Horse lame front foot/won't lift off the ground

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Courtney12

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My horse is lame on her front leg, and is refusing to lift it off of the ground. She has slight thrush but I don't think it's enough to cause her to refuse to lift the foot off the ground - she's bearing all her weight to keep it down..I just don't have any other ideas
 
Courtney12 said:
My horse is lame on her front leg, and is refusing to lift it off of the ground. She has slight thrush but I don't think it's enough to cause her to refuse to lift the foot off the ground - she's bearing all her weight to keep it down..I just don't have any other ideas
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Are you sure it's that leg she is lame on? Generally they won’t lift the opposite leg as that would involve them placing more weight through the painful leg.
Either way, it sounds like a vet job
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I agree, you need a vet. It sounds to me as though it's probably the other leg that is hurting and she is refusing to.put all her weight on that one
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I did have the vet out, but she focused on the foot that wouldn't lift. However, I'm going to call back out to have a look at the back leg..
 
Courtney12 said:
I did have the vet out, but she focused on the foot that wouldn't lift. However, I'm going to call back out to have a look at the back leg..
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I would ask to see a different vet! It's more likely the opposite front leg than a back one tbh. Can you ask someone else to trot the horse up while you watch?
 
Courtney12 said:
I did have the vet out, but she focused on the foot that wouldn't lift. However, I'm going to call back out to have a look at the back leg..
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Why the back leg in particular? It's more likely the opposite front unless you have seen something that indicates back leg is problem.

Don't tell vet which leg it is, ask them to tell you! Was it an equine vet or a small animal vet?
 
Did you treat the thrush? If the treatment stung/was uncomfortable, even the picking out of the hoof, she may not want to give it to you. My pony had thrush this winter and he planted the affected foot on the ground and was very reluctant to give it for a week or so as I think that the cleaning and treatment was uncomfortable.
 
Mrs. Jingle said:
Why the back leg in particular? It's more likely the opposite front unless you have seen something that indicates back leg is problem.

Don't tell vet which leg it is, ask them to tell you! Was it an equine vet or a small animal vet?
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Watching the back leg behind the lame front one, looks stiff - examining the opposite front, there doesn't seem to be any signs of pain or discomfort. Where we live, we don't actually have an equine vet - they just cover all
 
Gropony said:
Did you treat the thrush? If the treatment stung/was uncomfortable, even the picking out of the hoof, she may not want to give it to you. My pony had thrush this winter and he planted the affected foot on the ground and was very reluctant to give it for a week or so as I think that the cleaning and treatment was uncomfortable.
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Yes, and I am continuing to do so - there isn't really a smell from either of the feet, so I do think we are getting somewhere with that, I'm just not sure if this is related to the thrush. She had it in back feet over winter and was lame with it - but this seems much more severe.
 
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