Is he lame? *video*

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Marble Arch

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Hi folks

I am not very good at this :(

I was grooming Pony in his stable this evening. I had a feel down his spine (as I do sometimes) and he appeared to react when I put pressure on the right of his spine just by his wither. I took him in the school to assess his movement.

Is Pony lame? I think he is but I am so bad at this and sometimes worry unnecessarily (please only respond if you are certain thanks!)

http://s1095.photobucket.com/albums/i470/smallhorses/?action=view&current=VID00028-20110908-1921.mp4
 
It's not loading properly on my computer and it's a bit jerky, but I would say yes - he's nodding and he's uneven in his stride.
 
Agree, definitely lame on off fore. Very stumbley as well.I would get the vet, yes, because he is stumbling as well as lame.

He is throwing his leg out and then not placing very confidently, if that makes sense?

FDC
 
His head is nodding as he off (?) fore comes down (I put a ? because it's jerky on my laptop and I can't say for sure, computers suck). If you count his footfalls - just like when you count one-two when you're learning to rise, you can see his rhythm isn't even. If you watch how he moves each front leg, you'll see the way he moves them doesn't look the same.
 
JFTD said:
His head is nodding as he off (?) fore comes down (I put a ? because it's jerky on my laptop and I can't say for sure, computers suck). If you count his footfalls - just like when you count one-two when you're learning to rise, you can see his rhythm isn't even. If you watch how he moves each front leg, you'll see the way he moves them doesn't look the same.
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Ok. He didnt look right which is why i recorded it so i could post it on here. I just wasnt sure. What should I do!?
 
JFTD said:
His head is nodding as he off (?) fore comes down (I put a ? because it's jerky on my laptop and I can't say for sure, computers suck). If you count his footfalls - just like when you count one-two when you're learning to rise, you can see his rhythm isn't even. If you watch how he moves each front leg, you'll see the way he moves them doesn't look the same.
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That is sooooo much better than the way I put it.
FDC
 
Marble Arch said:
Is it bad in terms of get the vet out in the morning or physio?
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If you said that he was sore when you touched his wither area, it's possible he's just rolled on something and hurt himself. I can only say what I would do, which is that I would leave it for a day or two to see if it got worse. It might sort itself out.
 
Holly Hocks said:
If you said that he was sore when you touched his wither area, it's possible he's just rolled on something and hurt himself. I can only say what I would do, which is that I would leave it for a day or two to see if it got worse. It might sort itself out.
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That's what I would do with one of mine. But if the OP isn't confident in judging lameness I would probably err on the side of caution. But certainly it wouldn't be wrong to leave it and keep a close eye.
 
JFTD said:
Don't panic ;) :p Probably nothing. I'd keep him in tonight - maybe a bit late with that advice. Vet :)
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It is a bit late to bring him in now and he would be on his own if I did. I will bring him in tomorrow. I hope its nothing serious :( Maybe hes been like this for ages and I haven't spotted it. OH GOD!! :( poor pony :(
 
Marble Arch said:
It is a bit late to bring him in now and he would be on his own if I did. I will bring him in tomorrow. I hope its nothing serious :( Maybe hes been like this for ages and I haven't spotted it. OH GOD!! :( poor pony :(
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STOP PANICKING!!!! From what I can see, the lameness is minor. If it was mine, I would also be leaving him out in the field to stop him from stiffening up - being in the stable will only make him stiffer. He will be fine out in the field with his buddies. Now stop worrying!!
 
Yes he is lame... When people say off fore they mean the left front...

If you watch the video when you see the front left leg go down his head drops slightly and when the right (near) it goes forward it comes up slightly.

When a horse is lame in the front you will notice a slight head nod.. When lame in the rear you should trot a horse away from you.. If lame in the rear leg you will see it 'limp' almost just like we do if we have a sore leg. You should also look for a shortness in the stride or a exaggerated choppy gait.

Personally looking at your pony I didnt really seem any stumbles apart from when it went back from trot to walk, the change of gait would mean it would alter weight through the legs, Id say its a tweek in the shoulder, if you can box rest for a few days and then turn out alone in a small field for a week to give him time to heal he should come right... That is me though, I dont needlessly call a vet out, I give them time to heal themselves before I start forking out on vet bills..
 
I wouldnt beat yourself up about maybe not noticing sooner, you spotted he wasnt right today, so im sure you would've seen earlier if there was a problem.
He didnt look too bad at walk, so im sure its nothing that cant wait till tomorrow... I'd def ring vet tomorrow though.
Kx
 
Marble Arch said:
It is a bit late to bring him in now and he would be on his own if I did. I will bring him in tomorrow. I hope its nothing serious :( Maybe hes been like this for ages and I haven't spotted it. OH GOD!! :( poor pony :(
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Steady, you spotted it tonight, so it's probably fresh.

