Lame on his left fore + ranting

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Haz:)

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Hi,

Just went to have an evening school on my TB. He hasn't got lameness issues before and he's not a wimpy Tb.

I arrive at the yard and he's subdued - not his perky self waiting for me or gorging on the grass. He's stood behind a plastic jump wing away from the gate, back leg cocked ( so he had weight on the lame leg ). I notice YM + son are up in my top field with the tractor so assume he's just put himself out of the way.
So here I am slowly getting him ready, put his gear on, slowly warm up, maybe a little stumble once in walk but otherwise fine. I ask to trot and being a very forward boy he's usually straight of my leg, super sensitive, but he wasn't. He stumbled and his left shoulder drop. About 5 forced strides and somethings definitely not alright. I get off and whip off his boot on that leg, feel for any heat / warmth or swelling and of course signs of wounds. Nothing - hoof sole was fine too, shoe in secure! I grab a lunge line and do some tight circles and confirm my suspicions. Barely noticeable in walk, VERY slight head bob. He will barely trot though and staggers and drop his left shoulder a bit when I was on him. It was obvious and the head bob was there in the few strides of trot he could manage!!

So I brought him in and cold hosed that leg 20 mins with a 10 min gap between, and he's usually really antsy about anything to do with the hose but I think it gave him some relief so he kept still for me.

I rubbed arnica & witch hazel into his leg, in the hopes it may be soothing. I would have given him some bute but I don't have any and it was too late to rush down to the tack / feed shop. So I did my best - popped soft bandaging on and then Elastoplast (think that's what it was anyway) and popped a support bandage on top in the hope that it will support his leg up for him.

Now - at this point I'm absolutely fuming - YM didn't ask if they could bring the tractor through my fields, and had my grandmother not been up near the ponies they would have escaped as they aren't fazed by tractors and tries to slip by - which would have led to my TB kicking it in as my pony doesn't tolerate company and is very protective of his mini companion, and the TB wouldn't stand down either!!

I ask my grandmother to go speak to YM about how my boy had reacted to the tractor - thought he could of spooked and panicked as it came through. He said nothing had happened to him and he was fine and it was a "mystery". For many reasons I don't believe them.

The other is that he was spazzing about like he does and has pulled / strained something OR he's hurt himself falling down the never ending appearance of rabbit holes at the minute, I'm filling them in as they are appearing it would seem!!

Right so I carry on - prep his stable for him to stay in. He doesn't like staying in but I was hoping he'd manage as I didn't want him do make it worse.

He's in his stable - little stressed but much better than usual - chomping on his hay and checking out the yard.

I'm curious what YM son is doing still messing around on the yard as its getting dark. I decide to turn the car around the long way to check he locks up good ( call me paranoid but it was my gut feeling ) and then as I go by I see him standing outside my stable ( makes him even more stressed of he isn't left alone in his stable and YM son knows this I've told him many times) making a call. To say I'm pissed off is the least as I suspect they've caused him to become lame in the first place - and now my boy is so wound up he's kicking at the door and neighing frantically and shaking his head about. I have to let him out and I can barely hold him but I get him to his field. He spins and runs off bucking and farting in gallop ( how bad can that leg be!!? ) and continues to do this for 5 mins and I manage to set his hay at the top near his buddies.

He would have been fine in his stable had he left !! There was nothing URGENT needing his attention management wise that couldn't of been left until tomorrow.

I'm also fuming because the YM isn't a farmer and doesn't really need a tractor. He was taking some light weight planks up (no longer than my arm) and used a little thing on back the tractor. Nothing some big strong guys couldn't have taken up in a wheelbarrow (we have *4* on the yard to use) . He went up and down about 10 times that I know of and could risk my ponies escaping each time and upsetting my horse. Thanks for letting me know >_< I would gladly of shut my horses up in separate fields and the ponies in the stables.

I've been up on my yard 6 years over, and I'm sick of never being kept in the loop and my horses safety and wellbeing paying the price. I cannot wait until I have my own property and yard - still have to wait a year until My family is able to move.

Extremely annoying. Call me paranoid, overreacting or overprotective- I just couldn't live if my boys got hurt. To put it in perspective - the pony has been in hospital with a broken leg and I refused PTS as treatment was available - racked up 7k in bills (thank god for insurance!! But I am still praying the extremely expensive monthly payments) and had box rest for 6 months at home after hospital. I love him too much.

Am I over sensitive? And also, do you think the lameness is serious? Am I handling it okay? What do you think it is / what should I look for and when is it time to call a vet to assess? If he was crippled if of had them out immediately - but he obviously couldn't of been so pained as he could Buck, kick and cat leap in the air in gallop!!

Hope I don't sound ridiculous or like a lunatic... Thank you for reading anyway, I needed to vent somewhere. What would you do? Am I unreasonable?

Sorry if my grammar or spelling is crap - it's late and saying I'm feeling stressed is an understatement. Broke down when I got home...
 
Good grief - and breath......

It would never occur to me that I should be asked if a tractor could be driven through my field (and it often was).

