lame horse living out - wwyd?

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lucky7

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My welsh cob who has been out of work since october (turned away due to my pregnancy) was quite lame 2 weeks ago. He was living out so i gave him 1 bute a day and he came sound. Have recently moved both the horses to a 12 acre field for winter, yesterday i noticed he was lame again in walk aswell as trot. No sign of swelling or cuts etc just quite lame. I checked him again today and there is no improvement. He is well in himself.
I have been offered a stable to bring him in for a few days to see if he improves. i also have some bute coming but this wont be here till monday.
Would you bring him in tomorrow on box rest for a few days or leave him out?? If he does come in then there is always that risk of him going nuts again in the field when he's let out again, also if i do bring him in my mare will be out alone and she stresses when he leaves her.
The plan is to maybe see how he is tomorrow and if no improvement i may bring him in and give the vet a call?
 
Could it be an abscess? giving bute seems to stop an abscess bursting so although the horse looks better the abscess just gathers again once the bute has been stopped.
 
Personally I'd call the farrier and check for abscess.

Irrespective I wouldn't be giving bute, you need a true picture of lameness should you end up getting vet.
 
Scarlett said:
Could it be an abscess? giving bute seems to stop an abscess bursting so although the horse looks better the abscess just gathers again once the bute has been stopped.
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ihatework said:
Personally I'd call the farrier and check for abscess.

Irrespective I wouldn't be giving bute, you need a true picture of lameness should you end up getting vet.
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Didnt think of an abcess - I have a friend who is going to help me look at him tomorrow and bring him in to check (difficult on my own being 5 months preg with a boisterous welshie!), farriers pretty good at coming out quick - fingers crossed it maybe an abcess and nothing more sinister.
 
If he was mine I would definitely get it looked at - some lamness's resolve with gentle exercise/turnout, but other issues can be made worse.

Touch wood it is hoof related so easy to resolve.
 
I would prob call the vet as it has been a wee while as I would be worried about tendons so a vet check to rule that out but I always air on the side of caution hence I'd call the vet
 
Agree with others get the farrier/vet out to have a look. If he will get stressed out in stable I would think he's best in the field, unless he's charging around out there? If so maybe sectioning a small part of the field off instead or keeping him in? Hope he is ok :)
 
Unless it is lameness from too much grazing (you know what I mean) I would personally always have them out. Whether it's the deep digital flexor or the check ligament, it isn't fair to box them in and in a small paddock how much galloping can they do? If a friend is next door (a sensible one) then they are less likely to worry.
My own horse came sound after 18 months box rest when they tried her loose in the field!
 
I know I have said this in the past, but legally a farrier can not diagnose anything, and also can not treat unless under the supervision of a vet. Do not put your farrier in the position of breaking the law - get your vet to diagnose.
 
On further inspection, and help from a very experienced friend, we discovered heat in the fetlock and up the leg we discovered a bump on his forearm - there was a small amount of swelling and heat (on the bump on forearm) which seems to have caused further heat and swelling down the leg - its not red hot just feels warm and the swelling isnt too bad. I have decided to keep him out and have given him some bute. If there is no improvement on Monday i will be calling the vet out.
I think he's had a kick from the horse that is in the next field - the other horses have recently been turned out and they where pulling faces over the fence, and chasing each other aggressively down the fence line so i wouldn't be surprised if its a kick from one of these seeing as the fence between them is sheep netting type.
Just to add - there is no visable wound/broken skin - just a bump which was sore to touch
 
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EllenJay said:
I know I have said this in the past, but legally a farrier can not diagnose anything, and also can not treat unless under the supervision of a vet. Do not put your farrier in the position of breaking the law - get your vet to diagnose.
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So when my farrier came out a few weeks ago and cut an abscess out my gelding's hoof he was breaking the law? I had the vet out a a couple of years ago for an abscess and she completely butchered his hoof so would never get a vet out for an abscess again.
 
As others have said, get it checked out ASAP. Mine was out 24/7 when he was lame a couple of months ago, and I mean hopping lame. So glad he didn't go on box rest, he came out of it fit and supple whereas he would've been so stiff if he'd been on box rest. Plus it meant he could decide himself when he needed to move and when he didn't. IMO that was the main reason why he got over it so incredibly quickly. It depends on how lame your horse is and for what reasons. G was just short in his feet- farrier sorted it, he had a couple of weeks so recover then he was good as new. Is there a possibility that with yours it could be an issue with hoof shape too? I didn't notice and issue with G at first, nor did anyone else until the farrier had a look. Definitely worth checking with your farrier. Best of luck.
 
NellRosk said:
So when my farrier came out a few weeks ago and cut an abscess out my gelding's hoof he was breaking the law? I had the vet out a a couple of years ago for an abscess and she completely butchered his hoof so would never get a vet out for an abscess again.
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I'm the same - my girl was hopping lame on a Bank Holiday Sunday, so I called the vet out. After a wait of about three hours she turned up, got the hoof testers out, couldn't say for certain if it was an abscess or lami. She stuck a poultice on it and told me to get the farrier out as soon as I could.

Farrier came next day (saying I should have called, he would have come out!!!), found five small stones embedded in her toe (though to be fair, the poultice might have drawn them to the surface), dug out the abscess and she was as right as rain within minutes.

Vet bill = £185.00. Farrier = buy me a drink when you next see me in the pub.
 
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