If it makes you feel any better, my horse got kicked in the field on the front of his foreleg above the knee. Cleaned the cut, gave him a week off, he was sound. After about ten days, rode him, he was ok. Rode the next day, he was a bit lame. Left him out overnight and he was crippled. Turns out he had a chip fracture of his radius. He's fine now, but I missed that, and at a guess I suspect I'm far more experienced than you (that is meant in a totally non-offensive way btw).

And I highly doubt your chap will have done anything half as bad as that.
 
Is this the sort of thing a pony would do if he had navicular? The farrier came 2 weeks ago, would he be able to spot something like that?! He didnt so can I assume we're safe from that theory?!
 
I'd agree with the others who say he is lame on his off fore (that is, his right front).

For me, the easiest way to spot it is to watch the height of his ears as he's moving, and you'll see that they go a little bit higher, and then a little bit lower, on different strides.

If you start saying to yourself "up" "up" or whatever as you see the ears go higher, then look down to see which foot is coming into contact with the ground at that time.

A horse who's lame on one front leg will have his head "up" when the lame leg is being placed on the ground. He's lifting his head to try and take the weight off the lame leg.

He'll have his head "down" when the good leg is coming into contact with the ground. That's his comfy foot, so he's happier to take more weight on that leg. The lower the head, the more he's weighting that good foot.

If he was one of my gang, I'd keep him off grass for a few days and see how he goes on. Laminitis can show up as a single leg lameness before it shows as being in two or more feet, so it's an easy precaution to take him off grass to reduce of that developing, if it is that.

I had one pony recently who was head bobbing lame. Within a few days, he was showing the short, choppy stride in his front legs at trot which is typical of laminitis coming on. Took him off grass and within a week or so he was back to normal.

I read somewhere that it's worth seeing your horse trot every day, even if only a few strides, because that's the easiest gate to see early stages of laminitis.

Of course, it may not be that at all, but there are 1,000 page veterinary text books on lamenesses so I can understand how vets have quite a challenge sometimes to work out what's going on.

On another tack, he's not been shod/trimmed recently, and got nailbind or something?

Again, if it was me, I'd probably have a quick word with my vets over the phone and decide the best way to go, whether it be resting him for a few days, giving bute or whatever.

Hope he's soon back to normal.

Sarah
 
flintfootfilly said:
I'd agree with the others who say he is lame on his off fore (that is, his right front).

For me, the easiest way to spot it is to watch the height of his ears as he's moving, and you'll see that they go a little bit higher, and then a little bit lower, on different strides.

If you start saying to yourself "up" "up" or whatever as you see the ears go higher, then look down to see which foot is coming into contact with the ground at that time.

A horse who's lame on one front leg will have his head "up" when the lame leg is being placed on the ground. He's lifting his head to try and take the weight off the lame leg.

He'll have his head "down" when the good leg is coming into contact with the ground. That's his comfy foot, so he's happier to take more weight on that leg. The lower the head, the more he's weighting that good foot.

If he was one of my gang, I'd keep him off grass for a few days and see how he goes on. Laminitis can show up as a single leg lameness before it shows as being in two or more feet, so it's an easy precaution to take him off grass to reduce of that developing, if it is that.

I had one pony recently who was head bobbing lame. Within a few days, he was showing the short, choppy stride in his front legs at trot which is typical of laminitis coming on. Took him off grass and within a week or so he was back to normal.

I read somewhere that it's worth seeing your horse trot every day, even if only a few strides, because that's the easiest gate to see early stages of laminitis.

Of course, it may not be that at all, but there are 1,000 page veterinary text books on lamenesses so I can understand how vets have quite a challenge sometimes to work out what's going on.

On another tack, he's not been shod/trimmed recently, and got nailbind or something?

Again, if it was me, I'd probably have a quick word with my vets over the phone and decide the best way to go, whether it be resting him for a few days, giving bute or whatever.

Hope he's soon back to normal.

Sarah
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Thanks loads for your reply! Vet tomorrow. I am hoping its a muscle strain or something seeming as though he was touchy when I put pressure on the muscle next to his spine
 
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Another vote for not right and I "think" lt fore too but overall he just looked not right/"footy" to me. He does not look comfortable. I suspect if you have just noticed it then it has probably only just happened.
For me it is always a vet job but that is just me.

I hope he is right for you soon. Also another vote for "he'll trot up sound for the vet":) - but you will probably be happy with that.:)
 
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