Do people just not recognise lame horses?

[milliepops]

one of the less weird threads to reignite

multiple lame horses still in work on my yard. Can't wait until I don't have to watch them crabbing down the drive

 

[scruffyponies]

I hack out with a few people whose horses really struggle walking downhill. Usually they just say the horse doesn't like going down hills but I'll bet there is bilateral artritis going on.

I have a really odd one - a Welsh D who prefers to trot downhill - gets really happy about it. Jumps into and falls out of canter though, despite everyone's best efforts... and dishes like a spin bowler. What can you do?

 

[Chinchilla]

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[Roxylola]

And personally I think it's true that people don't necessarily recognise subtle lameness, I don't know why a thread is necessary. I know I can't see it anywhere near as well as I'd like to.

It was a reaction to someone putting a video about their horse up that they felt was going well and the OP felt looked lame.
I remain on my fence and stand by my original comment. I think it's very hard to see in a video anyway as I've said before unless a horse is super forward I think video translates to looking lame/unsound at times when they possibly are fine

 

[Pippity]

Not quite to the same extent but there is a lot of the same in Fell Pony groups. Pictures with people saying how well there youngster is thickening out when it is really pig fat

Meanwhile, I have people on my yard telling me my horse looks underweight, when you have to put some real effort in to feel that she actually has ribs under the flab.

 

[Chinchilla]

It was a reaction to someone putting a video about their horse up that they felt was going well and the OP felt looked lame.
I remain on my fence and stand by my original comment. I think it's very hard to see in a video anyway as I've said before unless a horse is super forward I think video translates to looking lame/unsound at times when they possibly are fine

yeah, a video isn't necessarily going to be representative. different riding styles could make a horse look lame too i suppose (not sure if have articulated that very well - but say rider is SUPER lopsided and horse compensates by making itself also lopsided and a bystander saw the horse's lopsidedness and put it down to it being lame.)

 

[Tiddlypom]

The timing of the resurrection of this thread is unfortunate.

 

[AFB]

Great videos - thanks for linking

 

[xDundryx]

Since losing our lad I've been tentatively horse hunting. I was sent a video of a 3yo still in training locally, going for silly money mid 4 figures. This poor sod has a leg in 4 different counties issues across it's back and quarters, could just be muscle tightness however this is walking along a flat straight surface, when it turns it's quite sad to see. This is from a seemingly respected 'rehomer' if that's what they are fashionably called now (ie 3rd party/agent who hikes up the price) There are a lot of 'ooh I wish I won the lottery hun' type comments on the advert... You can hear the lameness before you see it

 

[SEL]

Weird how some threads get resurrected.

Also a bit depressing from a personal perspective as I think we've only got left fore that is sound these days (and even that had sidebone on x ray). Still think she's sounder than most horses I see though!!

 

[Kamikaze]

What videos?

 

[meleeka]

I’m truly rubbish at spotting hind leg lameness. I always follow threads on here on the subject, hoping to teach myself but still can’t see it when others point it out. For that reason I wouldn’t rely on my opinion but ask others who I do trust if I need to know.

 

[Starzaan]

If I didn't notice it myself I'd want an instructor or other person to tell me if they thought my horse was lame, surely people don't want to ride lame horses do they? Mind you, nothing really amazes me anymore

I have pointed out that clients horses are lame countless times and said I’m not prepared to continue a lesson with a lame horse.
invariably they just find a different instructor.

 

[Brimmers]

There's a dealer local to me who put up a video of a horse that is awfully lame in the school, and also out xc schooling. The poor horse was metaphorically screaming in pain, and had the most awful action over a jump, and was bucking and napping after, but the comments were all praising the rider and the horse's "quirks" apparently just make him interesting. Poor thing was head nodding lame in the school.

Is this a big grey by any chance? I saw this advert and was shocked - I thought the dealer was a fairly respected, honest dealer and was going to use them when the time is right to get my own again. However, I cant believe they took that one to be sold on and proceeded to make an extremely uncomfortable horse go cross country... poor buggar.

 

[ozpoz]

https://conta.cc/3h4Uisx How to tell when your ridden horse is in pain, the ridden horse pain behaviour ethogram,in pictures. So simple and straightforward, unless you really don’t want to know!

 

[[59668]]

Is this a big grey by any chance? I saw this advert and was shocked - I thought the dealer was a fairly respected, honest dealer and was going to use them when the time is right to get my own again. However, I cant believe they took that one to be sold on and proceeded to make an extremely uncomfortable horse go cross country... poor buggar.

That's the one. I thought the same as you. Major damage to her reputation and honesty in my eyes.

 

[tallyho!]

Hah! Try having a PSSM horse... a sound day depends on where the moon is in relation to Jupiter and Pluto.

