Lame horse not bearing weight on heels - any suggestions

dreamcometrue

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Help please! Both vet and farrier nonplussed.

My horse has become lame in his hinds after years of being totally sound. He rests each hind leg in turn when standing and was also scraping his toes along the ground when walked. He also seems to be standing on his toes and not bearing weight on his heels. The vet has been and Stan has been on box rest and bute for a week. The farrier came yesterday and found that his hind shoes were very worn at both toes and hardly worn at all at the heels.

Has anyone got any idea about what could be the cause?

His feet are fine. No swellings or tenderness in his legs or joints. He doesn't do any concussive work and is in great condition.

He will be turned out and not worked for the next week and if still lame will be X rayed and nerve-blocked to investigate further but I would love to know if anyone has encountered anything similar.
 

dreamcometrue

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This is what I am afraid of. I have a gut feeling that it is something to do with his pelvis/back. I feel as if the standing on his toes eases pain in this area.

He isn't old, only 14.

He has stopped the toe dragging since he has been on box rest.
 

loopylucifer

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Im never showing this to my horse she loves to do things oddly!
not sure if its the angle but both hocks do look quite filled and abnormal but this could be the angle. I would look at hocks first if you get toe draging and leg resting not wanting to put heals fully down hocks are often the culpret. so my money is on hocks
 

dreamcometrue

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I know he has big hocks but they are fine. He is just a very square and solidly built horse. His flexion is fine and he has no swellings around the hock joints, they are just hefty and have always been like that.
 

lhotse

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Looks like he could have spavin to me. My mare started to do funny things with her fetlocks, almost like they were locking up, but the cause was spavin. Wearing the toes is a classic symptom. Spavin can be managed though, and although they will move differently to accomodate the bone changes, there is no reason why they shouldn't become sound again once the hocks have settled and fused.
 

VioletStripe

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Sounds relatively similar to a horse back at my old RS who gained back problems. Can't tell you what they were as I was only young at the time, but it was something to do with her back and pelvis. Luckily she pulled through whatever it was, but I'd get someone in to check the back. Could be something completely different, but I think it's worth looking into. Hope he gets sorted soon xx
 
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