Elvis
Well-Known Member
the horse is slow coming in indicating it is not comfortable but you tack up, horse is not tracking up again indicating things are not right, you then work the horse long and low then go into trot where horse is showing lame, so you go to another area and try again horse is still lame, has been lame for over a week and you get a person who by law cannot treat a lame animal (so will not be covered by insurance) to come and look at it and if they cannot wave their magic wand you will eventually get a vet.
shocked I am.
I don't think this is fair, often when there is a niggling problem, ie there is no swelling, heat, lameness when trotted up etc it seems silly to phone a vet straight away, you have to give the horse the benefit of the doubt. The owner is clearly concerned about their horses welfare, and I'm sure will phone a vet ASAP. My horse had a similar niggle, and I felt it important to test the horse in various situations (hot day, cooler day, hard ground, soft ground etc) and also to get a farrier out before phoning the vet to simply say 'he doesn't feel right under saddle' I did however phone the vet when it became clear he wasn't right and the farrier had found no cause for concern, and had full bloods done as well as a thorough check of legs and feet, including strenuous flexion tests. His bloods were normal, and he passed the flexion, leg, hoof tests with flying colours. She found a lot of tightness in his back, probably caused by a slip in the field or rolling on something he shouldn't have.
OP, it does sound like its time to get the vet out, even if they do turn around and say your horse needs chiro/physio.
Edited to add, when you phone a vet with a mysterious something isn't right problem, they will often ask, is he lame on hard/soft ground, when lunged, have you given him time off and tried again, is he okay in himself etc it's useful if you are able to answer these questions.
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