At what point do you worry something is not right? soudness wise.

[loopylucifer]

When a horse is properly lame its easy, but when they are just not right at what point do you become conserned? Mine is well just not right at the moment and I feel a complete wally when I talk to the vet and say she is not really lame just not going right (not wanting to carry herself/rushing/crocked bit crabby but ok in stright lines)
And just wondered at what point do people become or should become consered when they feel thigs are not quite right? and if you feel somethingis wrong where do you start to work out what1

 

[LauraWheeler]

I have been right about Lucy so many times. I just know when there is something wrong with her even when no one else can see it. A few years ago i retired during an 80km endurance ride we where at the second vet check and still had plenty of time, the vets said they where happy for me to continu but i wasn't happy. Her heart rate was a little higher than normal and she just didn't feel herself. I rang my vets the next day who said they couldn't see anything wrong but i perswaded them to do a bllod test and it was lucky they did as she had a very bad bactireal(sp?) infection of the gut. My vet said she had never seen bloods so bad and it took 6 courses of Baytrill to shift it Lucy is one tough cookie but i always know when something is wrong and get it looked into as soon as possible. (My vets always listen to me now)

 

[4faults]

Hi I had the same problem with my horse last year, an ex-showjumper who had jumped 1m60 tracks and I was turning her to dressage we got up to Medium when I began to notice she wasnt quite right, not overly lame but just not herself. She would be fine on straight lines but on corners would struggle to hold herself and rush a bit.

No1 else could tell anything was wrong but I was adamant she wasnt right, so after a month of not getting any better despite rest and light work I called a vet, who told me I would have to take her to his clinic and leave her and her tack there as he couldnt see anything wrong with her. I was intensely unhappy with this as she absolutely hates vets and would have hurt someone especially as this vet was a bit of a wet wimp.

Called another vet who came out and said I see what you mean but I dont know whats wrong with her, nerve blocks were done on her near fore and she was still lame so vets boss was arranged to come out the next week. Out he came and two turns on the lunge in both directions later he said X-rays! Portable X-ray was brought in and low and behold she has Navicular, fairly advanced in both front feet, which is why when nerve blocks were done she was still lame. Boss vet wasnt very happy with his employee at this point but thats another story!!

I dont want to alarm you and dont panic about your horse as its probably something completely different but my advice would be if you feel there is something wrong with your baby and it persists for longer than you are happy with then get the vet out and if you feel the vet is wrong get another. No1 knows your horse like you do so trust your instincts! Sorry to go on and on had that on my chest for a long time. Best of luck with your horse

 

[kezimac]

I know how you feel - mine jsut wasnt quite right wasnt lame but not quite level, I got vet i had to trot her up about 5 times he couldnt see it - she went to vets for lameness workup xrays etc - navicular in both front feet. that was 9 months ago, Then 2 weeks ago wasnt right got her back in for more x rays and lo and behold navicular bone has degraded more on right fore. So now got a bleak future but I knew and at least i didnt let it go on too long - if you think horse isnt right get the vet.

 

[joos66]

Trust your own instincts, no-one knows your horse as well as you. Started having niggley problems with my girl only 6 months after buying and having a 5 stage vetting. Symptoms included crooked on one rein, rushing, reluctance to work on the bit, bucking in canter, called out vet who thought it was behavioural as did my instructor. Over time more symptoms emerged, muscle build up over one shoulder, resting off hind, unable to get correct canter lead, had back and saddle checked. Called vet out several more times, he said she needed to be lamer! Eventually after nearly a year, I insisted she went in for a full lameness workup and x rays. Finally she was diagnosed with proximal suspensory desmitus and as the problem had been going on for so long, the only option was a neurectomy. That was in April 08, she is still not 100% right and is only used for light hacking. I really wish I had insisted on full investigations earlier. PSD is more a loss of performance rather than a lameness but it is serious and can be career threatening. Hope you get to the bottom of your horses problems, be persistent! And good luck, hope it is nothing serious.