Horse becoming lame

[Aprilia]

Hi,

I'm writing on behalf of my friend. She's got a 9 y.o. Arabian gelding and yesterday was the first day he and my horse both went out in the field along with a group of other horses (we just had them both moved to a new home) and shortly after they all had met and galloped around the field a couple of times, he became lame on his front left foot. He was trying to relieve it by finding a more comfortable way to stand but he wasn't successful as horses carry about 60% of their body weight on their front feet. He lifted it up and sort of gave me to hold it for him. Apparently he becomes lame quite often even after very light work (and this time they galloped perhaps 7min at most?)

My friend just purchased him and none of the previous owners cared enough to have it checked with a vet ( we are doing it ASAP). Any ideas what could it be?

 

[Birker2020]

Hi,

I'm writing on behalf of my friend. She's got a 9 y.o. Arabian gelding and yesterday was the first day he and my horse both went out in the field along with a group of other horses (we just had them both moved to a new home) and shortly after they all had met and galloped around the field a couple of times, he became lame on his front left foot. He was trying to relieve it by finding a more comfortable way to stand but he wasn't successful as horses carry about 60% of their body weight on their front feet. He lifted it up and sort of gave me to hold it for him. Apparently he becomes lame quite often even after very light work (and this time they galloped perhaps 7min at most?)

My friend just purchased him and none of the previous owners cared enough to have it checked with a vet ( we are doing it ASAP). Any ideas what could it be?

It might be that he has trod on a stone or flint and has a bruised sole which would show up as you saw when you watched him in the field. I would sgugest the vet does a lameness assesment to work out what's wrong with the horse and why he would suddenly become lame. This might be obvious by watching him on the lunge on a soft and hard surface, or trotted up in hand or after flexion tests. The vet may palpate the leg or put a pincer on the foot to detect the source of pain. Sometimes the vet may need to nerve block, so they start by injection anaethetic into the nerve in the leg at certain points. Then they assess how the horse moves and if it is still lame. If it is then they continue to work up the leg until the horse isn't lame anymore and then they will know where the source of pain is coming from.

It can be quite expensive to have this done (approx £140-£180) but its well worth it, as it saves you from having to guess and you will then get a correct diagnosis which may be easier to treat.