And your horse being 'stressy' in his stable is hardly the YM's fault.

All of us are 'precious' about our horses, but really - I think you're totally overreacting.

As for the lameness - could be anything.
 
It sounds like you are making a lot of assumptions. I don't mean that in a horrible way, but if you weren't on the yard to see what happened with the tractor, you can't be sure that anything actually did happen.
Horses have a knack of injuring themselves in stupid ways, with or without our input! I suggest you treat the lameness without torturing yourself about how it happened.
And if your livery arrangement really isn't working for you and your horse, once he's sound maybe it's time to look for another yard.
 
Honestly, you should move. It doesnt sound like its working for you. Lots of things you say, tractor in the field, someone on a phone near the stable etc, are just things I expect a horse to deal with the same as lots of other people., If they cant deal with that then you need to find a yard that doesnt do that now, rather than wait 18 months.

I'd also be getting your horse in ASAP. I'd also want a vet ASAP to a horse that staggers when it trots and I wouldn't be messing with elastoplast! If your TB has a tendon/ligament issue then turning out will make it much worse.
 
I've emailed my get for advice. I appreciate I may seem irrational but I've not been able to give the full story. Any longer and I'm sure no one would reply.
 
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Haz:) said:
Thought I would sound very overreacting, I do apologise. They've lied to me in the past though, over numerous things. I don't really have a problem with the YO and this is the only DIY in my area so I have to stay. It's very frustrating and I know the other liveries feel the same. I just can't explain how it is - the YM comes across really aggressive and ... Never seems to be logical? In how he does things. Can't explain it.
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You dont have to stay, you choose to. It might be the only local yard but there are others, you will just have to go further to get to them. That sounds harsh, but its true! When my yard tipped the balance from ok to horrible I spent ages looking on line, asking people and just driving round. There are lots of yards that people dont know about. There are always compromises with livery yards, but you can always find one where the compromises are outweighed :)
 
I think you are overreacting :)

Tbh, if it was me & my horse came in just slightly lame with nothing visible or feel unusual or even get a reaction on pressing, I would have left the leg be and turned horse out again. Would never bandage or apply anything onto leg as you don't know what problem is - it could turn out to be a small abcess in heel! I wouldn't even have thought about bute!! Sometimes it's better to use nothing till whatever it is shows itself. I wouldn't call vet or basically do anything to leg unless you specifically feel heat or a swelling, If I found a sore spot with hoof testers on hoof then I'd try to dig down to abcess myself.

As for the tractor - my dad has one & isn't a farmer, he uses it to level arena/top fields/move bales etc. about. My horse has had a few bad scares on the road with tractors flying last (he's fine if we pull into a verge or similar or they slow down) but other day I watched in amusement as horse was sleeping at bottom gate. Guy wanted into field with tractor to top, Billy refused to move. Guy (who isn't horsey!) "shoos" him away, Billy walks 5m max lol. Tractor gets into field, moves off and Billy follows him for a few minutes. He then returns to sleep at gate for the next 3 hours while field is being topped!

It's a tractor, he's not going to intentionally drive over your horse so relax, horse probably spooked at the first couple of times at tractor but I'm sure he relaxed after that. Most likely he gave himself a bang/stood on a stone or there's an Abcess brewing. They don't always be hopping lame with an abcess - Billy had an abcess pop out of his heel last week and he'd been completely sound working away.

Plus the YM standing outside your stable isn't really an issue at all - he's free to stand wherever he likes in the yard!

Breathe, relax and check horse in am. He will probably be fine :)
 
FrankieCob said:
Honestly, you should move. It doesnt sound like its working for you. Lots of things you say, tractor in the field, someone on a phone near the stable etc, are just things I expect a horse to deal with the same as lots of other people., If they cant deal with that then you need to find a yard that doesnt do that now, rather than wait 18 months.

I'd also be getting your horse in ASAP. I'd also want a vet ASAP to a horse that staggers when it trots and I wouldn't be messing with elastoplast! If your TB has a tendon/ligament issue then turning out will make it much worse.
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I think Haz means vet wrap! :D

Has, bute is a POM (prescription only medicine) so if he does need it it means a vet visit.
 
amymay said:
Good grief - and breath......

It would never occur to me that I should be asked if a tractor could be driven through my field (and it often was).

And your horse being 'stressy' in his stable is hardly the YM's fault.

All of us are 'precious' about our horses, but really - I think you're totally overreacting.

As for the lameness - could be anything.
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All this.

Relax, OP. Your horse is a bit lame. It's a horse - they hurt themselves sometimes. It's pointless making assumptions. How would you cope if he had to be on prolonged box rest one day? Ban everyone from passing outside his stable?

I'm sure he'll be ok, but you stressing as much as you appear to be surely isn't going to help the situation!
 
You've definitely reacted a bit differently to how I would.

I wouldn't be upset about a yard manager doing maintenance in my field, however they chose to do it. I pay them for the service of YM, therefore I pay them to maintain the property and to interact with my horse as necessary. I'd never be on a yard where I didn't trust the YM to interact with my horse.

