advice needed - lame mare

[LaurenM]

I purchased a mare 3 weeks ago as my gelding isn't suitable for hacking. The mare is lame on the front left - there's no heat but think its muscle/bone related as her leg clicks when picked up. She is also lacking muscle tone on the left shoulder. It's more visible on soft ground. Giving her a few days rest and then will get the vet up.

Bit gutted as I feel helpless morale support more than welcome. Any ideas on what I can do whilst I give her a few days rest? My friends have suggested cod liver oil and I've got glucosamine.

 

[hunting mad]

Did you have her vetted???

 

[galaxy]

I'm not sure why you're thinking cod liver oil or glucosimine? How do you know it's her joints? If the lamness has come on very suddenly (as in she was sound when you bought her.... unless you think she had been buted up) it is unlikely to be something either of those things would help I would have thought.

How lame is she? How suddenly has it come on? How old is she?

Oh and I wouldn't necessarily worry about the clicking thing.... it may well be nothing. Plenty of horses have clicky joints and no lameness issues (and pass 5 stage vettings)

 

[unbalanced]

Why don't you give your vet a quick call to discuss it? They can give you self-care advice or tell you if they think they should be coming out sooner.

I hope it's something nice and simple and sorts itself out quickly. Good luck!

 

[LaurenM]

She's 8 years old. She wouldn't have been buted - I viewed her 3-4 times unannounced at a reputable dealers. I'm friends with the dealers daughter too.

It seems to have gradually come on over the last day or two. She loves galloping around the field and plays with the colt. She's started over reaching (farrier cancelled due to sickness) - it seems likely that she's got a field injury as a result.

My other horse has never had a days lameness so I feel abit like a fish out of water!

 

[LaurenM]

Why don't you give your vet a quick call to discuss it? They can give you self-care advice or tell you if they think they should be coming out sooner.

I hope it's something nice and simple and sorts itself out quickly. Good luck!

That's sounds like an idea. I'm such a worrier by nature as you can tell!

 

[AmyMay]

Bit gutted as I feel helpless

Getting the vet sooner, rather than later will help you feel less helpless

 

[LaurenM]

I know but everyone at the yard thinks she'll be fine in a few days and that I'm stressing over nothing. It's better to be safe than sorry though. Going to ring them at 9

 

[oscarwild]

I know but everyone at the yard thinks she'll be fine in a few days and that I'm stressing over nothing. It's better to be safe than sorry though. Going to ring them at 9

How did you get on with the vet on the phone?
Its always better to be safe than sorry. I have to as I'm a bad worrier with horses, especially after my last horse who had a spell of bad illness before beong put to sleep. So I tend to phone vet for most things for advice. My yard does the she'll be fine in a day or so, so no need to worry. My mare went through a fence a few months back and I wasnt there when it happened. Some people from the yard took her in and delt with it and decided it didnt need the vet so treated her. Went up later and thought it should of had vet but they said it wasnt bad. I phoned vet who said was too late to staple etc if was to be required but she ended up with a infected leg and had to get antibiotics and pain relief as she went lame. So I always get advice.

Hope its nothing serious and your horse makes a swift recover

 

[AmyMay]

I know but everyone at the yard thinks she'll be fine in a few days and that I'm stressing over nothing

But it's really none of their business. Horse is lame - no apparent cause, vet if needed.

Good luck - let us know how you get on.

 

[BonneMaman]

I really do hope that your friend didn't bute her up. Just because you turned up unannounced doesn't mean that she was not on a long course of bute and that over the past 3 weeks it hasn't worn off gradually.

Moral - always get them vetted - even if it is a friend.....

Anyway, best to just leave her be for now. I would stick some overreach boots on her though out in the field to stop more injury in that area. She could have knocked herself or twisted a fetlock or anything. Give her a couple of weeks and if no improvement call the vet out.

In the meantime, if are due the farrier get him out asap to test the foot for an abscess/bruising.

 

[jcwh]

agreed. always get them vetted.
also vet would be your most reliable way to go!

 

[AmyMay]

Give her a couple of weeks and if no improvement call the vet out.

Puzzled as to why you would wait a few weeks?

 

[LaurenM]

As ive said he's a reputable dealer so knew she wouldn't be buted. She was with him for a month so any previous attempts at buting her would have worn off.

She's got an absess (sp) - farrier has removed her shoe and she's being poulticed.

I agree horses should be vetted prior to purchase. The vet has since checked her over and aside from treatable problems, she's fine.

 

[mcnaughty]

Puzzled as to why you would wait a few weeks?

Bonnemaman said a couple of weeks not a "few" and this is for the very obvious reason that horses can very easily come good by themselves they do not need expensive vets prodding them to make them come sound. OP has said that the farrier has found an abscess so bonnemanan's last comment (which you omitted to put in the quote) was spot on.

Unfortunately, some people are far to quick (in their bank manager's opinion) to call out the vet. Obviously, if the horse if hopping lame or has an injury that needs stitching then I would be the first to call one out but if the horse is in no distress then what is the rush?

Shame some people have to poke fingers at others :-(

 

[LaurenM]

To be honest, I'd only ever wait a couple days. No one could feel any heat or see swelling so we were stumped until the farrier arrived. I hate being in a position of not being able to tell what's wrong.

