Lame horse

[Kokopelli]

I got Koko in from the field today and rather then going woohoo time for tea and practically dragging me in he was very docile and I knew something was wrong, when I turned up a slight hill into the barn he was really dropping his shoulder and he looked very lame on his left fore.

But then he was fine and I was quite suprised as I thought there was something wrong with him, well I asked someone to trot him up and he was fine for a bit then he started looking lame again on the same leg and the moment this started was when the camber on the road was steeper.

We walk him in small circles and he's sound looks nothing wrong with him then I lunged him to see what he was like on the lunge and he was very lame again. I feel down his leg no bumps, lumps or cuts or heat. Then all I can seem to think of is navicular so I put pressure on his frog and heel, nothing, I'm not goign to rule navicular out but I think it may be a possibility as he is showing some signs of it.

I then run my finger down his back and he's fine, but my mum said I wasn't putting enough weight into it so she gave me a key to run down his back and OMG the poor horse had a massive fit. He's a bit wimpy anyway but he seems a bit sore just behind where the saddle would sit. Then thinking about it he has got some signs of a bad back such as loss of performance, muscle developing more on one side than the other and he's really stiff on the right rein.

So I got the back man coming out on tuesday and I just hope this is what's causing the lameness, if not I'm getting the farrier out to look at his feet and then I'll get the vet to have a look.

Has else experienced symptoms like this in their horses, and if so what was teh prognosis?

 

[Rueysmum]

I often wonder why people use the term "dropping his shoulder". If the horse is nodding, or dipping, on a particular foreleg, then he is lame in the opposite foreleg. More often than not it has absolutely nothing to do with his shoulder.

If I were you I would forget about the backman and, if he isn't better in a day or so, I would get the vet out.

 

[Kokopelli]

I often wonder why people use the term "dropping his shoulder". If the horse is nodding, or dipping, on a particular foreleg, then he is lame in the opposite foreleg. More often than not it has absolutely nothing to do with his shoulder.

If I were you I would forget about the backman and, if he isn't better in a day or so, I would get the vet out.

Yeah I have been taught this, basically when they lift there head it is to lift the sore leg off the floor so less weight is on it. So when there head is loweres or shoulder dropped this is when the bad leg is off the floor.

I am pretty sure its the back, I would have left it another day to see how it is but I'd rather get it sorted wuick so we are definatly getting teh backman out in tues after te bank holiday, even if he isn't lame he will probably have some tension in his back.

 

[Rueysmum]

But, why do you think it would be his back?

That key test is a load of nonsense when coupled with leg lameness. If I ran a key down either of my horses' backs, I'm sure they would sink to the floor. The vet should be your first point of call, as a back man should not be treating a horse without its vet's agreement in any case.

Back lameness would not present as such obvious leg lameness, especially if it's the same leg all the time.

 

[Kokopelli]

The back person I have in mind is also a vet so he may take one look at him and say its not his back. But its what comes to mind for me, the other thing that springs to mind is he may be abit foot sore or navicular which I really hope it isn't.

Its not always the same leg and he isn't always lame, which is why I also think its his back, and when he is lame he isn't even that lame. He has most the symptoms of having a bad back and then just touching the spot where he flinched the most he went crazy and almost kicked my head off which makes me think its his back.

I test his back regulary to make sure he's ok so when he reacted very badly tonight I immediatly thought he had a sore back.

Like I said it may not be his back, but its the first on my list as it seems to be the most prominent problem. I'm not having my particular vet out until I get his back checked as I'm not paying a tonne of vet bills just for the vet to say get his back looked at, its such a pain having the vet out for him aswell as we normally need him sedated and someone to come out and hold him as he is very bad with the vet.