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MargoMare

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Hi all

I am new to the forum (hello :) )

I recently bought an ISH who so far has turned out to be super and I'm very pleased.

However, about 2 weeks after I bought her she half stepped up onto the concrete yard (about 6") sideways and her foot slipped off whilst bearing all her weight. It looked awkward but I didn't think too much of it. Went out for a hack and quickly realised that she felt slightly unsound in trot so I went home. Put it down to the slip.

She had a weeks rest and seemed fine so I started hacking again. She is very different from what I am used to (I had a 14.2 pocket rocket so at 16.1 she feels lollopy (which I like) but it makes it hard for me to tell if it is her way of going or ever so slight unsoundness. Last week I went for a 5 mile ride and again she seemed fine. she then spent two days out in the field and came in noticeably lame. No heat, no swelling, no obvious signs.

I left her in and the next morning she seemed less lame but still not right. I left her in. That evening (last night) her lame leg had a hot hoof and the other fore was cold so I thought Ahh, it bubbling an abscess - although at no point has she been hopping lame and can put her weight on that foot, just looks lame in movement and turning on that forehand. However this morning all of her feet are warm and a bit puffy (as you would expect after a few days in) but the lame foot is no different from the rest.

I have the farrier coming tomorrow and the vet on Thurs but I just wondered if anyone had any ideas? Has anyone had an abscess that has come and gone a bit? Ive always had full on 'my leg must be broken' type abscesses!

Thanks x
 
My youngster has has two abscesses - the first one I didn't even know until I saw the exit hole growing down his heel. The second one, I caught earlier, but again he wasn't even unlevel. So, yes, it is possible for a horse to have an abscess and not be "broken legged lame" - though a couple of other horses on my yard are at the slightest whiff of an abscess!
 
I think some are tougher than others! My last mare was practically asking you to amputate when she had an abcess, very pathetic and poorly waving her back leg about asif to say "ITS THIS ONE, IT HURTS, REMOVE IT!!".

This mare was turned away one summer, brought her in for a trim and the farrier commented that there had been an abcess, showed me the exit hole and sure enough there it was! It had dried up on its own by this point but she hadn't even been lame!
 
MargoMare said:
Hi all

I am new to the forum (hello :) )

I recently bought an ISH who so far has turned out to be super and I'm very pleased.

However, about 2 weeks after I bought her she half stepped up onto the concrete yard (about 6") sideways and her foot slipped off whilst bearing all her weight. It looked awkward but I didn't think too much of it. Went out for a hack and quickly realised that she felt slightly unsound in trot so I went home. Put it down to the slip.

She had a weeks rest and seemed fine so I started hacking again. She is very different from what I am used to (I had a 14.2 pocket rocket so at 16.1 she feels lollopy (which I like) but it makes it hard for me to tell if it is her way of going or ever so slight unsoundness. Last week I went for a 5 mile ride and again she seemed fine. she then spent two days out in the field and came in noticeably lame. No heat, no swelling, no obvious signs.

I left her in and the next morning she seemed less lame but still not right. I left her in. That evening (last night) her lame leg had a hot hoof and the other fore was cold so I thought Ahh, it bubbling an abscess - although at no point has she been hopping lame and can put her weight on that foot, just looks lame in movement and turning on that forehand. However this morning all of her feet are warm and a bit puffy (as you would expect after a few days in) but the lame foot is no different from the rest.

I have the farrier coming tomorrow and the vet on Thurs but I just wondered if anyone had any ideas? Has anyone had an abscess that has come and gone a bit? Ive always had full on 'my leg must be broken' type abscesses!

Thanks x
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Personally I would think she has sprained a tendon or ligament branch or similar, especially if you say there is no heat swelling or anything as some tendon/ligament injuries have very minimal symptoms or lameness can be moderate but then dissapear with rest only to reappear with work. I wouldn't be too reliant on feet temperature, there can be a lot of variation from one day to the next and as all four feet are warm today whereas only one was warm yesterday this just proves the point.
 
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applecart14 said:
Personally I would think she has sprained a tendon or ligament branch or similar, especially if you say there is no heat swelling or anything as some tendon/ligament injuries have very minimal symptoms or lameness can be moderate but then dissapear with rest only to reappear with work. I wouldn't be too reliant on feet temperature, there can be a lot of variation from one day to the next and as all four feet are warm today whereas only one was warm yesterday this just proves the point.
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Thank you - do you know how long they usually need to rest to get over it?
 
applecart14 said:
You need to get your vet out to reach a diagnosis as it might not be this at all.
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Yes of course. ..as I said I have vet coming tomorrow...I'm not expecting a diagnosis just experiences :) Just trying to get some info before he comes and wondering in your experience how long something like a ligament takes.

She went out this morning nd bronced and galloped around the field so feeling better but if lame later I think it's more likely to be an injury than an abscess. Farrier also coming tomorrow (would never let a vet to check an abscess again after previous experience!) Thanks everyone xx
 
my horse did his suspensory ligament and was on box rest for nearly 5 months, it varies hugely on how badly they have damaged something and where, my horse basically had a hole in his but he is back in work now, And a few months before he just tweaked his front leg in the field I saw him do it he did sharp stop then stood there holding it up, luckily he had a week of rest on bute and he was fine, the worse injury had no swelling or heat yet the milder one did swell slightly so just because you can't see anything doesn't mean it's not serious, I will keep my fingers crossed for you and hope your horse hasn't done anything to bad, let us know what's the vet says tomorrow.
 
MargoMare said:
Yes of course. ..as I said I have vet coming tomorrow...I'm not expecting a diagnosis just experiences :) Just trying to get some info before he comes and wondering in your experience how long something like a ligament takes.

She went out this morning nd bronced and galloped around the field so feeling better but if lame later I think it's more likely to be an injury than an abscess. Farrier also coming tomorrow (would never let a vet to check an abscess again after previous experience!) Thanks everyone xx
Click to expand...

Hi, it depends on what ligament is affected as each carries a different prognosis, treatment plan and rehab plan. to give you an example my horse slightly sprained his suspensory branch 31st December 2015 and is currently on trot work long sides and short sides of school for about 10 mins trotting and the rest at walk/cool down stretching and started this two weeks ago, vet saw video on Monday of footage taken the day before and is delighted with his progress. Says another six weeks of doing the same before incoroporating circles right at the end of the six weeks and to film this for him to give the go ahead to start canter work. I can start trotting poles now, but no raised poles just on the ground. He's free to do as much hacking as I like and trotting across fields (when they are drier) is the next thing to do, exposing injured tendon/ligament to different surfaces is a very good plan so I will be incorporating some field hacks into my programme. Says very minimal inflammation and very very minimal pain response on palpatation.

Says horse has come on exceptionally well compared with other horses with the same injury but to still proceed with caution (as I have been). Says he thinks that this the ice therapy that I put in with so much effort at the start of the injury has a major impact into how well and how quickly the injury heals, but then Bailey has always been incredibly quick healing so I am lucky.

So thats where I am with a slight sprain of the suspensory branch two months on, if that gives you an idea OP.

Had it been the suspensory higher up the leg and not the branch you would be looking at months of box rest and walking.
 
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