tail to the left. There was no association between the side of the predominant lame limb and CTC direction. However, CTC was more common (P = 0.005) in horses with hindlimb lameness (35.7% [2.4%], N = 401) compared with forelimb lameness (21.0% [4.1%], N = 100). Crooked tail carriage was associated with SIJR pain (P = 0.0007) and thoracolumbar epaxial muscle tension (P = 0.0007), but not with saddle slip, reduced thoracolumbar ROM or thoracolumbar epaxial muscle pain. Limitations of the study included the facts that nonlame horses were a convenience sample and lameness assessment, other clinical observations and determination of the presence of CTC were subjective, with potential for bias. Video recordings and photographs are available for verification of tail position. It was concluded that CTC is more prevalent in lame horses than nonlame horses. There is a positive association between CTC and hindlimb lameness, SIJR pain and thoracolumbar epaxial muscle tension.

中文翻译：

---

马的歪尾马具：跛马和胸腰椎外周肌紧张或骶髂关节区疼痛的马的患病率增加

马跛行和歪尾马车 (CTC) 之间的关系尚不清楚。本研究的目的是 (i) 确定 CTC 与跛足之间的关联；(ii) 在跛足马中，确定 CTC 与跛足诊断、鞍滑、胸腰椎活动度 (ROM)、外轴肌张力和疼痛以及骶髂关节区 (SIJR) 疼痛之间的关联，以及 (iii) 确定是否废除通过诊断性麻醉改良 CTC 治疗跛行和 SIJR 疼痛。在这项研究中，一名临床医生 (SJD) 检查了 520 匹跛足和 170 匹非跛足运动马的 CTC 和其他特征。所有马匹在骑乘时都进行了评估。还对跛脚马的手和弓步进行了评估。歪尾车厢，它的方向，跛行，肌肉骨骼和粘性相关参数被记录为二元变量，并使用 2 × 2 列联表进行分析。骶髂关节区域疼痛是通过局部麻醉来诊断的。标准误差显示在方括号中。32.5% 跛足马有 CTC，而非跛足马为 5.3%（优势比 = 8.6 [置信区间 4.4, 16.7]；P = 2×10⁻¹²）。在 169 匹带有 CTC 的跛脚马中，103 匹（60.9% [3.8%]）的尾巴向左。主要跛行侧与 CTC 方向之间没有关联。然而，与前肢跛行（21.0% [4.1%]，N = 100）相比，后肢跛行马（35.7% [2.4%]，N = 401）的 CTC 更为常见（P = 0.005）。歪尾支架与 SIJR 疼痛 (P = 0.0007) 和胸腰椎外周肌肉紧张 (P = 0.0007) 相关，但与鞍滑、胸腰椎 ROM 减少或胸腰椎外周肌肉疼痛无关。该研究的局限性包括非跛足马是方便样本和跛行评估的事实，其他临床观察和 CTC 存在的确定是主观的，可能存在偏差。可提供视频记录和照片用于验证尾部位置。结论是 CTC 在跛足马中比非跛足马更普遍。CTC 与后肢跛行、SIJR 疼痛和胸腰椎外轴肌张力之间存在正相关。