Lameness on a circle but not on a straight run up

[TinselRider]

What would you guys be thinking if you had a horse that was roughly 3/10 lame on a circle but sound as a pound on a straight line? One of the Gees has this prob at the yard and I'm thinking it could be within the foot (shoes pressing on the frog and looks like possible abcess or bruise) or a muscular problem.


Farrier coming thursday to have a look.

 

[aidybex]

My horse has been like this for roughly 6 months - I've had him looked at by a vet, farrier and back specialist. Vet thought foot, back person thought pelvis and farrier said back/shoulder.................thoroughly confused.

I've just relocated with him though so about to start the process of investigating yet again!

 

[Louby]

My friends horse is being treated at the mo for something similar. She didnt realise he was lame until she changed instructors who said something wasnt right. The vet has since nerve blocked and the problem is in his hock, a strain or something?? He also xrayed and he has arthritic changes but the vet doesnt think that is the cause. Hes had Tildren I think, on a new Cortavet and has been on boxrest. The vet is due again tomorrow but my friend still thinks hes lame.
Good luck with your horse, I hope you get to the bottom of it.

 

[Baymillie]

Agree with Louby, this horse needs nerve-blocking.

My horse did exactly this and I had her nerve blocked, turned out to be navicular

It definitely needs more investigation.

 

[DollyDolls]

Nerve block and full investigation. Mine turned out to be a torn DDFT.

 

[toomanyhorses26]

my horse did this and it was tendonitis in the fore leg so when on a straight line the tendon wasn't being pulled in a particular but when he was on a circle with the affected leg to the inside it showed up really badly.

 

[cavalo branco]

As Dolly Dolls, nerve block and full investigation. My boy was barely lame on a circle and has a high suspensory ligament strain and arthritis in same fetlock. Cue 5 months box rest and restricted turnout I might start walking out in the autumn.

A very slight lameness can be a serious ligament or tendon strain - best get it fully investigated.

 

[Achinghips]

Have you seen her trotting away from you, rather than running up towards you when youre standing in front? Does she dip more on one side? Mine has the circle problem, and I couldn't see any lameness, but needed it pointed out to me when seeing her trotting away from behind - vet thinks its prob a hock problem, common in Tb type conformation, but we're going in for nerve block etc friday for full investigations.

 

[AmyMay]

Penny to a pound it's in the foot. Needs a full lamenss work up done for diagnosis though.

 

[Achinghips]

As Dolly Dolls, nerve block and full investigation. My boy was barely lame on a circle and has a high suspensory ligament strain and arthritis in same fetlock. Cue 5 months box rest and restricted turnout I might start walking out in the autumn.

A very slight lameness can be a serious ligament or tendon strain - best get it fully investigated.

OMG - you have my sympathy

 

[alfiesmum]

i asked the same thread the other day, we are having x rays tomoro but vet is convinced it is def in the foot, good luck xx

 

[natalia]

Hi,

I've got one the same, she's iffy on a circle but not on the straight. I know why though and its due to poor foot imbalance, she is currently awaiting x rays so farrier can sort her out (it happened 2 years before too). My mare has assemetric feet, our problem started when farrier tried to make them look like a pair, she then went off, not every stride, but noticeable. We turned her away, let her feet grow and now they are quite long but she is a lot sounder (sound nearly every stride with the odd one off). My horse isn't lame in pain, she's just got wonky legs which like the way they were born and don't want to be messed with, so any lameness is mechanical rather than pain related- ie, she's hitting the circle at an angle that her foot dosen't like and isn't built for so appears unsound.

 

[noblesteed]

Make sure you let your farrier have a good look first before sending the horse to the vet.
Mine has identical lameness problem. Farrier said "ahh just a bruise, rest it" but paranoid worrying mum I am I got the vet out. She said my horse needed nerve blocks, x rays and booked him into the vets for the day.
I told farrier this, he told me off for not listening to him, scraped away horsey's hoof and found a bruise! Vet hadn't even found it!
So now horsey on poulticed and rest with arnica to draw bruising out, you can see blood working it's way through hoof, yuck.

Moral of this story? DEFINITELY get the farrier first!

 

[millitiger]

Pilfer failed his vetting as was 4/10 lame on a 5m circle on concrete although 100% sound in a straight line and after flexions.

never bothered investigating further as vet thought it was down to the foot.