I'd also call a vet for an unexplained lameness. If it were something obvious and I was comfortable treating it, I might wait a few days but if I can't identify it then I'm afraid vet is first call. I'd not assume that lameness is due to tractor, or even that lameness is due to an incident rather than a degeneration of some sort, before you have identified lameness.

Also, bear in mind that refusing to pts a horse with a broken leg isn't testament to how much you love it. Many of us here have put down injured horses facing long-term box rest, and I can assure you that it isn't because we love them any less.
 
Why did you cold hose and heavily bandage a leg with no sign whatsoever of any injury? The lameness you describe is severe. This horse should have had a vet immediately.
 
Why do you assume the lameness has anything to do with a tractor? You are ranting and raving and dont even know what caused the horse to be lame. Could be a foot abscess or anything!!!!
 
I would not say overreacting, I would say reacting to the wrong things.

To me, if the horse is that lame, then not calling the vet is under reacting.

I would take the bandage off as it is quite possible that it is too tight and could cause more damage. I would have the horse in a stable until the vet sees him, so he does not damage himself running around in the field.

I would also move yards. You obviously don't trust the Yard Staff, and are not happy there. You do not sound relaxed at the yard, and that can only transmit to your horse, who does not sound very relaxed there either.

I would not give bute to an undiagnosed injury, and it is not available from the saddler anyway. It is prescription only for a reason, as if there is an infection the bute can mask it and make the situation worse.

Finally, I think the biggest thing that strikes me is that you seem very stressed. I would suspect that is not just in this instance, so it may be worth looking at that, as you do not sound happy.

I do hope your horse is better this morning.
 
I think you are being rather ridiculous complaing abou the yard owner being on the phone outside your stable!!!!!! Anyway, horses often go lame, and nothing to do with the tractor. What is wrong with YM using one to take planks up the field? Most farmers use the tractor bucket to move stuff- a lot easier than a wheelbarrow.
 
Firstly they are not YOUR fields. You pay to use them but you don't own them.

I think your overreacting massively and being very possessive of what you perseve to be your land/stable. And he can have/use a tractor any time he wants. It's his right to do so.

Relax!
 
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Wow
who would choose to balance stuff on a wheelbarrow to transport it up a field when it took several trips with a tractor?!

Horse is lame, horse should probably see vet as it doesn't sound like your experience or first aid was great, not sure why you had to let the horse out again just because it was stressing. Stressing in a stable usually results in less damage than stressing and galloping round a field.
 
I didn't reply when I first read this thread as I thought my reply would just stress the OP out even more. Whenever I read this type of post it just reminds me why I don't have liveries despite having 18 empty stables at home.

OP you need to ascertain why your horse is lame and what the appropriate treatment should be.
 
QUOTE " Call me paranoid, overreacting or overprotective"

Yes you are. Horses come in from the field with injuries, that's what happens. They are self harmers! You are trying to blame everything on the YM & his son. If I was the YM & read this post I think I'd be asking you to leave. :(
 
I think you have overreacted due to being stressed and upset about your horse.

Horses often come in lame for a variety of reasons, and your YM is perfectly within his right to manage the fields how he sees fit!

I would NOT have turned your horse back out after he got stressed in the stable, he would have quickly calmed back down again once the yard was deserted. Also, if you were concerned enough to contact the vet, why on earth did you email instead of calling them out?!
 
According to your post, horse is always fine with tractors. So why is it the YMs fault that the horse is lame? They aren't your fields so you can't dictate what goes on in them. Horses do stupid things without anyone being around...

Not sure why you bandaged a leg for essentially no reason? There's no obvious wound? Vet is needed. Should not have been turned out again and it certainly isn't the YMs sons fault that your horse was stressing.

Sorry but you sound like a PITA livery...
 
Red-1 said:
I would not say overreacting, I would say reacting to the wrong things.

To me, if the horse is that lame, then not calling the vet is under reacting.

I would take the bandage off as it is quite possible that it is too tight and could cause more damage. I would have the horse in a stable until the vet sees him, so he does not damage himself running around in the field.

I would also move yards. You obviously don't trust the Yard Staff, and are not happy there. You do not sound relaxed at the yard, and that can only transmit to your horse, who does not sound very relaxed there either.

I would not give bute to an undiagnosed injury, and it is not available from the saddler anyway. It is prescription only for a reason, as if there is an infection the bute can mask it and make the situation worse.

Finally, I think the biggest thing that strikes me is that you seem very stressed. I would suspect that is not just in this instance, so it may be worth looking at that, as you do not sound happy.

I do hope your horse is better this morning.
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This ^^^.

How is he today?

It does sound to me as though you've got things rather out of proportion about tractors in fields and phone calls outside stables, and that you're jumping to conclusions about what has caused a lameness that you don't yet understand. But there are possibly reasons for that.

Life is too short to be as dissatisfied on a yard as you clearly are, so if I were feeling that way I would be moving.
 
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