ellejaybee
New User
Hi, I hope someone can offer some help on this. I have an 8yr old 15.1hh lightweight cob with no history of lameness, he's ridden lightly every day, schooled a couple times a week and competes at local riding club level, so he's reasonably fit. Today I rode him out as usual and suspected he was stepping up very slightly short on the near fore, but it was so slight I couldnt be sure so I trotted him along a flat road and he was perfectly sound. However, he kept stopping for no apparent reason (very unusal for him) and was reluctant to move on. So I cut my ride short after about 15mins and brought him straight back to the stable as I felt something wasn't right. As usual he stayed in the stable for a couple more hours whilst i rode my other horse. He seemed his usual bright self and quite happy. At the end of the day, when I came to turn him out, he was definitely stepping short on the near fore in walk, but this time he was holding his neck out and stretching it in a very strange way each time he walked. There is no heat/swelling in any limbs, he is very bright and perky so I dont think in particular pain at all. I can find no sensitive areas anywhere on his body. I trotted him up in hand and he was sound and forward going, but again when asked to walk, his neck would extend out and down and he found it difficult to walk. When back in the stable he turned his head and neck right around to look in my pockets for food whilst I was stood back at his hip area and this caused him no disomfort or difficulty, so I dont think the problem is in his neck as he shows no signs of stiffness there. I will be keeping him in the stable tonite and will call the vet tomorrow but I'm really concerned as I've never seen anything like this before. It seems so unusual for a horse to have difficulty/reluctance to walk but happy to trot and perfectly sound to trot in hand and ridden. And the way he's holding his neck out when walking is definitely not right. Does anyone have any experience of anything similar? I am worried sick.