Lameness- any thoughts?

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saddlesore

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Young horse (3yo, no shoes) came in from the field initially sound on Thursday, then walking up the stony track to the stables went hoping lame. Hoof checked, nothing obvious, poultice on and box rested. Farrier had a dig around for an abscess on Friday, couldn't find anything. I trotted him up after work on Friday at which point he was now only1/10 lame. Poultice overnight again and box rest until Monday at which point he is still 1/10 lame. Spoke to farrier and agreed to field rest him for a week. Trotted him up across the field today and much the same as before. Perhaps slight heat now rising towards coronet band. Could it be an abscess even though he is no longer very lame?

Farrier and I thought bruise but wondering if anyone has any further thoughts?
 
That's plan b. Existing plan is to give him until Monday (weeks full field rest) ask farrier to check and if he can't find anything then it'll be the vet.

It's an odd one as came on like an abcess but then lifted again very suddenly.

Could really be doing without a vets bill. He just cost me £300 quid on a bill 2 months ago *sigh*
 
I would get the vet as I had one that went lame suddenly like that and it had broken its pedal bone. no abcess, no reponse to hoof testers and only mildly lame initially. Heat top third of hoof in an area about an inch round directly above the break. sorry to be dramatic but we thought it was a bruise initially and would have lost him if the vet had not been involved quickly. Thanks to a clever farrier and the vet he is now fully healed. Not that expensive a set of x rays and shoes with eight toe clips to hold his foot together whilst it healed. it has s aved him as his pedal bones had rotated back as he was loading on his toe due to the pain, slight bursa on the rear of his navicular bones which should settle now he is loading heel toe. the farrier is now shoeing to the x rays and not to his feet which appeared perfectly balanced from the outside. he is sound and in full work , I don't know if the pedal bone broke because of his feet or landing on something but the best thing that ever happened as we would not have known about the internals of his feet until it was too late. so a lucky accident I think. Good luck with yours and hope it is something more simple than mine.
 
Wow, that's the ultimate mixture of bad luck and good luck rolled into one! My gut tells me it's likely to be a bruise, he really strides out and has always landed heel first- including at the moment. However farrier also does a Friday so I'll get him to check then instead of Monday then vet if needed :-)
 
Not sure what you mean by digging around ... they will pare of the sole to look for bruising, does the farrier have hoof testers, these are essential, if you are careful you can often get a response if you tap with a hammer or use clenchers, when horse is relaxed, assuming unshod.
Is the white line stretched [thinking gravel up the inside].
 
I mean paring the sole. This has been done and nothing found. The farrier has pared round the white line so no gravel. Maybe a touch of thrush in the frog which I'm treating. I'm puzzled!
 
Footy on stones and better on box rest then worse again back out would indicate laminitis to me.
I would box rest to be on the safe side but obviously the vet should be called :)
 
Sorry I can't have explained myself very well. He went lame, not footy, coming in on Thursday. Since Friday he has been 1/10 lame in trot on all surfaces . He hasn't got worse since he went out.
 
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