My pony's legs look too long!!!

[Chantilly Lace]

I have a 25yr old pony who is very lame and uncomfortable at the moment. The only way to describe her posture is that her front legs looks too long. She is having great difficulty turning and almost looks laminitic but I am pretty certain that she isn't. Any ideas?

 

[teddyt]

Are her front legs held out in front of her? Like shes leaning backwards? If so then thats laminitis.

TBH you need to get the vet asap. Your pony needs help if she is very lame and cant turn around. Ring the vet tomorrow. While you are waiting for the vet keep her in the stable (on a deep bed) with soaked hay and water and dont feed any hard feed that isnt fibre only.

 

[Chantilly Lace]

Hi, she is only pointing forward with one front leg as though she doesn't want to put her foot flat. I have done everything possible to avoid lami as she had it years ago - poor pasture, happy hoof through winter and plenty of hay. The farrier has worked on reshaping her feet over the past few months as they had gone flat at the heels and she was propping her heels up on bedding or uneven ground a few weeks after trimming. I am wondering whether her new upright feet are not sitting right with the pedal bone, her feet no longer look like they belong to her! Will be calling the vet Monday anyway. Thanks

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

I'm afraid that sounds like laminitis again. It's a medical emergency even if it's just suspected. If it was me, I'd have rung the vets for an emergency call out and while I was waiting I'd have the horse on deep soft shavings right up to the door JUST IN CASE.

 

[teddyt]

I wouldnt wait until monday, you should call the vet today. The fact she is only pointing one leg doesnt matter, she may only have laminitis in one leg or one leg could be worse than the other. It may not be laminitis but you shouldnt be guessing and neither can we on here! A vet needs to see her

 

[joeanne]

She is having great difficulty turning and almost looks laminitic but I am pretty certain that she isn't. Any ideas?

Unless a vet tells you different, you need to be treating as lami. The sooner she starts treatment the better.
As BOF says, in, on a deep bed that runs to the door, dont even leave the smallest of gaps.
Soaked hay, and vet asap. At 25 her age is against her, so the quicker you get that vet out, the better her chances are going to be.

 

[Happy Hunter]

Vet - NOW!
Sounds like Lami to me - my mare used to get it in one hoof first, then the other one later.
This time of year and the heat, now with showers today - mean that unfortunatley Hundreds of ponies AND HORSES TOO! - Will be in pain

 

[Chantilly Lace]

Hi to all concerned lami experts! I have tried my pony on box rest, soaked hay and no grass and she deteriorated due to arthritic joints objecting to being kept still. I have also had the farrier out who has removed her shoes and confirmed my suspicion that she does not have laminitis so she is back out on our poor paddocks (moving a lot more freely) with her friends. The vet is coming on Wednesday to examine her and will probably want to xray for navicular etc. Will keep you posted but please no more advice on lami, I've owned Holly for over 20 years and seen her with lami on more than one occasion. For the past 10 years I have successfully done everything in my power to avoid it by very careful management, diet and exercise. This didn't stop me having several sleepless nights after reading your comments!

 

[teddyt]

Your pony was in pain and struggling to turn-reason enough to get the vet straight away. Im amazed youve waited almost 2 weeks to get her looked at by the vet tbh, if not to give the pony pain relief then maybe you could get some sleep .

You gave limited info and asked for ideas. Several people told you what they thought based on that and shouldnt be blamed for your lack of sleep. If you were that concernd then you should have got the vet out sooner.

 

[Happy Hunter]

Too Righty Teddyt!

 

[Chantilly Lace]

My My aren't horsey people tetchy these days. My limited info included the fact that I was pretty certain she hadn't got laminitis which is why I was asking for suggestions of alternatives. Had she been in a lot of pain she would have shown signs of distress other than a limp and stiffness on turning. When a pony who has worked hard gets to 25 and has arthritis you cannot possibly call the vet every time they look uncomfortable unless you are extremely wealthy which I am not. I have waited nearly 2 weeks for the vet because I was confident that my pony was not in any danger and was not in distress. She was happy to stride out up the field and objected to being confined to her stable. She has been seen by the farrier three times in the past 2 weeks and he confirmed that she was ok to go out. I joined this forum in the hopes of a little empathy and advice, I now wish I hadn't bothered.

 

[teddyt]

I have a 25yr old pony who is very lame and uncomfortable at the moment. The only way to describe her posture is that her front legs looks too long. She is having great difficulty turning and almost looks laminitic but I am pretty certain that she isn't. Any ideas?

Your words, which people responded to. Now you say you dont think shes in a lot of pain. Well sorry if its not sympathetic enough for you and regardless of your bank balance, if any pony of mine was very lame and having great difficulty turning then i would get the vet. The pony needs pain relief and a veterinary examination!

I joined this forum in the hopes of a little empathy and advice, I now wish I hadn't bothered.

You were given advice. It obviously wasnt what you wanted to hear though. You cant blame others for that im afraid.

 

[welshstar]

Hi,
Just thought I would add that even with careful management etc, your pony may be showing early signs of cushings. She is certainly in the right age for it and if she has had lami before, it is often the first sign. They don't always show the long coat as the first sign so it may be worth getting bloods done.