2 x shoeings by a decent farrier and he was down to 2/10 lame on the circle.

a year of decent shoeing and he was slightly stiff on the tight circle to the left (sound to the right) but he also has a slightly frozen left shoulder.

since his failed vetting he has done 6 seasons of BE eventing with wins and placings so don't feel too disheartened yet!

 

[TinselRider]

Thank you guys

said horse has seen a farrier and he found a few "issues" such as the feet not being level, bars of the shoes pressing into the frog, low heels etc so owner is having the back shoes changed tomorrow (fronts have been done) and has been instructed to start V light work as of tomorrow and re asses in a weeks time.

 

[Luciejjkk]

Agree with Louby, this horse needs nerve-blocking.

My horse did exactly this and I had her nerve blocked, turned out to be navicular

It definitely needs more investigation.

Ditto this.

My horse was sound in a straight line but lame on a circle and he was diagnoised with navicular disease

 

[AmyMay]

It could be anything, and if not immediately obvious to the farrier will probably require x-rays to determine the problem.

 

[EllieK]

My big gelding has been like this since a hooly in the field on the 1st, going in to vets tomorrow to look at hind suspensories (eek!). Sound as you like in a straight line and small circle on concrete but 1-2/10ths when on surface on a circle.
Having said that he was similar in front a while ago and that was a foot imbalance addressed promptly and responded well with new good farrier and some pads on front.
Good luck

 

[Achinghips]

Ditto this.

My horse was sound in a straight line but lame on a circle and he was diagnoised with navicular disease

Ditto, mine was nerve blocked and xrayed since I posted on this thread last - hock arthritis, req steroid injections and corrective farriery

 

[jessicabeau1]

ted was like this and it was his medial collateral ligament.

 

[jojopops70]

Ditto, mine was nerve blocked and xrayed since I posted on this thread last - hock arthritis, req steroid injections and corrective farriery

Ditto again, mine diagnosed three days ago with Navicular and arthritis in both fronts.

 

[splash30]

We should all start a club sound on a straight line but lame on a circle!!

Mine is the same now having nerve blocks narrowed it down to the coffin joint the thinking is he has damaged the cartilage in both front feet and he seems to have very little fluid in his joints, going back tomorrow for more tests, he also has the possibility of damage to his collerateral ligaments.

 

[lialls]

I had a horse once who was lame on the turn but perfectly fine in the straight line, had farrier out, didnt find anything, so had a physio out, found she was very tight in her shoulders, dont know what had causes it but the horse has been fine since.

 

[PurplePickle]

mine was lame on a circle sound on straights it was hock arthritis

hes had hyonate now with some success

 

[K27]

Sounds like a foot imbalance?- If it is that it is something that can be easily sorted with good shoeing and input from both Vet and Farrier working together.

 

[helencharlie]

My Tb was identical this following a lameness workup and nerve blocks he was diagnosed with collapsed heels and navicular. This was a year ago. Since then he has become barefoot and is thriving on it. Definitley get a lamness workup done and investigations.

 

[Ted's mum]

We should all start a club sound on a straight line but lame on a circle!!

Mine is the same now having nerve blocks narrowed it down to the coffin joint the thinking is he has damaged the cartilage in both front feet and he seems to have very little fluid in his joints, going back tomorrow for more tests, he also has the possibility of damage to his collerateral ligaments.

really feel for you...have to make a hard decision today about my boy ted - he damaged his medial collateral ligament 2 and a half yrs ago. he has been on/off lame since...on his good days then he would be gently hacked but no more than this...its such a serious injury...I am gutted for you. x

 

[mikh]

Nerve block and full investigation. Mine turned out to be a torn DDFT.

Snap!

surgery, box rest, and controlled exercise for us

 

[Woodykat]

My tb is the same atm, only lame on a circle in trot though, and gets worse with exercise, about half hour in (even on a hack). Def near fore lame tho - am hoping is problem with foot, getting farrier out asap!

 

[Izzwizz]

Similar thing for me, Izzy ended up having nerve blocks and an MRI. Turned out she had a tear to her DDFT right within her hoof. Months of box rest, hand walking and now turned out and ridden again. Wouldnt have found the problem if she hadnt had an MRI.