Lame only on one diagonal in straight line?

[spotty_pony]

I took my boy out for a hack this morning, and we were on the way home on our last trot when he went back to walk and felt a little ‘off’. I asked him to trot once more just to see and he was fine on one diagonal but as soon as I changed to the other one he was noticeably unlevel. We had only been for a steady walk and trot out and he had been fine up until this point.
Got him back, checked him all over and there’s no sign of any swelling or anything. Got him out and lunged him on a small circle on the soft and apart from looking a little stiff (he is 22) he looked fine again? Trotted up in straight line and he looked normal. this was all on slightly softer ground though so I am thinking the problem must be on the hard? He does have arthritis in his hocks so I am wondering if this is a telltale sign they are ready to be medicated again.

Thoughts please. I will be monitoring him closely over the next few days and will phone Vet if no improvement but I am likely to overthink this so any words of advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Abacus]

Maybe he's feeling those joints a little in the colder weather, more on one side than the other. My old boy (23) occasionally feels just slightly off but tends to loosen up after a couple of minutes so odd that it's at the end of a hack. At this age I don't tend to get the vet every time it happens, but of course would if it went on for more than a week or so. These days he is just on supplements and hasn't had hock medication for a couple of years, though we have used Cartrophen a couple of times to keep him loose more generally.

 

[SEL]

If you've got Bute then I'd try a sachet to see if it helps. I can see our 2 wonky ones feeling it more this week.

 

[spotty_pony]

Yes, he usually takes 20 mins to loosen up at the beginning and then is usually fine. He is on Boswellia and has been medicated every 2 years with great success since he was 13. I guess it could be the colder weather as it is extremely cold at the moment.

 

[spotty_pony]

If you've got Bute then I'd try a sachet to see if it helps. I can see our 2 wonky ones feeling it more this week.

Yes I have, I will give him some. He lives out most of the time too so he can keep moving around as much as possible. He has been so well (we even went steady hunting beginning of last week and he felt amazing and has been fine since so I don’t think it’s that.

I will give him some Danilon and monitor him over the next few days.

 

[Abacus]

Longer term you could try other supplements if you haven't already. I have had success with turmeric and am about to try the global herbs Movefree which apparently is amazing (has definitely helped two other oldies on the yard).

 

[vhf]

I took my boy out for a hack this morning, and we were on the way home on our last trot when he went back to walk and felt a little ‘off’. I asked him to trot once more just to see and he was fine on one diagonal but as soon as I changed to the other one he was noticeably unlevel. .

Thoughts please. I will be monitoring him closely over the next few days and will phone Vet if no improvement but I am likely to overthink this so any words of advice would be much appreciated.

One 'out there' suggestion - is it you that's lame??
When my bad hips are especially bad, any horse I ride feels unlevel behind on the right diagonal, mostly in a straight line - e.g. hacking along a road. For a few years I blamed it on the saddle being a bit odd (at the time I was hacking 2 in the same saddle). Then I went to see a chiro and suddenly my saddle was fixed consequently I became a bit more aware and worked out the only culprit was me...

 

[sbloom]

Worse on a surface than on the flat is usually a soft tissue problem. Asymmetry of horse or rider can make a horse seem lame, we don't take it anywhere near seriously enough, bodyworker for both of you, ideally ones that can look at you each holistically and give exercises to get you both straighter. Good advice for sound horses too

 

[spotty_pony]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I had a long day’s hunting yesterday on a different horse so quite possibly I wasn’t sitting the same as usual due to being a bit stiff myself today! Both of us have regular physio check ups and I know what our weaknesses are in that respect so I don’t think that’s not the issue here. My Vet is going to ring me tomorrow to discuss and I will go from there.

For now, he has had Danilon in his tea and walked out to the field absolutely fine tonight.
Supplements - I have tried a lot over the years including cortaflex, turmeric and pharmaquin and whilst I know they do something, I am not sure how much of it is a placebo effect.

 

[spotty_pony]

Update - Vet is ringing me tomorrow for a chat. More just for my peace of mind than anything. She has known him for nearly 10 years and was the Vet that originally diagnosed him with Arthritis so she knows him well.