advise on lame horse

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xxcharlottexx

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I know this should really be in vets, but more people reply in here

My horse is lame in his left hind leg
There is no heat/swelling/lumps/bumps/cuts doesnt seem particulary sore as ive given it a good prod yet he is still lame
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is there any ideas of what it could be or what i should do?
at times it looks like its slightly stiff and others like hes foot sore, given all his legs a good prod and his feet and he didnt flinch at anything, granted he was eating his tea, but hes usually very wimpy when he comes in with a cut or something

he does have slight mud rash but its not chapped or anything, hes just got bald legs at the bottom

Im thinking of carrying on turning him out until weekend to see if any improvement, if not try a few days box rest over the weekend, then get vet out if no improvement...does this seem like the right thing to do... what would you do if he was your horse?

he doesnt seem likes he's too off colour, although my friend turned him out this morning as i had an exam said he didnt eat his brekkie at first, but a huge haynet is eaten and he certainly shoveled it down tonight
and friend thought maybe he was a bit on edge as its been windy and maybe the horses or sheep are gathering outside his stable (his stable leads straight onto the field) as he kept looking over at his door to the field this morning

bit at a loss if what to do.. any suggestions would be appreciated please?

thanks (sorry its quite long)
 
I have no idea but exactly the same with Off hind on Bert. (no rash though) I am completely bemused and have the vet coming tomorrow.

I was thinking sore feet as he is unshod behind........stiff from old injury in the cold as he had a kick to that leg that got infected in the summer.........something like athritis!
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(that is me being melodramatic and a complete worry wart!)

Other than that I am completely at a loss!

Keep us posted but I would call a vet out if in doubt
 
It may be that the mud rash may be more uncomfortable than you think. Maybe a day or so off the mud may help. I'd then call the vet if no improvement in 2-3 days.
 
How lame? On a scale of 5, with 5 being no weight on the leg and 1 being an offstep.

Sometimes an irritation like the "mud rash" can really bother them to the point where they look a little bit off. Are you doing anything for it? How long has he had that?

If there is no other heat or swelling or cut then I would be inclined to think the rash is causing the discomfort. The other thing it could be is with the weather being what it is he could have some arthritis flaring up. How old is he?
 
I would use sudocrem on the mud rash. It will also act as a barrier if he's being turned out, but if it were my horse I would keep him in a few days.
 
on a scale he probably 1 heading on 2, not very but noticeable (and TBH im a bit of a novice when it comes to seeing if horses are lame, but i can tell)

ive been hosing his legs down and then applying a tea tree oil and camomile spray on, as my sudocream has temporarily gone walkabouts and i cant find it!

I thought the mud rash but would it not be sore to touch it?

shouldnt be arthritus as hes 7 (as i found out today) but has low mileage sort of speak
 
When was he last shod? Could the lameness be from his foot? One of ours was diagnosed with muc fever as the cause of lameness, but when the farrier came out he found she had an abscess in her foot, worth thinking about perhaps.
 
The mudfever may not be sore to the touch but when he moves it would stretch the skin which would be very uncomfortable. I would try and treat the rash and keep an eye on how he does. As you loosen the scabs he may feel worse but then get better as they go away. If it is something else you should see it get worse (in a hurry if it is an abscess) or gradually if it is soft tissue.

If you arent great at viewing lamenss have someone else help you so you can monitor changes. If your turnout is wet and muddy if may not hurt to keep him a couple days like you suggested. You may have to do some trial and error work until you see a difference. If it continues for more than a week with no change/or it gets worse you may need someone else (vet) to take a look.

For now I wouldnt worry, try and treat the rash and see how he does.
 
I would suggest a couple of days box rest and get a second opinion from someone more experienced. If not better after a couple of days call the vet, speak to them on the phone first before making an appointment.

Good luck

Emma
 
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