Confusion solved...

Serenity087

Serenity087

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Dorey suddenly went downhill badly after I last posted and was actually hopping lame in walk.

Given the hard ground and her being barefoot on behind, I got the farrier out to check the bits he knows best!

She was so lame he could see her limping in from across our fields :(

Took one look at her though and said it's her hocks.

Been following advice and after only a day she's already sound in walk again. Another four days box rest before I know if we're right or if I'm calling the vet.

So thanks for all the input, but it looks a lot like everyone was wrong!!!

(Oh, and her mud fever is looking a million times better without the feathers to hold the grease in. It's an idea that mud fever needs mud, pasteral dermatisus just needs an anaerobic environment which greasy feathers provide!)
 
Oh this is a good one. You have a farrier who can diagnose and advise on hock issues? Not likely. A hopping lame horse a farrier treated might be an abcess but hocks... Call your vet if you're horse is hopping lame and farrier can't find an abcess, stop trying to scrimp on her health..
 
i think that comment was unnecessary SusieT... IMO any farrier worth his qualification should know the difference between an abscess and an issue in the hock or pastern or stifle or anything else.

He's not said it's definitely Spavin, or definitely a thoroughpin. He's said it's not her foot, it looks like a hock issue. Many hock issues have characteristic gait abnormalities attributed to them, and it's probably this that he's picked up.

If your farrier is not watching your horse move everytime he sees them then IMHO he's not doing his job right.
 
If the horse was lame in walk and the farrier came out and now she is sound - what has the farrier done? And what is the idea behind the box rest?

Farrier sounds too good to be true. Can you send him out to diagnose my mare's lameness as my vet is at a loss - and he has nerve blocks/x-rays and scans at his disposal. I should have got this farrier - would have been far cheaper than the vets bills I've got!
 
Serenity087 I'm not sure if you aren't calling the vet because you are trying to save money. If that is the case please consider getting a sharer or someone to help with costs as soon as your horse is fixed. If you farrier is correct about a hock problem your horse needs the vet. And if your farrier isn't correct then your horse needs the vet.

Good luck.
 
And I think she'll find that on her last thread, I mentioned to her that it could possibly be hock issues - possible spavin, but she ignored it - so as for everyone being wrong, she clearly only read the replies she wanted to read.....
 
A good farrier can help with lameness issues, but I would not trust all farriers.

I had vet(equine specialist) out twice to mine, with no diagnosis(without further testing), farrier, found the problem, (muscle injury), and recomended acupuncture (the acupuncturist agreed and treated 2-3 sessions), my horse had been lame for approx 6 months and went sound after acupuncture treatment.

It just depends on what the issue is and experience of alternative therapists, some are useless.
 
As an experienced horse person a farrier could well be able to give a rough diagnosis of what he "thinks" is wrong with a horse.
The same as an experienced owner.

If its an injury some rest may well put it right, but if this has been going on for a while then your horse clearly has something more going on and NEEDS A VET!

Your horses needs a proper diagnosis with back up evidence, xrays, nerves blocks etc then real treatment that only a vet is allowed to give, medication etc.

Stop being to argumentative, think of your horse and do the right thing.
 
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SusieT said:
Oh this is a good one. You have a farrier who can diagnose and advise on hock issues? Not likely. A hopping lame horse a farrier treated might be an abcess but hocks... Call your vet if you're horse is hopping lame and farrier can't find an abcess, stop trying to scrimp on her health..
Click to expand...

A good farrier is worth his weight in gold, and of course should be able to offer some advise on where they think the lameness may be originating from, if they're sure it's not in the foot.

A good farrier would also recommend getting the vet if the horse is as lame as the OP's seemed to be.
 
It is outwith the farrier's remit to diagnose. The farrier can only make a suggestion but should also advise you to call a vet to make a diagnosis. Check with the FRC if you aren't sure.
 
Honestly I dont understand why you're waiting 4 days?? why not get the vet out now and have a proper formal diagnosis - for all you know box rest could actually make her worse! I really hope its nothing serious, but why take the risk in leaving her, especially if she has suddenly gone down hill.
 
Serenity087 said:
Dorey suddenly went downhill badly after I last posted and was actually hopping lame in walk.

Given the hard ground and her being barefoot on behind, I got the farrier out to check the bits he knows best!

She was so lame he could see her limping in from across our fields :(

Took one look at her though and said it's her hocks.

