Lameness on a circle only after 7 wks box rest

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Ruth W

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I have a 12 yr old cob x, he went lame when schooling at the beginning of feb but only on a circle, looked sound in a straight line. Had farrier check him and mctimoney practitioner who both found nothing. Vet diagnosed a splint and 6 wks box rest (has now had that). He's now pretty much sound in walk on a circle on both reins, he was then lame in trot but only for a couple if mins and then came sound. I've got the vet booked to come and do a lameness work up and nerve blocks this week but any other ideas? His lameness in trot was prob only 1/10th when I lunged him this week and then only for a couple of mins, then worked for about 10 mins and looked totally sound. Any ideas?
 
If he's sure it's a splint, 6 weeks isn't long to give a splint to settle TBH and they can take months not weeks to come right. Personally I'd turn out and leave completely alone until completely sound then do straight lines only, nothing in a school for at least a month later.
 
Splint lameness does not tend to wear off with exercise, and six weeks box rest would fix most of them. Soft tissue injury inside the foot, on the other hand, does wear off with exercise and is not cured by box rest at all in most cases.It also shows up first on a circle.

I would not be surprised if your horse blocks unsound to the back of the foot.

If you watch him walk very closely, does he land toe first, heel first or flat?
 
We thought he looked slightly like he was almost bracing when coming back from trot to walk. I had a feeling the vet would say the lameness is so slight he wouldn't want to nerve block but I think from what you say, I need to insist he does, thanks.
I don't have much splint experience but the vet said he though it was tiny (but wasn't 100% certain it was one) and 6 weeks rest should be adequate, I've not been able to find much else on how long it would need resting for so took what the vet said.
 
I've known a lot of splints and only one of them has ever needed more than one month of field rest. If your vet was not even sure that it was one then I would certainly nerve block the foot.

Is your horse shod for work?
 
Yes, he was reshod about 4 weeks ago, when the lameness came on we were schooling in an indoor school. The vet saw very little of any value when lunging last time (he did nothing but buck as he'd already been on box rest and was very fresh). He's now stabled at night and is getting a few hours in his barn each day so he can stretch his legs but not go mad. Hopefully this'll mean he'll be far more sensible when the vet arrives.
 
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