Lame in trot on circle? (left fore)

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cheekywelshie

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Two weeks ago my horse was lame in trot - the vet came and suggested hot tubbing and bandaging for a week which we did - he didn't know the cause but thought it might have been a bruise. as no signs of abscess. He came back 7 days later - there was no heat no digital pulse and said he was fine and we could begin work again and he'd be ok to trot etc in a few days. I started off doing a few days in walk building up to short bursts of trot. I did a little bit of lunging which in retrospect was incredibly naive but I wanted to see how he was from the ground - but i think this was far too soon :(
Then I had a lesson thursday night, I told my instructor what had happened and he was coming into work and I'd done mainly walk and then small amounts of trot over the last few days but was uncertain about doing anything unless he thought it was OK. So he asked me to walk and trot in a circle and then canter - my horse was very enthusiastic and at the end of the lesson and going really well - we did a few poles and a few small jumps which he flew over and got the striding bang on. The best he'd been in a while (he was fairly fit before going lame). But on the final jump I lost my balance and he landed a bit odd. My instructor worried he landed a bit unsound and asked me to trot up - which i did in a straight line and he was fine. The day after I did 25 minutes of road work in walk - he was quite forward. Then today I rode in the same school and he seemed fine but after 15 minutes when i asked him to trot in a circle suddenly he just felt odd. I immediately got off and trotted him up outside the school in front of someone and he was fine. But then when I trotted him in hand in the school and circled him there was definetly some lameness on a circle. I checked his feet and legs - no sign of heat or swelling.

Not sure what do to - box rest him again (not great for his stringhalt as he gets stiff ) or put him in small paddock and then get vet out again. Now I'm paranoid that perhaps he did too much work too soon or that he's got tissue damage and that was the problem all along - not the hoof ?

I am gutted because now I think he should have had longer off and I should not have done anything but walk - although i followed my vets and farriers instructions.
 
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When you lunge him in trot is he lamer on the inside of the circle or the outside.

If he goes lamer on the inside of the circle the problem is in the foot. - call the farrier to see if he can find the abscess which is what I would think it will be.

If he goes lamer on the outside of the circle the problem is in the shoulder - call the vet back in and maybe get permission for a chiro to check him over.
 
It is on the inside of the circle - there was no sign of an abcess the vet came back after a week and did the hoof tests and there was no heat anymore. The farrier also tested and as the vet gave the OK he put the shoes back on. Do you think it could be the bruise taking a while to recover? Although I don't understand why he is OK on hard ground and not soft in that case and why he was fine in lesson and then not two days later.
 
They can come and go with the weather conditions, tend to get worse with wet weather and then ease up in dry. Definately ask farrier to have another look and in the meantime try a wet poultice on the sole. This is a ceeap and easy poultice boot.

Poulticeboot.jpg
 
I would guess at the foot as well- my old horse failed the vetting as he was lame on a tight circle and it was down to poor foot balance; a few shoeings with a better farrier and he was much better.

I would get a full lameness work up done, paying particular attention to the feet.
 
cheekywelshie said:
It is on the inside of the circle - there was no sign of an abcess the vet came back after a week and did the hoof tests and there was no heat anymore. The farrier also tested and as the vet gave the OK he put the shoes back on. Do you think it could be the bruise taking a while to recover? Although I don't understand why he is OK on hard ground and not soft in that case and why he was fine in lesson and then not two days later.
Click to expand...

Abscess lameness can come and go for weeks as they make more room for themselves and then fill it up again with pus.

If he has an abscess he can be sound on hard and lame on soft going because it hurts his sole and on hard ground there is no pressure on it. When it tracks to the heel or the coronet band, he will be probably be very lame all the time until it bursts.
 
I would contact your farrier. They are the best at locating abscesses in my experience. for the moment I would cold hose the foot/leg & keep him stabled until you cab arrange a visit .
 
Both the vet and the farrier used hoof testers after a week of box rest and came up negative and there is no heat in the foot - so they advised me to turn him out - could an abcess still be there? Assume it can't be a bruised sole anymore if ok on hard not on soft - more likely to be tissue think I will rest and call vet.

I am not sure whether to turn out for short periods - he does not hoon around he just nibbles at grass but because h e has stringhalt on his hinds keeping himon 24/7 box restunless absolutely necc (ie poulticing) etc isn't good for his hind legs :(
 
millitiger said:
I would guess at the foot as well- my old horse failed the vetting as he was lame on a tight circle and it was down to poor foot balance; a few shoeings with a better farrier and he was much better.

I would get a full lameness work up done, paying particular attention to the feet.
Click to expand...

I must admit his balance has never been great (he goes on his forehand a lot but I have been working on my position and half-halting which seems to be helping)
 
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