Intermittent lameness...too soon to call vet?

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Ahrena

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Now bear with me, i am Mrs Paranoid and already in floods of tears convincing myself it's the end and Squirrel will have to be retired. (yes i am pathetic but I havnt had much luck with horses and the last 2 years have been far too good to be true).

I was schooling Squirrel today, and he felt off. Now I was already in paranoid mode as his back is slightly rubbed (he gets very sensitive during coat changes). It doesn't seem sore and saddle fitter coming on friday but given saddles were fitted 2 months ago and he's been in the same work i think its just his coat changes. Anyway i spoke to lots of people and fashioned something to stop it rubbing - bought some foam that's meant to go under leg bandages, cut a hole where the rub is and put my sheepskin saddlecloth over the top, in theory to stop the pressure and the friction. Please note he doesn't mind it being poked/prodded, not swishing his tail or acting any differently, hence why i think it's just him being sensitive, everything rubs him this time of year. But saddle fitter coming for peace of mind.


Anyway. He just felt off in the school. A bit trippy and just off. It was quite intermittent. One minute he would feel ok the next lame on his near fore. I asked a lady who was in the school if he looked sound and she said yes (she's an equine vet nurse so does know her stuff). So figured i was being paranoid worrying about the saddle.

Then my bf came up to the school and i asked him what he thought, and he said lame on near fore. So i jumped off and got him to trot him up. He looked fine. So i got back on and kind of thought pull yourself together. Then my mum came, and i asked the same thing and she commented off fore too but not all the time.

So obviously i stopped as 3 eyes can't be a coincidence. So led him back to the yard, trotted him up and he looked fine. Popped a lunge rope on and trotted a small circle on the yard. He looked fine on the right rein but a bit off on the left. However that is normal for him - vets have seen it and aren't worried, he's simply an older horse and it is just a bit of wear and tear.

Checked his legs v. Thoroughly, no heat (in leg or hoof), swelling, checked for a digital pulse and there isn't one...he had been rubbed by his OR boots , he has to wear them in field + ridden work as he pulls his shoes off otherwise, but it's only rubbed on the near fore. So I don't think it's that. But that is very sore to touch so he will have to go without until it heals and i buy some more comfy ones...


But being so paranoid, I'm wondering whether to just call the vet. I thought i would sit on him to tomorrow and if he still feels off call vet. My mum thinks to wait and see but I am extremely paranoid and feel he will feel lame to me anyway even if he isn't unless a vet can confirm for me that he is fine.

Thoughts? What could it be?
 
Call the vet, you arent being premature.

If it is something rather than nothing, you will save money and heartache and guilt by getting it diagnosed and treated straight away. And if it is something and nothing, then the vet can reassure you and you will not have it niggling away 24 hours a day at you - which has to be money well spent.

Also, I would say from experience that I worry more about slightly lame horses than I do about hopping lame ones. Partly cos it is just sometimes harder to pin down the cause of slight lameness and partly cos hopping lame is usually caused by something temporary like treading on a stone or access.

But you are being premature to say squirrel will have to be retired, they could have just wrenched something or have a touch of arthritis, neither of which are a disaster if managed/ treated right! Or it could even be lami - again, very unwelcome but can be managed and prevented in future if mild and future management is draconian and determined.

Chin up and get the vet to tell you if there's anything or nothing.It's what they are there for.
 
Omg u sound just like me!! I would check him tomorrow and take it from there - do NOT read lameness posts on here/google u til the vet has made a diagnosis (if there even is one to be made!) fingers crossed for u!
 
If the horse felt 'off' then chances are they were.

But personally I'd give it a couple of days to see if anything develops as it were. If you're not happy by Monday or obviously the horse becomes significantly lame to the eye then call the vet sooner.

Often the rider can feel when something's not right long before it becomes obvious to the eye. But calling a vet earlier can often result in a wasted journey as the horse is not obviously lame.

It's always a tricky one.
 
I'd give it a few days, the vet would probably need the horse to be lame in order to do a work up and may advise working until he is lame so he can see what it is, which seems counter productive. I've always prefered them to be rested and see if they put themselves right. If not then by all means vet.

Just to add that I find sheepskin terrible for rubbing when the horse's coat is changing, switched to an ordinary cotton numnah and no more rubs. :)
 
Thanks guys, i feel so much better just writing it all down anyway!

Good points re. The work ups..

What i was thinking is if i hop on him tomorrow and ride him in the school a little, if he still doesn't feel right, then the vet could watch him in the school later and perhaps at least work out where the lameness is? Then take it from there...

Just want to know what's wrong and help him! He's never lame, I hate it :(
 
Ahrena said:
Thanks guys, i feel so much better just writing it all down anyway!

Good points re. The work ups..

What i was thinking is if i hop on him tomorrow and ride him in the school a little, if he still doesn't feel right, then the vet could watch him in the school later and perhaps at least work out where the lameness is? Then take it from there...

Just want to know what's wrong and help him! He's never lame, I hate it :(
Click to expand...

