Lame horse ?

[fankino04]

This morning I put my girls muzzle on for the first time ever. She accepted it ok, didn't try too hard to get it off but didn't seem to figure out how to graze in it unless it was out of my hand. I watched for a bit from the next door field and she just kept wandering, stopping for a bit and then wandering again. There was a few steps where her hind legs seemed to drop a little low but then she looked ok again so I thought maybe I'd imagined it as I was quite a bit away. She then got to water trough and tried to rub head collar off, it got caught, she panicked and pulled back, it's a field safe headcollar so of course it snapped and she got away but now she is really lame on her hind leg, no idea what she has done so vet is coming this afternoon, although known her she will have walked it off by then and it's just been a case of she tweaked something with the jarring action when the pressure released when headcollar broke and all her weight suddenly went on her back leg, or at least that's what I'm hoping.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I hope she's OK.

 

[fankino04]

One minute she acts almost non weight bearing, then is almost fine then back to hopping on her toe, she will pick up both back feet and with a bit of encouragement back up on it, she also scratched her belly with it do I'm hoping all signs point to nothing serious but when she is hopping she is REALLY hopping, just feel so guilty that it might have been caused by the headcollar getting stuck on the trough which is my fault for muzzling her ?

 

[Meowy Catkin]

You were sensible enough to use a breakaway headcollar so don't be too hard on yourself.

 

[Squeak]

I hope you get good news from the vet this afternoon. If she looked funny behind beforehand it's likely it had nothing to do with the headcollar incident. The field safe ones tend to snap fairly easily so you'd have been very unlucky if it was caused by it.

 

[fankino04]

I hope you get good news from the vet this afternoon. If she looked funny behind beforehand it's likely it had nothing to do with the headcollar incident. The field safe ones tend to snap fairly easily so you'd have been very unlucky if it was caused by it.

Thanks she was doing lots of walking and only a bit off for a few strides but after the water trough incident was hopping on her toe so I just don't know, keep telling myself it can't be too severe of she can pick up other back foot, and lift leg up enough to scratch her belly....

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Don't be hard on yourself OP, you put the muzzle on her as you were doing the best thing for her health in limiting her intake. These things happen, and the safeguard of the breakaway did it's job - it could have been a lot worse if you didn't put that in place.
Hopefully it's just a bit of a tweak and she'll walk it off. You can't safeguard against everything, we never can! Keep us updated and I'll cross my fingers.

 

[Equi]

It sounds like an abscess

 

[fankino04]

It sounds like an abscess

The back of her frog is a bit spongy but not sure why she would suddenly present so bad after pulling away from the trough, I'm hoping the first few steps I saw were her step on a stone then she's put extra weight on it on a dry bare bit of ground and really pushed on the bruise??

 

[Equi]

It’s just how it goes some times. Whatever way they have moved has maybe moved an abscess or something. When mine has one tiny one on his toe you’d have thought his leg had fallen off.

 

[fankino04]

The only proper lameness she has had in the past was actually an abscess, hoping you're right and it's simple and straightforward ?

 

[Birker2020]

Your talking to someone who had a horse who managed to get a broom impaled inside his bottom whilst tied outside the stable I was mucking out at the time - honestly you couldn't make it up.

I had another horse in a 40 acre field rear whilst playing with another horse and managed to get his leg stuck in the corner of a fence! Luckily I was walking towards him to catch him so was able to help.

Another horse bucked whilst playing in the same field with his friends. He fell and sadly broke his leg.

And whilst I was at work my current horse got her leg stuck in a wheelbarrow and was very lucky not to break a leg too.

Accidents do and will happen, no matter how much we try to avoid them. Don't feel bad about it. Some horses are just very stupid/ accident prone.

 

[fankino04]

Thanks Biker, she's generally not accident prone at all so I guess I panic more when something goes wrong coz it doesn't happen often. Previous horse had a totally freak accident fall in the field and broke her femur resulting in PTS so I do panic when I see her not want to put weight on it.

 

[Birker2020]

so I do panic when I see her not want to put weight on it.

Like others have said, it could well be an abscess which would be the best outcome. They can be very dramatically lame. Fingers crossed for the vet later.

 

[Pinkvboots]

It sounds like an abscess

Was just going to say the same

 

[TPO]

Hope the vet visit goes well and she is ok.

Try not to beat yourself up. Poop happens and you didnt do anything to cause it nor was there anything that could be done to prevent it

 

[fankino04]

Thanks guys I'm just on my way back to her now, half expecting to find a totally sound horse as she's such a toughie normally ?

 

[fankino04]

Well she's not hopping now but every few steps it's like she tests it before committing her weight so still thinking bruised sole or abscess...

 

[Birker2020]

Well she's not hopping now but every few steps it's like she tests it before committing her weight so still thinking bruised sole or abscess...

Do let us know how you get on. I'm leaving work now but will check back on how you have got on, on my phone.

 

[fankino04]

Well she's got a slight pulse so could be early days of an abscess but apparently she is also very low on her fetlocks so where she is retired there might be some "loosening of the suspensory carriage" as the vet put it that possibly got jarred when she pulled back. She is already much better than at 9 this morning so just got to monitor her.