LAME/STIFF HORSE :(

A

allthatjazz

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Need some help/advice please for my 14.2 barefoot chunky cob. My horse is stiff and not stepping out as he would 'normally' (when hes at peak fitness). During the winter of last year he was kept on a yard with minimal turnout onto a tiny patch of hardcore, the rest of the time he was in a 10 x 10 stable, so not alot of room and I was unable to ride so he had no exercise. I moved him about 3-4 months ago to a field without stables for him to live out. With the excessive rain we've had the field soon became a bog, he was knee deep in mud. I tried to keep him on a hardcore area (again :( ) but that also started to sink into the ground (field was at the bottom of some hills and had poor drainage) I went to take him out one day and he could hardly walk, his back end was falling away underneath him. The very next day I went begging and managed to find someone who was kind enough to let me use their dry field as respite for him (and my friends horse who was also struggling and had moved from the original yard above with me) my friend thought it was muscle stiffness and possible tendon strain. Within a couple of weeks he was much improved, I lunged him a little and he was moving much better, struggling in trot though. I took him out on a small hack and he was fine stepping out well. Took him out again a day or two later and he was fine. Took him out again last night and he was back to struggling again :( the other problem is is that hes overweight, so I'm trying to get the weight off with light exercise and a grazing muzzle because I think this is part of the problem. The farrier said his hooves are still fairing well, amazing really seeing as hes been in so much mud. So didnt think it was a foot problem. When I took him out last night he felt like he was waddling and walking on tip toe at the back, if you know what I mean. Any advice or idea as to what could be wrong? Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you for sticking with the long story! :)
 
has the horse seen a vet at all? If he were mine I think by now I would definitely want him assessed properly. Is he lame or stiff? If he is overweight and gone from being on mud to now having access to grass is there any possibility of laminitis? Not all horses show the classic signs of leaning back on their heels, although if the farrier has seen him recently then I would of thought he would have recognised laminitis if that were the problem. Again if it were an abscess I would of thought it would have been noticed, although a farrier missed one in my horses foot. Is there a possibility that the lameness/ stiffness is due to pulled muscles somewhere in the horses back end,hence the waddling gait? It may be worth getting the vet out and possibly a physio with the vets permission if they think it's muscular.
 
Yes Spike, thats what I think it is, a muscle issue. He doesnt seem to have any muscle definition and wonder if due to lack of work, being kept in a small stable with minimal turn out has caused wastage of some sort. I dont think its laminitis, when I moved him 3-4 months ago he was on quite alot of grass (hence the weight issue) and hasnt shown any signs of lami, surely if there was any chance of lami he would've displayed some signs? His feet are cool, but I am struggling to check his digital pulse as hes got so much feather I cant seem to get in to check properly. I had the farrier out about 3-4 weeks ago and he said his hooves were good. He was so fit and healthy last year, fittest horse on yard as was able to hack out about 5 days a week, couldnt do that during the winter months not enough light hours in day and his confinement to small areas I feel hasnt helped. If I'd have know yard was going to have hardly any turn out I would never have moved him there. I moved him a few months ago in good faith that he could live out quite happily through the summer and I could gradually work on bringing him back into work but this awful awful weather has conspired against us. Feel like I cant do right for doing wrong :( think you're right I will have to get the vet to assess him :(
 
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