1/10 lame on vetting

[Hoof_Prints]

Frustrating! Sorry about the need to vent, and ask for a bit of advice !
I found the perfect home for my superstar little horse, and he has never had a lame day in all the time I've had him (or before I had him so I'm told!) But when the vet came to do his vetting, he found he was 1/10 lame on his right fore He did the initial checks over and then wanted him trotted up on the road. After lots of trotting up and down he said the horse was nodding slightly (but consistently) on his right fore. He had someone else trot him up to show me, but then commented that the horse was now not nodding his head and actually wasn't showing it all the time. He did a flexion test on the leg and the horse didn't react any differently, which I found a bit odd! But he did flinch a bit when the tendon was pinched. It seems a very minor lameness and the vet had to fail him based on it, in his opinion he has probably overstretched it by running around the field on the slippy mud (quite likely!)

So I am having my own vet out early next week to look at him, but I wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience? and what is the best thing to do, how long would it be until a minor injury like this righted itself? I don't want to keep him on box rest as he will just be unhappy and have a crazy run around when he does go out. Thing are never straightforward!

 

[be positive]

I would just field rest him until you get a proper diagnosis, it may be nothing to do with the actual tendon more likely a minor bruise that will come right in a few days, have the purchasers pulled out or are they willing to wait for your vet to look at him properly, worth asking them as it may be something that gives no further issues, I have had horses "fail" that were absolutely fine a day or two later, they seem to know.

 

[Hoof_Prints]

I would just field rest him until you get a proper diagnosis, it may be nothing to do with the actual tendon more likely a minor bruise that will come right in a few days, have the purchasers pulled out or are they willing to wait for your vet to look at him properly, worth asking them as it may be something that gives no further issues, I have had horses "fail" that were absolutely fine a day or two later, they seem to know.

Thanks for the reply, he did have a small kick mark on that leg now you mention it, maybe it is that, didn't even cross my mind. The purchaser still really likes him, so I am getting my vet to speak to her. All my horses are having their vaccs done anyway that day so it isn't an unnecessary call out

 

[milos]

You could possibly give him some arnica

 

[be positive]

Thanks for the reply, he did have a small kick mark on that leg now you mention it, maybe it is that, didn't even cross my mind. The purchaser still really likes him, so I am getting my vet to speak to her. All my horses are having their vaccs done anyway that day so it isn't an unnecessary call out

A small kick would be enough to cause a bruise and unless you had trotted him on the road you may well have missed it and never know he had been sore, I have seen them worse than 1/10th lame come totally sound within a few days from similar, keep in contact with the buyer as it may still go ahead, the only problem may be if their vet has decided he is unsound and comes back looking for trouble, they can usually still find something if they try hard enough.