 

[joeanne]

I find your attitude quite shocking to be honest. IF you keep a horse that is prone to lami/arthritus/any other ailment, you are duty BOUND to call the vet, ANY time the pony needs to see one. Whether you can afford it or not, in fact you have that duty to any horse or pony in your care.
You are not a vet and therefore cannot possibly be sure her lameness and leaning back on her heels (that long legged look.....classic giveaway for lami) are not lami, or indeed something completely different.
None of us who have commented are vets, but the advice is still the same....you need to get the vet out, as he/she is the ONLY person qualified to judge whats causing your pony's lameness.

 

[Stinkbomb]

I have a 25yr old pony who is very lame and uncomfortable at the moment. The only way to describe her posture is that her front legs looks too long. She is having great difficulty turning and almost looks laminitic but I am pretty certain that she isn't. Any ideas?

Sounds like Navicular. my old pony had it with exactly the same symptoms. When he turned he pottered rather than stode out. He always stood with one leg out pointing his toe.

 

[Hanz]

I would aggree with Stinkbomb, if you're certain it's not Lami, sounds like Navicular.
Please keep us posted

 

[Chantilly Lace]

Thank you Hanz and Stinkbomb, Holly has now been seen by a vet and they have confirmed that she does not have any signs of lami and is in fantastic condition for 25. The vet feels that the problem is probably in her fetlock as there are no clinical signs of problems in her feet (heat, raised pulses etc.) She is on Danilon for a week and being kept on a small area by herself so that she will rest rather than play and the vet will be back on Wednesday. I have recently registered with an equine veterinary clinic as I had lost faith in my other vet so hopefully, despite the delay, I have placed her in the best hands in the area. The vet who came out was also confident that Holly was in good spirits, great condition and was probably just beginning to feel her age. She may be a candidate for long term bute and light exercise, not sure how I feel about that one...

 

[brighteyes]

Well, that's a relief! I'm afraid the symptoms you described would ring the laminitis alarm bells in those whose lives have been blighted by this dreadful affliction.

That you were chilled about getting the vet didn't help at all, and no mention of you initiating the 'laminitis emergency procedures', just in case (as they would certainly do no harm) just sends everyone into a panic.

I can see both sides.

She may be a candidate for long term bute and light exercise, not sure how I feel about that one...

Suck it and see. It's all you can do!

 

[Chantilly Lace]

The pony had pain relief while waiting for the vet who has since confirmed what I already knew - she does not have laminitis! Most probably wear and tear in her fetlock joint, stiffness rather than pain. I'm sorry if you and some other people think that I put finances before horse welfare but I can assure you that is not the case. I have owned and loved this pony for over 20 years and spent thousands on vets fees for intermittent lameness over the past 10. My vets have written her off several times only for her to come sound again. Therefore this time around I decided to take time to research and register with a specialist equine clinic so that I can be a little more confident of their diagnosis.

 

[Stinkbomb]

She may be a candidate for long term bute and light exercise, not sure how I feel about that one...

To be honest at the age of 25 i wouldnt worry about it. Hope that doesnt sound horrible!! but if it gives her a few more years pain free id go for it. By the time the bute started to have any affect on her liver she'd be a grand old age anyway!

 

[Chantilly Lace]

Just a quick update on Holly, after a week of Danilon and rest and having shoes removed she is now standing square, striding out and showing little sign of any lameness. She is having her feet trimmed very short on friday under instruction from the vet to relieve any stress on her ligaments etc and hopfully this will set her straight. If not we will go down the xray route to ensure that working her on bute will not cause any damage. Thanks for your support and advice and sorry if it was not all appreciated at the time.

 

[brighteyes]

At least it has given hope to those in a similar place that it doesn't have to be laminitis/doom and gloom and the end of the road.

I think good advice to all laminitis-sounding symptoms is to treat as if it is the correct diagnosis, as I can't think of any harm it will do short term, and it might make all the difference in the world if it is!

Thanks for the update and I'm so glad she's better!

 

[Rudey]

I'm no expert on these matters but my friends horse years ago had very similar symptoms. We all thought it was laminitis and was treating her as a laminitic. As a week or so had gone by and she wasn't improving, my friend called a vet out. The mare was taken to the vets and had an xray. It turned out she wasn't a laminitic, the vet said she had coffins disease which is arthritis of the coffin joint. I think you will need the vet to examine your horse to get any answers. Good luck xx

 

[Brandy]

I can see both sides of this arguement - obviously people thought it sounded like the dreaded Lami. I thought it sounded rather like my old horse - sticking the front foot out indicates a problem in that foot or leg. Its happens reasonably frequently with my horse - normally after a gallop around the field (turned out not ridden!) on hard ground.

Laminitus is a dreadful condition and people often have little knowledge of it - however if you do have experience then you can most often tell if your horse or pony is suffereing with it again.

Long term bute - I was told my my (honest) vet that I needn't worry about the bute use being long term. If horse was 9 then maybe but at 29, long term 'doesn't really come into it....' Thanks for the honesty lovely vet!

Glad yours is feeling better and long may it continue.

 

[Chantilly Lace]

You'll all be pleased to hear that my pony is now sound and back to turning on a sixpence. I haven't tried riding her yet but its good to see her looking like a youngster again. I'm hoping this will be the end of my worries for a little while and we can get back to our leisurely hacks round the countryside with or without the bute! Thanks again for your support and fingers crossed we will all escape the dreaded lami this year