How would you deal with a sore/lame horse?!

[Sophstar]

After grooming my cob yesterday and asking him to move, his back legs seemed to be very stiff and when asked to move round he planted his back feet and just moved his fronts instead. We walked him up and though he initially seemed stiff and sore on his fore hind he seemed sound and happy enough. Walked him out round the block and small trot and all was well. He remained in his stable for a couple of hours and then when I took him out, again he was sore on both initially moving and then ever so slightly lame again on the fore hind at which he rests whenever he stops. His pasterns are slightly warm, hooves are fine and there is no swelling or reaction to any part of his leg as I ran my hands down. He is currently being treated for mites and a friend said she had heard him stamping his hinds when in his stable. He also completed a sponsored ride on Sunday and I'm hoping he has either 1) just a bit sore from the ride which was very hilly and he exerted the energy to throw me off! or 2) he has stamped his hinds too hard on the concrete or knocked something as he stamped in the field and again just a bit sore and tender.

He will have the next couple of days off and though he usually comes in during the day to have a breather from his muzzle, I shall cut this to a couple of hours so he can keep moving to prevent him from becoming stiff and avoid the temptation to stamp on the concrete

I will cold hose his hinds if they are warm but how do you deal with a lame/sore horse!?

 

[Marilyn]

If it was my horse (and I am NOT a vet, this is just my opinion) I would give him a couple of days off and then reassess. Both your explanations sound feasible- if I go for a long hilly walk, I'm a bit stiff if I stand still for too long too! I'd give him maximum turnout to keep everything moving and continually monitor him, but make a final assessment in a couple of days, to see if he has improved, deteriorated to stayed the same.