If a horse isn't sound in trot, should she ridden at all?

exracehorse

exracehorse

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13 months ago my mare showed signs of being off in trot from her left fore. After two vet visits who couldn't find anything wrong at all, I demanded an ultra scan. Showed 3 tears in her annular ligament. So, I turned her away as a companion and fast forward a good year later, I took her out for an amble down the road two weeks ago. She feels absolutely fine in walk. Strides out. But when I asked her to trot a few strides to get to a driveway for a car to pass, she was not right. Felt un level. Albeit very slight. My question is that is it unfair to take her out for an odd stroll down the road when she is not 100% in trot. Not that I would trot. But I wonder if it is unfair to her to even ride her in walk. Does anyone else have a horse they just walk out? She was so full beans and lit up when I dug out her dusty saddle. And I can't tell you how lovely it was to climb back on board after 13 months. But I wonder if I should just not bother. Unless a horse is sound in every gait should it be ridden at all
 
Could you phone your vet for their advice??

I'd say the textbook answer would be no don't ride, however hubby used to occasionally ride his retired TB eventer down the road who was sound in walk and in one diagonal in trot (not right on the other diagonal) and the old boy really really loved it, so I'd say a walk out occasionally wouldn't do any harm..

Fiona
 
I have a pony who is about 2/10 lame in trot after an annular ligament desmotomy, you wouldn't know it in the field now. I used to ride him at a walk when I was 8st, but at 13.2 and me gaining a couple of stone after an injury I think it's a bit much of an ask to carry me currently but if a child/light adult wanted an occasional plod I wouldn't have any qualms.
I know there are many that would say no, but you know your horse best so I would speak to your vet.
 
Ask your vet.

My lad is lame behind but I have been told I MUST exercise him, this is because in theory if he is worked and builds muscle tone around his SI joint he may come sound. I will say that since I have taken to lunging him 3 times a week in the pessoa he is a lot less lame (now sound on a straight line and sound on a 15m circle in trot on the right rein, not sound on the left)
 
I would probably want another scan just to make sure there isn't the possibility of doing more damage and have a chat with your vet.

If you are both happy that the occasional walk isn't going to do any harm and your horse isn't in pain then personally I'd go for it :)
 
In some situations, keeping them moving in walk is actually good both physically and mentally, despite the fact that they may be unable to trot. Often with oldies who have started with arthritis and are now unsound in trot, they can really benefit from daily walking work under saddle.

I would ask your vet for advice but if the horse is indeed sound in walk and in no pain, I don't see that there is any issue with having the occasional walking hack or even a regular one.
 
13months is a while so would you be able to re scan? Just a couple of things to think about...has she been using her body differently to compensate for lameness and is still finding it slightly odd/painful to move correctly? Is she maybe assuming it might hurt? once a ligament heals (especially with +1 tears) it can heal tighter...just a things to consider as she's not hopping lame by the sounds of things :) Have a word with your vet :)
 
Another saying to chat with your vet.

I have a semi retired horse that at times is unlevel. Its a different issues to yours, so may not count but there you go. My vet is keen I keep my horse in ridden work. As above, it keeps him happy and interested and helps with his issues. I was told to allow him to set the pace. That's a brisk walk for an hour or so and then full pelt through the woods and a walk home. I just hang on. Some people do not like the idea of riding lame horses but I feel my enjoys his little walks and in fact over time he has improved greatly.
 
I would speak to my vet if I were you. I'd want to know why she was still unsound in trot after 13 months rest, so would look to rescan the area to find out if it was the same issue or a new one.
 
Cortez said:
Ignorant? Not at all (perhaps you should look it up in the dictionary). A lame horse, let us not forget, is in pain, and I for one will not ride a horse that hurts in any pace.
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That is not necessarily so. A horse can be mechanically lame with no pain.

e.g. stringhalt / some types of arthritis where is fusion but not pain / some type of ligament / tendon issue where scar tissue leads to lack of flexibility.

In the case of the poster, I'd get a view from the vet, and discuss together how to proceed.
 
I think it depends if it adds value to the horses life.

