Lame horse - any bright ideas?

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wyrdsister

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Hi all, first of all I know it's not possible to diagnose over a forum and this may be nothing more than me trying to stop myself having a melt-down because I've lost two of my precious horses in the last 12 months and she's the only one left, so please bear with me. I have a 4 year old Welsh D mare, unshod, slightly pigeon-toed in front. I bought her in September straight from her breeder's field at a reputable stud. She passed a basic 2 stage vetting (5 stage wasn't an option as while good to handle she knew almost nothing). Since then, I've started her gently and quietly with lots of groundwork. She was backed, lightly, a month ago and has done very little under saddle except walk peacefully around the lanes and a little bit of walk and trot in the school. None of this may be relevant. Up until 2 weeks ago, she had shown no signs of lameness of any kind (massive relief after having lost both of the others to totally different lameness problems). Two weeks ago she developed a mild on/off lameness that ran over a few days - she'd be sound one day, lame the next, sound, lame, etc. I rested her, walked her out a bit in hand and in boots, and kept an eye. The weekend of the 7th/8th, the lameness went 'on' and stayed on. It's her right fore, around 1-1/10ths in walk, 2-3/10ths in trot. There's no heat, swelling, or raised pulses.

The vet came on the Monday (9th). He poked, prodded, squeezed, manipulated, and flexion tested her. She had no reaction at all to any of the manual manipulations, or to hoof testers, and wasn't worse after flexion. Still no heat, swelling, or raised pulses. He recommended 4 days Danilon, keep her walking (in boots), 3 days without medication, and reassess. That takes us to this Monday. The vet came back and repeated all the tests. She's still negative to manipulations and hoof-testers, and no worse after flexion. He nerve blocked her. No improvement on the palmar-digital (heel block), marked improvement on the abaxial (fetlock down). He came back today and ran hoof and pastern x-rays. Nothing has popped; her x-rays are clean. Pony is still lame (and extraordinarily bored, but that's another issue!).

The vet now wants to put remedial shoes on her to try to counterbalance her pigeon-toedness. I'm pretty keen to avoid this. I've had barefoot horses for the last five or so years, including a devastatingly tricky one, and everything I've researched and read suggests this is going to be counterproductive. If not remedial shoeing, the next step on the vet's list is an MRI, which involves a referral and shipping her up to a specialist equine centre. Obviously, this will be done but, while we wait for an appointment - any thoughts on what could be the matter with my little lady, please?
 
No idea if this is relevant, the only thing that springs to mind is that mine has had a similar thing amongst a whole host of other problems and vet always struggles to diagnose him as there is never anything obvious. He looked lame on left hind (which has it's own problems!) but it was actually front right, my podiatrist noticed him a very slight nod as that foot hit the floor. We decided there was weakness to the cartilage inside the foot as he didn't react to flexions, hoof testers etc etc. A few weeks later you could see an area of the sole towards the toe, an oval shape about an inch round had thickened to pad and protect the area. Is it worth putting a pad and boot on it whilst he is stabled to help strengthen the internal structures of the foot? This has really helped mine cope on a number of occasions and would be easy to try. My horse seems to have come through that and I've had several weeks of amazing soundness, but he is lame again this week as the weather has turned chilly & damp again but this is nothing to do with the issue mentioned.
 
I have forgiven horses mild Pidgeon toes twice and bought them .
One went lame and had to be PTS .
The other had lameness caused by the pideon toe ( he only had one ) and he was being kept sound with very careful shoeing from a very skilled farrier when we lost him for another reason.
However I did not expect him to stay sound long term .
I am not sure what's best I think it's likely the horse will be more sound longer without shoes but soundest but for a shorter time with shoes .
Not an easy place to be .
 
Yes, I probably should have known better GS. Apparently I didn't. (Apologies if that sounds grumpy, it's at myself not at you). May I ask what the source of the lameness was in both of your horses - which structures were compromised?

BethH, thanks, she's booted on any hard ground and has mats in her stable all the way to the door.
 
My first action would be to poultice the foot, as on/off lameness is most often an abscess indicator. Even tough there is no heat, swelling it might be and if it is you would be delighted eh?
 
Sadly that's been tried & ruled out so far. I'd be over the moon if something bursts out, but I don't think my luck is that good! ;-)
 
My first thought was one of those annoying abscesses that take ages to decide whether they will become a proper abscess or not too! Are you sure the lameness is in the foot and not further up? No idea what it could be I'm afraid!
 
My horse presented like this with a bruised sole, took up to 2 months to come sound :( also just to say we have a 28 year old fairly severely pidgeon toed horse at my yard who has been sound as a pound for all his long and varied career, including hunting regularly and eventer trials, and my old made is now 17 and pidgeon toed and has had a fairly hard life with no issues, don't beat yourself up about it fingers crossed it just something silly x
 
When viewed at walk from the front is her foot landing/loading evenly, wondering about collateral ligament strain
 
One of mine isn't pigeon toed but a few years ago kept on going intermittently slightly lame. I would box rest him for a few days and he would be sound but then go lame again once turned out. I never did get to the bottom of it but thought he may have got some very deep bruising as we have a lot of stone lying just below the surface.

He had all sorts of vet workups which never pin pointed anything definite. I finally put front shoes on him and moved him to a different field and he has been sound since.
 
Amicus, no, not quite. She lands a little to the outside first. I'll have a look into collateral ligament strain and raise it with the vet. Thanks.
 
FFAQ, it's definitely below the fetlock, she's sound when blocked from there down. Vet suspects it's in the foot as nothing to be seen or felt on palpitation of the leg.

Everyone else, gods, how I hope it turns out to be a bruise or an abcess. Thanks for the thoughts so far.
 
wyrdsister said:
Amicus, no, not quite. She lands a little to the outside first. I'll have a look into collateral ligament strain and raise it with the vet. Thanks.
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This, especially with a welshie, the only thing that was different on Frank's lame was his landing laterally.
Take so good slo mo video of her walking towards and away and side on to camera and it would be interesting to see if you can pick anything up.
 
wyrdsister said:
Yes, I probably should have known better GS. Apparently I didn't. (Apologies if that sounds grumpy, it's at myself not at you). May I ask what the source of the lameness was in both of your horses - which structures were compromised?

BethH, thanks, she's booted on any hard ground and has mats in her stable all the way to the door.
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Well I did it twice !
In one it was arthritis in the joint in between the two pastern bones on both legs she was six I had had her since three I was so careful with her I knew I should not have bought her but her nature was so lovely I let my heart rule my head .
In the other it was soft tissue damage within the foot .
 
Yes, it was this one's nature that sold me, and her gorgeous, easy movement.

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it. It's soft tissue damage we suspect at the moment.
 
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