Horse going lame when worked in circles/on surface

[foxy1]

I'd be grateful for thoughts /advice re my 6 year old horse.

I have had various issues with him that has meant his work has been very stop start- cyst needing to be removed, tooth abscess, various kicks, respiritory infection, pedal bone chip, to name a few. He went lame behind in July last year after a good run of work (for him!) of about 6 months, but only once I had started schooling. Vet came out and advised some rest and in hand work. He was no lamer when flexion tested and was about 2 or 3/10ths lame bilaterally.

While resting he got kicked, then I got injured so started bringing him back in to work around December. He has been absolutely sound while doing his 4 weeks walk, another 4 weeks walk plus trot, 2 weeks adding canter then I have started 15 mins schooling 3 x a week for 2 more weeks and he is lame behind again!

Any thoughts?

 

[Fuzzycat]

Did you have any nerve blocks done to locate the area of pain? Bilateral hind lameness exacerbated by schooling sounds like it could be PSD?

 

[foxy1]

No, vet thought it could be muscular from not using schooling muscles. But nerve blocks etc are my next port of call. Vet thought it wasn't typical of PSD lameness but obviously that doesn't rule it out.

 

[SEL]

I too have one that has been more stop than start.

Was your original work mainly done in straight lines? My mare doesn't actually look that bad in a straight line - 2 vets and physio missed the problems with the standard trot up - but put her on a circle and she's pretty horrible to watch especially if she hasn't warmed up.

She has a known muscular problem - PSSM - and hock arthritis was diagnosed last Nov. We're back at the vets in a few weeks to block the hocks which should hopefully show whether they are the major issue or it is more muscular (or something else entirely). This is a new vet because I've got rather fed up of 12 months of not getting anywhere - fresh pair of eyes etc. I would go nerve blocks because I spent a fair amount of money at the initial lameness exam and I'm yet to be convinced we've really nailed the problem.

 

[foxy1]

All the fittening work done on straight lines (I do plenty of leg yielding and shoulder in though) and he is 100 percent sound even when tested on a circle, it's when I begin to school that he starts going lame. My problem is that his lameness is quite subtle and if we go to vet clinic for a lameness work up he will be so pumped full of adrenaline that he prances about looking sound!

I think I will take some video footage to show vet.
Good luck with your horse, it's frustrating not to get to the bottom of these things isn't it.

 

[SEL]

video footage (shot on my phone trying to free school a very grumpy mare) was what finally convinced vet #1 that I wasn't being a paranoid owner. Mine too will trot up sound if she's pumped full of adrenaline.

When you say he's sound on a circle is that lunge without rider? My saddler was horrified that despite everything I'd said to the vet they still didn't ask to see my mare ridden as that's when she's at her worst.

 

[ihatework]

Soft tissue issues can be highlighted more by working on a surface/circles.
So it could be a rumbling tendon/ligament type thing, or it could just be coincidence!
You have a choice in my mind, rest & bute then try again, see if it was just a blip. Or start on nerve blocking

 

[eggs]

My vet has advised me that lame on a circle is often indicative of a soft tissue issue.

 

[foxy1]

Just to clarify, he is sound on a circle with and without a rider unless he does prolonged work ie several sessions in the school over a couple of weeks. Then he is lame, on straight and on circles! About 2/10ths bilaterally on his hind limbs.

Ihatework, you have said exactly what the vet said today. I'm opting for a few days rest and bute and fingers crossed it's nothing!

 

[Pinkvboots]

It does sound like ligament or tendon when my horse injured his suspensory he looked worse on a surface and even worse on a circle, if it were me I wouldn't bother with giving bute and resting I would just have the nerve blocks done and find out what's wrong, due to the fact it's a reoccurring lameness and if it is a soft tissue injury early treatment often gives you the best chance of a full recovery.

 

[foxy1]

I know what you are saying but I think a couple more weeks won't hurt. Vet did say that if we start going looking for a low grade hind limb lameness with no obvious cause, it's never quick or easy to diagnose. So I will give him the benefit of the doubt and hope to goodness that it's muscle soreness and nothing more.

 

[Bernster]

I know what you are saying but I think a couple more weeks won't hurt. Vet did say that if we start going looking for a low grade hind limb lameness with no obvious cause, it's never quick or easy to diagnose. So I will give him the benefit of the doubt and hope to goodness that it's muscle soreness and nothing more.

I've come across that before too with a couple of vets, with friend's horses. Sometimes it's not distinct enough to isolate and identify so they've recommended giving it a bit more time, horse either gets better or worse and, if worse, they can better identify what it is. I think in every case it has needed further investigation and treatment, and didn't come right just with time, but fingers crossed.

 

[ester]

Our mares front suspensory only showed lameness the day after schooling in a school (we didn't have one so it only occurred after a fortnightly lesson, was fine in actual lesson and winter so no field schooling in between.) There was accompanying swelling though we(vet over phone) thought that was infection as that had been the case just prior.

Was a lesson learned at how sound they can look/things can only show up in specific circumstances. It was very obvious on scanning so didn't matter about making her lame enough to block.

 

[AandK]

I know what you are saying but I think a couple more weeks won't hurt. Vet did say that if we start going looking for a low grade hind limb lameness with no obvious cause, it's never quick or easy to diagnose. So I will give him the benefit of the doubt and hope to goodness that it's muscle soreness and nothing more.

I guess for me, the thing is that you have already rested once and the issue has come back now you've started schooling again. In which case I'd be booking in nerve blocks and scans.

 

[foxy1]

Just to update this thread, my horse has been diagnosed with OCD in both stifles, worse in the right stifle. He was completely sound after flexion tests and trot up in a straight line but was lame on the hind leg to the outside of the circle.