 

[HollyWoozle]

I think some people also know their horse is pretty lame and proceed to convince themselves it's OK to continue riding them. I know a lady with a horse which the vet, the farrier and a yard owner all told me is pretty knackered but she continues to hack, jump, go to lessons and clinics and presumably the instructors just let it slide. She does have the horse injected and I think he's on bute which I think covers it up sometimes, but she herself knows all his issues and despite claiming to love him dearly, continues to work him like that.

People are odd!

 

[oldie48]

Having had a horse with mild hock arthritis, I sypathise with anyone missing subtle hind limb lameness as I missed it and it took a new trainer to notice that he wasn't stepping under in canter on the left rein as well as he should. It was quite a few years ago and I'd like to think I'd feel it now. He had hock injections, was in regular work and always given time to warm up slowly. We hacked out and did some veteran dressage, just up to novice and he used to score really well but he could sometimes feel a little bit stiff initially in the warm up and he might have looked slightly off fresh off the lorry but I think it was better for him to be in low level work than completely retired to the field and my vet agreed. How unprofessional for a vet, farrier and YO to discuss a clients horse with other clients. Perhaps I'm fortunate but my vet and farrier would never do that but discussed what was best for my horse with me rather than with other clients.

 

[Tiddlypom]

How unprofessional for a vet, farrier and YO to discuss a clients horse with other clients. Perhaps I'm fortunate but my vet and farrier would never do that but discussed what was best for my horse with me rather than with other clients.

Quite, plus the horse allegedly being gossiped about is clearly under vet care, as he has had injections and is on bute.

 

[ester]

I think timing can be tricky too.
In hindsight I would probably have had F's hock injected 6 months before I did.

First one to spot it when it was very mild was the saddler.
The first time he went quite wonky on it (and sent new vet vids, to request physio permission and they couldn't decide which leg between them in the vet office) he was much better post physio when the vet attended (with he is as sound as I'd expect a 23 year old to be), and then was much better on boswellia.

The very last show we did he does show on video as not right behind. I should have pulled him out as it was a combination of terrible weather, lit arena, and loud music meaning he was very welsh cob tense so harder for me to feel and making him look lame. And I also had several supporters who had put themselves out to trailer him there for me. We don't always make the right decisions and know I didn't that day and that people probably would judge but thankfully more chilled at home the following day he looked ok again.

 

[Muddywellies]

A friend of mine is an instructor, or rather was an instructor. She got so tired of seeing unsound horses, and owners being so touchy if she mentioned it, that she gave up teaching.

 

[SEL]

Hah! Try having a PSSM horse... a sound day depends on where the moon is in relation to Jupiter and Pluto.

Love this! In a manner of speaking given the number of things I've turned down at short notice because "she looked ok yesterday" means nothing today 😕

 

[Snowfilly]

My mum used to do a lot of freelance teaching and had similar experiences. Telling people their horse is lame tends to get a very loud and very negative response, as does telling them the saddle doesn’t fit or that the bit is rubbing.

 

[TheMule]

This looks really useful

https://www.lamenesstrainer.com/

 

[milliepops]

This looks really useful

https://www.lamenesstrainer.com/

yeah I was going to start a thread about this, I had a play with it yesterday but ran out of time to get through it!

 

[Hormonal Filly]

I was only thinking this the other day, so glad so many others think the same.

A friend has a new horse, its so lame in front I can see it from a mile away yet still ridden daily. Mind boggling...

When I just knew gelding wasn't right, everyone on the yard thought I was barney, they told me he was taking the piss and I should just smack him and make him, even one vet said the same and just diagnosed him as being a naughty cob on the notes! They all shut up a few weeks later when the second opinion vet diagnosed severe neck arthritis.

 

[oldie48]

This looks really useful

https://www.lamenesstrainer.com/

I'll have a look at this when I have a bit more time.
I always have a chat with my farrier and I know he'll let me know if he finds anything of note when he's shoeing, same with the physio and I would definitely expect a trainer to tell me if they saw anything, however subtle. Sadly I don't think everyone realises that lameness equates to pain, hence the "it's just him" or "it's mechanical", however saying that I have a slight limp as I have a hole in my achilles tendon which can't be repaired, sometimes it's painful but mostly I limp because I have a weakness. I once had a horse with a fairly minor injury to his suspensory, there was a little heat and a tiny bit of swelling but although he never took a lame step, he never came right either as he was a so and so to box rest but refused to be sensible if turned out!

 

[milliepops]

yeah def need to set aside plenty of time to look at the lameness trainer, I had a play with module 1 and got stuck in a loop with the bonus ones so I clicked across to module 2, looked at 3 and 4 for curiosity

I have to be honest, as I'm almost always on my own I rarely see horses trotted up in a straight line and if I feel iffy about mine I have to lunge them. so this was interesting to practice.

 

[Buster2020]

I find it very hard to tell if a horse is lame especially if it in a hind end. My yard owner point it out my horse was lame which I am thankful for. Unfortunately turnout to be arthritis and my horse is only 11 years old. My friend is a riding instructor and she has told people there horse is lame they got as angry with her, they just find a different instructor . I think people are afraid that will have to retire there horse.