JET84
New User
Hi
I have a 14.2 NF Mare whom I have owned for about 6 months. Back in May I had the saddler out who said her pelvis looked uneven. I got the vet to look and she said pelvis looked fine but when I trotted her up she was slightly lame on her front offside (score 4/10). I had a lesson the night before and neither myself or my instructor thought she was lame.
The vet found a splint on the outside of her front offside and recomended 14 days box rest, 5 with bute, and twice daily application of DMSO & dex. Vet came and checked her after 2 weeks and said all OK, 3 days paddock rest and then bring back into work slowly.
Please note that my horse was being used to hack a couple of times a week on heathland - no road work and was having a weekly 30 minute flat work lesson so not exactly being worked hard!
Bought back into gentle hacking work and she was OK for a few weeks then went lame again. The splint seemed tender again so she had 2 weeks box rest with twice daly application of DMSO & dex then 2 weeks paddock rest. After that she was not lame but did not seem quite right (thought maybe stiff) so rode her gently for a couple of weeks then she went lame again.
Vet has been out again and scored her 1/10 lame in trot, she has tenderness around the canon/splint bone and they want to xray to look for a fracture of the splint bone then maybe scan to look at the suspensory ligament depending on the xray result.
Asking around, the treatment for either of these seems to be long term rest or sometimes an op for a # splint bone. I am therefore considering turning my mare away for 3 months to rest and reassessing in the new year.
However having lost most of our first summer together am I better to have the tests now so i know what we are or are not dealing with.
I am open to any opinions from people who have had experience of this situation.
Thanks in advance for any tips
I have a 14.2 NF Mare whom I have owned for about 6 months. Back in May I had the saddler out who said her pelvis looked uneven. I got the vet to look and she said pelvis looked fine but when I trotted her up she was slightly lame on her front offside (score 4/10). I had a lesson the night before and neither myself or my instructor thought she was lame.
The vet found a splint on the outside of her front offside and recomended 14 days box rest, 5 with bute, and twice daily application of DMSO & dex. Vet came and checked her after 2 weeks and said all OK, 3 days paddock rest and then bring back into work slowly.
Please note that my horse was being used to hack a couple of times a week on heathland - no road work and was having a weekly 30 minute flat work lesson so not exactly being worked hard!
Bought back into gentle hacking work and she was OK for a few weeks then went lame again. The splint seemed tender again so she had 2 weeks box rest with twice daly application of DMSO & dex then 2 weeks paddock rest. After that she was not lame but did not seem quite right (thought maybe stiff) so rode her gently for a couple of weeks then she went lame again.
Vet has been out again and scored her 1/10 lame in trot, she has tenderness around the canon/splint bone and they want to xray to look for a fracture of the splint bone then maybe scan to look at the suspensory ligament depending on the xray result.
Asking around, the treatment for either of these seems to be long term rest or sometimes an op for a # splint bone. I am therefore considering turning my mare away for 3 months to rest and reassessing in the new year.
However having lost most of our first summer together am I better to have the tests now so i know what we are or are not dealing with.
I am open to any opinions from people who have had experience of this situation.
Thanks in advance for any tips