Been following advice and after only a day she's already sound in walk again. Another four days box rest before I know if we're right or if I'm calling the vet.

So thanks for all the input, but it looks a lot like everyone was wrong!!!

(Oh, and her mud fever is looking a million times better without the feathers to hold the grease in. It's an idea that mud fever needs mud, pasteral dermatisus just needs an anaerobic environment which greasy feathers provide!)
Click to expand...

I don't think everyone was wrong. I for one mentioned a hock condition. :) The aforementioned mare that I posted about that did not go sound on three bute a day, came sound with a year off but then went down hill quickly again. An operation made her sound. Not saying that is what is wrong with your horse of course. I hope not.
 
Sounds like an abscess to me as the pain is acute rather than chronic and she has gone downhill very suddenly. Even though your farrier couldn't find anything I would definitely get the vet.
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again, poor horse. She needs a vet. This isn't about you for once. It's not about HHO users being right or wrong. It's about a horse who is in pain and needs you, as her owner, to get the vet out and stop messing about..

... and before you find your fingers itching type a response calling me stupid, take a look at yourself and your motives for treating your horse so negligently. I stand by what I say and am not alone in thinking that you are not putting your horse's interests first.
 
My horse was in over night..came out in the morning and was hopping lame :( I was distraught as he was only 2 and a half. Called the vet straight away! We thought it was an abscess and after lots of ultra sound, scanning, xrays-you name it we did it :P We actually found it was a slight fracture of the pedal bone!! Anyway he's healed within a few months and is now out again being his silly oaf self which is lovely to see :D Anyway point of the story....get the vet :) x
 
Well, I hope you sure all feel good about yourselves.

Cos I ain't posting my life story with Dor just to prove everyone wrong, but believe you me she wants for nothing and certainly not for lack of money.

There are non-financial reasons I called out a farrier instead of a vet and I'm glad to have done so.

I wanted advice on what might have been causing a bizarre gait that was sound except on one trotting diagonal. Dorey since sustained an injury in her stable which is now being treated. I have also clipped her legs to allow air onto the mud fever which is healing very well. There is no negligence involved and having spent the weekend carpeting her stable to prevent re-accurance of her injury it certainly isn't a funding problem either!

But unless this was posted under another username, I'm always going to be evil, eh. So you think what you like. I don't give one. My horse is looked after. End of.
 
I think to be fair Serenity the responses you received would have been the same for any poster.

Your horse has a problem - you don't know what it is - call the vet.

It's a pretty bog standard response from most of us here on the forum.

I suspect that the reason you're getting your knickers in a twist is because you know that the advice to get your vet out is correct.

It has nothing to do with who you are - it's about people's concerns for your horse.
 
Serenity - for the last time, THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOU :mad: We are concerned for your poor horse. Please stop with all this 'everyone's picking on poor little me' routine and get veterinary help for your horse who is clearly suffering.

If, as you said, she has had mud fever for six months why have you only just got round to clipping her feather? Plus, according to you, not only has she got mud fever, but she is lame on at least one leg and has now had the misfortune to injure herself in her stable and develop a hock problem (as diagnosed by a farrier) that has led to her being hopping lame. How many more problems must the poor girl develop before you dial the vet's number :confused:
 
The confusion is not 'solved' you still don't know what is wrong with your poor mare.

If she is lame in walk and your farrier says it is not an abcess then she needs a vet - don't wait four days to see if she will come right. For a horse to be lame in walk, other than because of an abcess, then there is something serious going on - and I don't mean mud fever. With your years of experience you should know this.

TBH I don't really understand why you have posted this, it looks like you are more concerned with thumbing your nose at people you consider to be wrong than the fact that your mare is in pain.
 
Good farrier is worth his weight in gold. And I would always get my farriers advice on lameness before a vet.

This is all a bit vague for everyone to be jumping on their high horses about..

You'd swear this horse is being severely neglected the way some of you are going on... I'm sure if the situation warrants it, she'll get the vet..as it is (from what I've read) it looks like the horse is improving either way and is no longer lame at the walk... so whatever the OP is doing (which we have no idea of) seems to be working.

This probably gonna get me a lot of stick but I just think people are jumping to conclusions a bit quick without knowing all the details.. but hey ho thats just my opinion!

Good luck OP I hope she comes sound for you.. or as sound as she gets with a pelvis which is out of alignment! :)
 
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