'feely' and intermittent lameness

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milly08

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Hi all :-) firstly I'm very sorry this is long but anyone's opinions would be very much appreciated!

I have my 15.3 connemara X 6yr old mare a few months. Got a full vet check when I bought her and all was good.

About a month after I got her we noticed her 'feely' on the left reign for a few steps. Not lame, but not right. Put it down to trodding on a stone, on we went, all fine. A few weeks later noticed it again this time on the right reign. A few steps not quite right, then fine, then another few steps then all fine again.

This went on for a while, feely for a few steps, then fine, some days nothing, some days more than a few steps, always worse on right reign, Especially when I would rise on the correct diagonal. I had my instructor and the yard owner look at her and they said as she wasn't lame calling vet would be pointless because there was no heat, swelling, tender points, anything to go on, and no head nod, just uncomfortable to ride to.

About two weeks ago I had my instructor ride her as her lateral work was not progressing as I would have liked. She felt tightness in her left hind so we got a muscular neurologist out to have a look. She rubbed her out and found her right shoulder extremely tight, as well as her left hip. After some work said she would come back the following week to work on her again. The couple of days after the first visit felt a big improvement and she was a lot more willing to work laterally. The day before the muscular neurologist came back I went down the road to warm up, all fine, into the arena, walk all great, leg yielding, turns on the forehand no problem, trot very feely on right reign, rode on for a few mins to see if she would come right, nope, properly lame, right reign worse than left. Muscular neurologist back the next day, was very happy with her and after her work and a lunge said she looked great, soft all over. No lameness at all. However she did check my saddle and said it was leaning slightly on the right shoulder, so we will be replacing that.
Gave her the next day (yesterday) off as instructed, and rode her this morning in a lesson. My instructor rode her first and said there was a massive improvement, had her doing shoulder in which she had never tried before. But she did notice a few feely steps again, but not lame. Then up I got, walk great, then trot, feely, feely, lame. Off I got, yard owner and instructor out to her, trotted her on the lunge, lame on the left reign only. Not crippled, slight consistent nod on the left leg we think.

So called my vet, he will be out Monday. She is due to be shod but her hoofs are very healthy and strong, if a bit concave. Still no heat, swelling, tender points anywhere from shoulder to hoof. I'm just wondering if anyone has ever experienced anything like this or had any idea about what could be going on? Any insight would be extremely appreciated!!
 
It could be that's she bilaterally lame hence the reason it's now showing as true lameness and more a feeling of not quite right. No doubt your vet will do a full work up and nerve block if need be.
 
Concave at sole, her hooves tend to be deep. I don't have any pics now but I'll be out to her tomorrow morning and will take some and post them up!

Also should have mentioned when I say no heat at all, I mean no change in heat, she tends to run a little hot all over in general.

Could subclinical laminitis be a cause? Just a thought...
 
A concave sole is good. :)

When you take the photos of the hooves, put the camera almost on the ground and don't forget to take sole shots too.

Have you checked her pulses?
 
Little update, my vet nerve blocked her left foot and xrayed. She is straining the ligament to the pedal bone. Aggressive paring and three weeks box rest should do the trick thank goodness! If she's not perfect then he'll treat the coffin joint but hoping she won't need it! She's a fast grower so the vet recommend getting her feet done every four-five weeks! So relieved it can be sorted so simply! Thanks for your tips :-D
 
milly08 said:
Little update, my vet nerve blocked her left foot and xrayed. She is straining the ligament to the pedal bone. Aggressive paring and three weeks box rest should do the trick thank goodness! If she's not perfect then he'll treat the coffin joint but hoping she won't need it! She's a fast grower so the vet recommend getting her feet done every four-five weeks! So relieved it can be sorted so simply! Thanks for your tips :-D
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Glad you have plan, do check that she is landing flat or heel first when she is back in work as landing toe first damages the tendons/ligaments.
 
Hmmm, good hooves, hmmm, I would be looking to transition to barefoot, see Rockley Farm for essential [Celery], you need to learn to read those feet, if the horse is bi laterally lame, she will not be able to stride out , landing heel first is the aim.
If both front shoes are off, I would try to progress / transition to barefoot ........ you need to self educate, diet, exercise and trimming [less is better]
 
Palindrome said:
Glad you have plan, do check that she is landing flat or heel first when she is back in work as landing toe first damages the tendons/ligaments.
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Landing toe first is a symptom, a symptom of a problem, not the reason for the problem.
If you consider your own feet, you will find that the more you walk around in bare feet, the more your own feet relax and reach for the floor [this does not happen on day 1]! The feet automatically send messages to the nervous system so that proprioreceptors adjust the stride correctly and automatically.
I have had problems with my own limbs, and having already researched the barefoot science for my own pony, it worked for me too ........ this is still a dark art as far as modern medicine is concerned, one day they will catch on ......... maybe....
 
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Palindrome said:
"Although Dr. Rooney and Dr. Bowker have discovered differing causes of navicular bone changes, both are adamant that it is the result of long term toe first landing or lack of use of the back of the foot. "
http://www.hoofrehab.com/NavicularSyndrome.html
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http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/reversing-navicular-bone-damage.html
There are lots of similar posts, but I think this covers quite a few myths and realities.
Look at ALL these re-hab horses and ponies, they were ALL sent with vet reports and long term problems, most have improved significantly long term to return to wok, and for quite a few this was "the last resort".
 
milly08 said:
Concave at sole, her hooves tend to be deep. I don't have any pics now but I'll be out to her tomorrow morning and will take some and post them up!

Also should have mentioned when I say no heat at all, I mean no change in heat, she tends to run a little hot all over in general.

Could subclinical laminitis be a cause? Just a thought...
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You mean all her hooves are warm, [not hot]?
PS in the UK the vet should be the first port of call, any physio has to be OKed by them...........
 
Faracat said:
You coud also take her off grass/treat as a laminitic and see if she improves.
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I would agree with this, if you change the regime and the symptoms also change there may be a correlation ......... may be, maybe not, one thing affects another, very often, but my guess is bi lateral lameness, obviously a vet needs to check it out, this is a time of year when grass flushes ...... sweet lush and dark ....... low in magnesium, low in fibre, high in sugars ......... all delicious but not a good diet for any horse, and pony types tend to be prone to laminitis .... inflammation of the lamellae, not many show the classic "stance" though.
 
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Vet said there was slight movement in the pedal bone but with the lack of strain on the ligament should be perfect after three weeks. No rotation as far as he said.

I understand barefoot is good, but it's not possible for us at the moment.

Didn't have a physio, she doesn't refer to herself as that, muscular neurologist is what she told me. She was recommended to me by a very successful race yard owner so I knew I was getting the best.

She wasn't bilaterally lame, or have any laminitis thank goodness :-D
 
What I mean is that in the UK there are strict rules regarding veterinary type treatments, and a vet has to approve treatment, in the same way, a farrier is not allowed to diagnose, he often has to tell owner to get a vet even though he knows the outcome will be a referral to a farrier.
I would not keep a horse on box rest with shoes on 3 feet, its counter intuitive.
 
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