Lameness on right circle?

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littlemissj

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My horse has been lame for about 10 days (vet is coming in the morning) but just wondered if you guys think this sounds like a hoof problem or a higher up problem?
Basically he has been lame since he last got shod. I initially thought abscess but farrier has checked twice and can't see anything but he does become sounder when he takes the shoe off. He's had his back done and had some tightness in his shoulder.
He is lame on his off fore on a right circle, sound on a left circle and slightly light in a straight line.
Opinions? Foot or shoulder?
 
Sounds exactly like my horse and it was a hoof problem. Especially likely to be hoof given that you've taken shoe off and it's better.

Most barefoot people will tell you you need to wait longer than six weeks when transitioning to barefoot.

I'll be interested to know what it is, so do report back when you've had the vet out! Mine was a really fun mystery hoof problem - hope yours is straightforward :-)
 
Bit of lami? The grass is growing. Mine has in the past showed only minor unsoundness in a circle and it's been a touch of lami - it can be flared up by hammering of nails when shoeing. Are there raised pulses or heat? Try a week off the grass and see if anything improves.
 
watching with interest, mine is lame on a left circle. assuming coming from the foot. and it was only apparent after shoeing. shoes off 4 weeks ago now and still lame. any update yet? thanks
 
Trules said:
watching with interest, mine is lame on a left circle. assuming coming from the foot. and it was only apparent after shoeing. shoes off 4 weeks ago now and still lame. any update yet? thanks
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This might not be the correct answer but I just wondered that with a shoe that has recently been taken off maybe there is more stress on the ligaments and tendons and this might pinpoint a problem in this area. If a horse is relatively sound in a straight line but is lame on a particular 'rein' than this could pinpoint a suspensory branch problem.

When my horse did his near fore suspensory branch was lame on the right rein. This was because on the right circle he was pushing off with the injured leg which was actually bearing more weight during the weight bearing phase of the stride. Now he has done his off fore suspensory branch there is slight nodding on the left rein as the other one completely healed.
 
Maybe a corn? is the shoe being put on too tight is it sitting on his sole or a sensitive part of the foot, I used a farrier some years back and my horse became almost pottery in front like he just didn't want to move and was worse on a circle, my vet came out and took the shoes off and said the farrier was not taking enough sole off the foot so the shoe was sitting on the sole instead of the wall of the hoof, it could be a number of things really hopefully your vet will get to the bottom of it
 
*Just to update you all*
The vet came out and she agreed that the lameness was in the foot, she wasn't overly worried about it so that settled my nerves a bit. She had a poke and a feel at him but there was no obvious heat, swelling or pain to touch. She gave me a few days bute and he was on box rest for a week. Still a bit of a mystery as to what exactly caused it but hes sound as a pound today! Can only assume there was a nail touching a nerve or something was a bit inflamed but fingers crossed hes all good now. Phew! Thanks guys!
 
Hope you don't mind me asking but was there heat/swelling with the suspensory injuries? We've sorted my boys lameness but my friends had a pony who done a suspensory and the only symptom was that he started stopping, no lameness or anything obvious but they knew he wasn't right and that's what it turned out to be. Just wondered if that was common!
 
littlemissj said:
Hope you don't mind me asking but was there heat/swelling with the suspensory injuries? We've sorted my boys lameness but my friends had a pony who done a suspensory and the only symptom was that he started stopping, no lameness or anything obvious but they knew he wasn't right and that's what it turned out to be. Just wondered if that was common!
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As far as I know there is suspensory injury and suspensory branch injury, the two are not the same. Unless I am mistaken (and I am not vet!) there are many variants to suspensory injuries such as PSD, avulsion of the origin of the suspensory ligament (below the knee), suspensory breakdown injuries, etc, etc and none of these are to do with the actual branches.

I only know about suspensory branch injury. My horse was sound in a straight line but lame on the opposite leg to the injured leg on that direction on a circle. The problem with suspensory branch injuries are that they are up and down like a yo yo. There is not always heat present, nor obvious swelling, it can be very mild to moderate and can improve within days.

Suspensory branch injuries are very common and typical with horses that SJ and dressage and do repetitive movements and are worked on uneven or poor quality surfaces. Also horses that are not conditioned correctly, or are worked beyond their fitness level as tiredness can often cause injury.
 
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