I wouldn't bother riding myself, if you're going to rest it then that means resting it! I'd give it the weekend at least and see how he is on Monday, then take it from there. Keep trying to see if he's lame or not by riding or trotting up and you risk doing further damage if there are any strains or anything.

If it's really bothering you then get the vet anyway and see what he says.
 
How old is he?
Do you do a lot of work in the school and is this an outdoor or indoor school?
I ask because, working in arenas (ie soft surface) can be quite hard work and can cause strains. Therefore, if my horse was showing lameness then i would not then work hiim in a school again. Personally I would rest him for a couple of days then trot him up on a hard surface and circle him tightly on both reins and see if he takes any odd steps.
It could be something simple - ie an abscess or a minor strain. It could be something more but I would not be calling a vet at this stage.
My horse is 22 and last year my mum had an instructor school him one day (i can't recall why, think I was away maybe). Anyway, it was either the next day or a couple of days after he was quite noticeably lame on one leg. I rested him for a few days and he was sound again. I swear that he tweaked something by being worked in the school for that hour or whatever it was. It's hard work on limbs IMO.
So, I would leave him - make sure you have picked out his feet, maybe cold hose both legs for a couple of days and then do some more tests trotting up on the hard surface. If still lame or worse then I would get the vet.
 
touchstone said:
I wouldn't bother riding myself, if you're going to rest it then that means resting it! I'd give it the weekend at least and see how he is on Monday, then take it from there. Keep trying to see if he's lame or not by riding or trotting up and you risk doing further damage if there are any strains or anything.

If it's really bothering you then get the vet anyway and see what he says.
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Yep. Agree 100%
 
Personally I would call the farrier first. Even if he isn't due yet. I have found that they can often diagnose lameness as well as a vet and sort out the remedial shoeing at the same time :)
I trust my farrier to refer me to the vet when appropriate.
 
Ok thank you.

He's 15 in May, he's worked in a school probably 4 times a week, and hacked twice? Sometimes 3 of each, depending on what we're doing. He was schooled yesterday and was great. It was quite heavy though as it had been raining so much so i guess that may of had something to do with it? It's an outdoor school and quite deep in areas unfortunately.
 
Ahrena said:
Now bear with me, i am Mrs Paranoid and already in floods of tears convincing myself it's the end and Squirrel will have to be retired. (yes i am pathetic but I havnt had much luck with horses and the last 2 years have been far too good to be true).

I was schooling Squirrel today, and he felt off. Now I was already in paranoid mode as his back is slightly rubbed (he gets very sensitive during coat changes). It doesn't seem sore and saddle fitter coming on friday but given saddles were fitted 2 months ago and he's been in the same work i think its just his coat changes. Anyway i spoke to lots of people and fashioned something to stop it rubbing - bought some foam that's meant to go under leg bandages, cut a hole where the rub is and put my sheepskin saddlecloth over the top, in theory to stop the pressure and the friction. Please note he doesn't mind it being poked/prodded, not swishing his tail or acting any differently, hence why i think it's just him being sensitive, everything rubs him this time of year. But saddle fitter coming for peace of mind.

if you look at the last 2 threads iv posted I would say never too soon to call vet, I just wish id done it when I first thought she was off... instead of waiting til she was lame !, could be nothing but could be something and me personally would have rather found issues earlier rather than later. :) not the same issue but I realise now my horse was def trying to tell me something.. I just wasn't listening !

Anyway. He just felt off in the school. A bit trippy and just off. It was quite intermittent. One minute he would feel ok the next lame on his near fore. I asked a lady who was in the school if he looked sound and she said yes (she's an equine vet nurse so does know her stuff). So figured i was being paranoid worrying about the saddle.

Then my bf came up to the school and i asked him what he thought, and he said lame on near fore. So i jumped off and got him to trot him up. He looked fine. So i got back on and kind of thought pull yourself together. Then my mum came, and i asked the same thing and she commented off fore too but not all the time.

So obviously i stopped as 3 eyes can't be a coincidence. So led him back to the yard, trotted him up and he looked fine. Popped a lunge rope on and trotted a small circle on the yard. He looked fine on the right rein but a bit off on the left. However that is normal for him - vets have seen it and aren't worried, he's simply an older horse and it is just a bit of wear and tear.

Checked his legs v. Thoroughly, no heat (in leg or hoof), swelling, checked for a digital pulse and there isn't one...he had been rubbed by his OR boots , he has to wear them in field + ridden work as he pulls his shoes off otherwise, but it's only rubbed on the near fore. So I don't think it's that. But that is very sore to touch so he will have to go without until it heals and i buy some more comfy ones...


But being so paranoid, I'm wondering whether to just call the vet. I thought i would sit on him to tomorrow and if he still feels off call vet. My mum thinks to wait and see but I am extremely paranoid and feel he will feel lame to me anyway even if he isn't unless a vet can confirm for me that he is fine.

Thoughts? What could it be?
Click to expand...

if you read my last 2 threads I think its never too early to call vet, I just wish I had when I had a feeling that she was a little off instead of waiting til she was lame, my horse was obviously telling me she had discomfort but I wasn't listening !, could be nothing could be something but best to know :)
 
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