Lameness!

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PC Steele

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Hi my 22 yr old active gelding went lame earlier in the year. He has been intermittently lame to the present day. Lame left fore, vet took x rays and an irregularity showed on the collateral ligament so injected with steroids and box rest. Vet said nothing can be conclusive without an MRI. Anyway taken things really slowly and have just walked. Tried a tiny bit of trot sound on the left rein but lame trotting around the corners of the school on the right rein, but sound in a straight line. Totally forward going pulling my arms out!!!!! Also been doing lots of hacking In walk and he has been fine but too scared to trot. So decision is do I retire him or do I have an MRI. ONE VET DID SAY ' well just ride him when he is sound and don't when he isn't but it's not me to do that. Obviously the MRI might shown something that the vet can do nothing about but I can't help thinking they may be a chance that this lameness could be fixable with corrective shoeing or something???? Don't get me wrong I don't want to go back to doing advanced dressage but if I could just school him once a week to keep his muscle tone and keep him flexible then that's all I want to do. Thoughts????? If you are still awake.
 
He is 22 has probably damaged a ligament and is less than 6 months into recovery, most ligament damage requires 12 months to recover/ heal in a younger horse so I think you are expecting a lot so early on, correct foot balance is imperative but I would have him unshod and let him have the natural support of a good strong heel and frog, I would do no more than lots of walking on a good surface, tarmac is ideal, build up his feet and see how it goes, he may never be sound enough to school but he should maintain his muscle tone/ flexibility if hacked out working up to the bridle using himself.

An MRI may give you a clearer picture but at the end of the day it is unlikely to change the treatment or outcome, corrective shoeing will not fix anything it just tends to give you the impression it has for a short time until they go lame again.
 
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