If a vet can assure you that the horse is in no pain being ridden out at a walk and the horse itself finds enrichment from going out for a walk then I say why not.

Mine would much rather stay in the field than being ridden out, sound or otherwise ;)
 
The scan showed 3 black holes where her annular ligament had torn. Had had very little sign of a problem until I noticed she was short striding one day during a dresssge schooling session on her left front. Scans also showed breakdown in the other leg and further tests showed mild arthritis in her rear fetlocks. I was devastated Vet said I could do stem cell? And months box rest. I'm not insured on that leg. He was old school vet. Said turn her away for a year and retry. If unsound then keep or have shot. I realise she'll never go back into the school and that's fine. I have a youngster I'm schooling and taking out for grown up hacks. But I'd still love to potter around the lanes on her on a Saturday morning. We see so many adverts for loan horses that are only suitable for light hacking, but the question is, if it's only allowed to hack out lightly, is it because they are in pain. Or if they over do it, the ligaments will start pinging again. I'll ring my practice now. Even without a re scan, I know she's not sound in trot. shes a 15.2 American Saddlebred and I'm 8st 3 pounds for reference
 
Ok spoke to Ben Who actually came out to her. He said they now recommend walk to rehabilitate prior leg injuries, that's if she is wanting to walk out and forward. Without a scan, he cannot give a full prognosis but usually the ligaments fuse back with tightness which can make a horse mechanicaly unsound. But light work is beneficial to strengthen the leg. She's 18 in the spring so not a golden oldie but we could still have many more years to potter down the lane.
 
Having been through the annular ligament thing recently I would think there is little point in rescanning as it doesn't really heal in its own and usually the lameness is cause by the pressure it generates on the other tendons etc pain wise not the al itself. If she is lame enough for you to feel it I would err on the side of probably not.

For those that say never given some recent research that was highlighted to me which involved x number of lameness vets with not much more than 50:50 agreement on lamenesses up to 3/10 it really can be toosubjective and undefined to just make blanket statements
 
Cortez said:
Ignorant? Not at all (perhaps you should look it up in the dictionary). A lame horse, let us not forget, is in pain, and I for one will not ride a horse that hurts in any pace.
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Not neccesisarily. The stallion I used to school looked unlevel and crooked until you warmed him up. He was mechanically unsound from an old injury but he had a sucessfull dressage career and was an Advanced Medium schoolmaster. He had been extensively checked by vets before backing (His injury was as a foal) and was fine to ride.

Obviously, each horse is differant, pain needs to be absolutely ruled out by a vet before you go down the route of riding a horse in this instance.
 
I don't think it's useful to categorically say 'horse is lame never ride it again',
Things are generally more complex than that. I'm not anti gentle exercise for a mildly lame horse on the proviso it enhances their quality of life. And that is a judgement that can only be made by an owner that knows the horse best alongside an impartial but qualified professional - the vet.
 
Cortez said:
Ignorant? Not at all (perhaps you should look it up in the dictionary). A lame horse, let us not forget, is in pain, and I for one will not ride a horse that hurts in any pace.
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yes ignorant! lame horses are not always in pain, I suggest you look up mechanical lameness, Some horses whilst mildly lame in the field come sound with a bit of proper work, Some horses (like mine) have been prescribed ridden work and lunging work to fix a specific lameness problem by a vet (and yes he is lame when I hack out, but my god he enjoys his hacks out!). A horse with a locking stifle is technicaly lame, but get it fit and it normaly goes away!

I know of several horses who are sound provided they are kept fit, lame when out of work.
 
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I plod out on my one with ringbone who is properly lame at trot - as per vets instructions. He definitely enjoys our trips out. We dawdle along on a loose rein and he's caught me by surprise more than once by deciding that he fancies a canter.
 
Some times a horse needs walk work to build muscles to make them sound.

Personally I would seek professional advice. You probably can't do half measures because to build muscle they need worked more than once or twice a week.
 
I also think that sometimes a lame horse would rather be in pain, but doing something, than not.