 

[AmyMay]

Bonnemaman said a couple of weeks not a "few" and this is for the very obvious reason that horses can very easily come good by themselves they do not need expensive vets prodding them to make them come sound. OP has said that the farrier has found an abscess so bonnemanan's last comment (which you omitted to put in the quote) was spot on.

Unfortunately, some people are far to quick (in their bank manager's opinion) to call out the vet. Obviously, if the horse if hopping lame or has an injury that needs stitching then I would be the first to call one out but if the horse is in no distress then what is the rush?

Shame some people have to poke fingers at others :-(

New horse going lame should always be investigated. It's just common sense. Nothing to do with poking fingers at anyone.

Op, glad it's turned out to be nothing to worry about.

 

[Amaranta]

I agree, get the vet, the loss of muscle tone on the corresponding shoulder would indicate to me that she had not been using the leg properly for some time

 

[mcnaughty]

New horse going lame should always be investigated. It's just common sense. Nothing to do with poking fingers at anyone.

Op, glad it's turned out to be nothing to worry about.

Go and read the posts Amymay - investigation was advised by Bonnemaman - by the farrier - OP called the farrier - abscess found. Stop poking.

 

[AmyMay]

Go and read the posts Amymay - investigation was advised by Bonnemaman - by the farrier - OP called the farrier - abscess found. Stop poking.

Oh go do one.

 

[LaurenM]

Farrier has suggested another 12 days poulticing (21 days in total). The animalintex slips out when she's in the field - does anyone have any experience with the poultice boot? Vets have recommended turning her out whilst the ground is dry so don't want to have her on box rest.

 

[galaxy]

Farrier has suggested another 12 days poulticing (21 days in total). The animalintex slips out when she's in the field - does anyone have any experience with the poultice boot? Vets have recommended turning her out whilst the ground is dry so don't want to have her on box rest.

Canvas poulitce boots are rubbish, they never stay on. Hoof wraps are good though. They stay on! Have seen them used by people on my yard and the local saddlery sells loads of them!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HOOF-WRAPS-EQ...432738&cguid=f3b055f712e0a0a9f4914f81fff2f58a

How are you poulticing it though? I ususally recommend, animalintex, nappy (keeps animalintex in place!), vetrap then loads of gaffer tape on top (waterproofs it and keeps in place)

 

[LaurenM]

Im using the animalintex, vet wrap and duct tape. Farrier said to avoid using nappies. He said that there's been a few recent surveys that state that nappies encourage the bacteria to fester and if wet the chemicals can sting the hoof?

She seems to wear the duct tape and vet wrap on the toe and then the animalintex seems to slip out. She does like to canter round like an idiot mind.

 

[galaxy]

Im using the animalintex, vet wrap and duct tape. Farrier said to avoid using nappies. He said that there's been a few recent surveys that state that nappies encourage the bacteria to fester and if wet the chemicals can sting the hoof?

She seems to wear the duct tape and vet wrap on the toe and then the animalintex seems to slip out. She does like to canter round like an idiot mind.

I use the nappy over the animalintex.... just padding really.

Look at the hoof wrap. But if it keeps falling off, I would just box rest. It's in the horses best interest to get sound as quick as possible so the poultice needs to stay on. Everytime it falls off it will be compromised.

 

[LaurenM]

Ok will have a look. Thanks

 

[reddie]

I used to use anmalex, vetwrap (from the pound shop), my OH old sport socks as padding, and duct tape. It used to stay on reasonabley well in the field, good enough for a day's TO. Didn't turn out if really muddy though

 

[0ldmare]

I usually put a circle of plastic feedsack over the vetwrap and duct tape that - stops water getting in and uses less duct tape. Mine is fine to turn out with this and it seems to work well

Only thing is that sounds like a heck of a long time to poultice! Assuming the farrier found the seat of the abscess and its now draining I would probably only wet poultice for around 4 days or until no pus is coming out plus a day to be sure., then dry for a few days to be on the safe side and to allow the hooves to harden again. After that you can plug the hole with cotton wool which usually stays in remarkably well.

 

[misst]

I used a hoofeeze boot to turn our youngster out in when he was poulticed - worked really well for a big silly 2yo. One thing I did do was to put him in a small electric fenced area (half the size of a small arena) so he could not hoon about so much. Google equine podiatry supplies - next day delivery and nice helpful lady on the phone! I also bought hoofwraps but found them harder to use with a big bolshy boy who did not want his bad foot messing with. The hoofeeze boot just pulls on. I also used it afterwards to keep his foot clean and dry. He did wreck it at the end but it lasted several weeks.

 

[LaurenM]

I used a hoofeeze boot to turn our youngster out in when he was poulticed - worked really well for a big silly 2yo. One thing I did do was to put him in a small electric fenced area (half the size of a small arena) so he could not hoon about so much. Google equine podiatry supplies - next day delivery and nice helpful lady on the phone! I also bought hoofwraps but found them harder to use with a big bolshy boy who did not want his bad foot messing with. The hoofeeze boot just pulls on. I also used it afterwards to keep his foot clean and dry. He did wreck it at the end but it lasted several weeks.

That sounds like a good idea. The new Robinsons store opens by us on Wednesday so will have a look on their website too.

Thanks for all the comments.

 

[AmyMay]

Laurence, some great advice re keeping a poultice on whilst turned out. But 21 days poulticing is hugely excessive, not to mention potentially very damaging. Does your vet agree with doing it for this long.?