Hind leg lameness, any ideas of what it may be?

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NicoleS_007

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Its not my horse but my friends wee gelding who has unfortunatly went lame at the most awkward time as she has to sell him before she goes to Uni in Sept!! We *think* it was from hooning around the field last Wed, but we could be wrong!! He looked a bit footy on the offending leg coming in from the field, so was hoof picked but there was no one around to trot him up on the Wed so we troted him up on Thurs (last week). He was lame in a straight line on the back right, clearly dropping that hip. We then lunged him on the stoney yard and he looked to be slightly off on the left rein (he never tracks up, usually 1-2 hoof prints off of tracking up) changed onto the right rein and he was slightly worse on that rein. He was box rested until Sat when we troted him up again in a straight line and lunged again, no change. So we took him over to the lunging pen to see if there was any difference with change of surface. He looked sound, except on the right rein for the first few strides he looked slightly lame then looked normal. So he was box rested until today (so all in all 1 week box rest) and he is still no different. There is (nor was when first checked) no swelling, no heat, no sign of trauma ... nothing at all abnormal. Any ideas?
 
No ideas without seeing thehorse!!

Check his sacroiliac as theres not usually any signs of that and the dropping hip is suspicious. Is the pelvis level?

Other than that....id box rest for a couple of days and then call the vet :/
 
It is a vet job, I'm afraid. It could be anything. Hoof abcess, hock arthritis, suspensory desmitis, anything. Hope he's okay.
 
From my learnings with my vet based on a very similar case (sudden lameness with no outward signs of injury) - if it's a hock injury, they tend to drag their feet. If they're looking short and dipping their hips, it could be more focused on the stifle/hip area.

Of course, this weather, we could be talking bruised sole or abscess, so I'd get your farrier out to have a look and check feet and if there's nothing wrong, get the vet out.

Dorey, very similarly lame, has pulled a ligament in her stifle (as well as capping her hocks... *rollseyes* ).

I hope you have insurance though.... I've just had the middle bill for Dorey's leg... £1300!!!!!
 
Yep vet will be called tomorrow (as far as im aware) but probably wont be seen to until next week, unfortunatly as there very busy. RE his pelvis being level, he was seen by a physio about a month or two ago and nothing was said about an unlevel pelvis, but he has more muscle over the left side of his back were the saddle panels sit. That was all they seen wrong with him. We were thinking it was something above the hock, as we cant find nothing on the lower leg and hes not footy ect Hmmmmm! Such a shame if it is something bad, as hes such a lovely we horse with alot of scope :(
 
Serenity087 said:
From my learnings with my vet based on a very similar case (sudden lameness with no outward signs of injury) - if it's a hock injury, they tend to drag their feet. If they're looking short and dipping their hips, it could be more focused on the stifle/hip area.

Of course, this weather, we could be talking bruised sole or abscess, so I'd get your farrier out to have a look and check feet and if there's nothing wrong, get the vet out.

Dorey, very similarly lame, has pulled a ligament in her stifle (as well as capping her hocks... *rollseyes* ).

I hope you have insurance though.... I've just had the middle bill for Dorey's leg... £1300!!!!!
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Nope not dragging feet, but yes short and dropped hip!! Hes never had any foot problems before, well actually hes never been lame either :rolleyes: But to us it doesnt look like a foot problem. And yes he is insured but not my horse hes a friends ... Hope Dorey gets better soon :)
 
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