There is a horse at my yard that it semi retired due to fairly severe arthritis in hocks and fetlocks. She is hacked out 3/4 times a week depending on the weather and how she looks feels. The horse loves it. Strides out with a massive smile on her face! But she is in pain.
 
there are very few truely mechanical lameness. It's often used as an excuse for people who want to keep riding and ignore the signs of pain.
I am of the opinion that if they are lame work is not going to benefit them especially in a soft tissue injury - so I'd retire her personally.
 
You are entitled to your opinion, but in my experience of my loan mare with a diagnosed permanent mechanical lameness regular work does help. There is clearly an interplay between the mechanical lameness and a tendency to go lame on that leg with actual soft tissue injuries brought on I suspect by the unusual action and underlying weakness, but they are two separate issues. What I have observed over the years is that on her good days the mechanical lameness would show as a 1-2/10, with no indicators of pain including head action, reluctance to go forward etc. When she has her very bad days she moves up to a 4-5 and i would not feel happy asking her to work through that. When she is kept fit in moderate work she is far less likely to come in lame than when she is turned away. I have found that keeping her in light work when she starts to show signs of more than just the underlying lameness is yielding fewer days of 'proper lame' than giving her full time off as soon as I see it start.
My vet equated it to elderly people who suffer an injury so stop doing things and consequently lose the all round fitness that would allow them to use the rest of their body to reduce stress on the injured area.

OP, definitely talk to your vet and if you are riding keep an eye on both the progression of the lameness and the horse's underlying attitude to work. I would be tempted to be more generous in interpreting a reluctance to be caught, saddled, go forwards etc than you might otherwise be as these are some of the ways they have to say they aren't happy with what they're expecting you to ask.
 
As a human Physio the way I look at it is this. If our patient has anything bar a compete ligament/tendon rupture/repair, early broken bone or specific surgery that needs time for initial healing (e.g. Tendon or ligament repair), then we get people to move. There are protocols we follow for specific surgeons after specific surgery, but we get people to move.

Often it hurts or is uncomfortable. Often people are 'lame' due to this pain, for quite a while, whilst the structure heals more (for want of a better word). We know that for Achilles tests for example, we have to work people specifically into discomfort.

So in theory I have no issue with working a lame horse in certain circumstances.

BUT, and it's quite a big but... horses cannot tell how much it hurts or follow specific instructions (although many humans don't either) so I would only do this under veterinary guidance.
 
atlantis said:
As a human Physio the way I look at it is this. If our patient has anything bar a compete ligament/tendon rupture/repair, early broken bone or specific surgery that needs time for initial healing (e.g. Tendon or ligament repair), then we get people to move. There are protocols we follow for specific surgeons after specific surgery, but we get people to move.

Often it hurts or is uncomfortable. Often people are 'lame' due to this pain, for quite a while, whilst the structure heals more (for want of a better word). We know that for Achilles tests for example, we have to work people specifically into discomfort.

So in theory I have no issue with working a lame horse in certain circumstances.

BUT, and it's quite a big but... horses cannot tell how much it hurts or follow specific instructions (although many humans don't either) so I would only do this under veterinary guidance.
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Agree with this ^ As a pilates teacher I have plenty of clients coming in with some sort of lameness, back problem, etc. With input from the clients doctor, physio, Osteo, etc I am able to help them do exercises that will improve their situation. Yes often the exercises are uncomfortable but have a long term gain. Move it or lose it is often a good motto to go by!

Obviously it is harder with horses as they can't always tell us (or rather we don't always hear) but to rule out exercise completely without looking at the whole situation would be foolhardy and not always in the best interests of the horse.
 
i have a horse with a locking stifle and it is not lame, it is sound, sometimes it does not lock at all, it works perfectly through the warm up, and show no signs of lameness when cold in the warm up or when ridden, if it showed any subtle discomfort i would not ride it until i was certain it was not suffering or established it was not suffering from something else.

in ops case the horse is uncomfortable, if i wanted to enhance the horses life i would try working on a surface to give it something to look forward to, even walking around, or take it for walks in hand,.

the added weight of a rider is not going to help a horse that is not right.

but i would not do any of the above until i knew exactly what is going on with the horse in case it makes it worse.

lameness is the signal to find out what is wrong before whatever is wrong gets worse
 
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