My horse keeps going lame after exercise, any suggestions please?

mightymammoth

mightymammoth

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My horse went lame after a boxing day hack which involved going up two steepish hills. It was put down to him overdoing it and he was fine the next day so vet wasn't called. He had a week off and I started to do things with him again. Went on a road hack and trotting up a slight incline he went lame again.

Vet came the next day but again he was fine, vet said he was intermittently lame1/10 on right fore and to keep an eye on it (this was a week ago)

Yesterday after riding in the school he went lame again but today he seems fine. There has been no lumps bumps heat or swellings vet did the flection test when he came and nothing.

I'm really at my wits end and so worried he's my first horse so am neurotic over him as it is.

I've only had him since October and had him 2star vetted and nothing was picked up, previous two owners both say there have never been any lameness issues with him.

I've got the physio booked to give him the once over and will take it from there, has anyone experienced similar?

I just don't know what to do anymore...
Thank you
 
Could it be foot bruising? I've had repeated low grade lameness issues with my boy lately too. The wet weather we've been having (well, where I am anyway!) is affecting the integrity of the hoof capsule and leaving it more open to damamge. That would not cause swelling or show up on a flexion test. Are his hooves hot?
 
Thanks for the suggestion the farrier is coming to see shoe over horses at the yard Friday I will ask him to have a quick look. What would likely cause the bruising? I haven't noticed any significant change in his hoof temp
 
Could be a stone, could be concussion from the road? Just a thought - my vet and farrier said a lot of horses feet are struggling to cope with the wet this year, resulting in lost shoes, soft/thin soles, abcesses, corns bla bla. It's pretty easy to check for. Fingers crossed it is because its also easy to treat ha ha x
 
99% of lameness originates from the foot or so they say so your farrier will be a good start. Have you tried tapping the nail holes on the foot and sole to see if there is any pain?

Glad you are getting the physio out. He/she will be able to tell if the horse has any problem areas and how to remedy these.
 
One of my horses has ringbone and he is interimttently lame - especially uphills or if worked too hard. Recently with the cold and humid weather he has been worse. So agree with above, could possibly be ringbone, but then again could be anything really! Horses eh? :)
 
Same here re. the ringbone.. that's how my horse's ringbone started. Thankfully a change of farrier (to a remedial farrier), different way of shoeing and reconsidering how he is managed means he has (*touch wood*!!!) been sound since April last year and is hunting now :)

It's useful to have the physio out but remember that s/he can't diagnose, they can only tell you about muscular soreness.

My vet has always told me that if a horse is lame on a soft surface then it's more likely to be a soft tissue problem, and if he's lame on a hard surface it is joint pain. My horse has only ever been lame on a hard surface and his problems are all bone/joint related.
 
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