mystery lameness

noblesteed

noblesteed

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Hi all
posting on behalf of my friend! she has a 17 yr old ISH, 16hh. He had a pulled tendon 3 years ago and was treated with physio and has been sound for the past 2 years. He isnt covered for insurance on that leg now!!!!
He recently became a bit stiff and lame on right hind leg, we think he did it when he tripped and nearly fell out hacking. He had the back man to put him right. But now he is showing stiffness on left fore (the same one where he pulled the tendon, so not insured!) He has no heat whatsoever anywhere in the leg or foot and is just showing slight stiffness of gait and discomfort turning left. He is sound in a straight line! He is pointing a little with that leg and keeping weight off it.

Any ideas what it could be? and who to call out first? He has been like this a few weeks now. Our vets normally say the usual, 'nerve blocks x-ray blah blah money money' - as he's not insured on this leg my friend would rather not go through this until absolutely necessary!!!

Thanks guys!
 
You say he's been like it for a few weeks and the vet hasn't been called until its absolutely necessary?..avoiding bearing weight seems pretty necessary - get the vet out!

A lameness work up at my vets is £200 which includes nerve blocks, xrays, sedative if needed etc.

Hope she's not riding til he's sorted! Keep us updated.
 
i would get the vet. My boy was stiff and slightly foot sore got the vet out two weeks ago, no signs of anything part from lameness, improved slightly but was still stiff in the near fore and found it hard to turn on a tight circle. Vet came yesterday and he has laminitis in both front feet. Hes not over weight so i was suprised. But i would certainly get the vet out to make sure
 
Yeah see if he were mine I would have the vet. My old loan horse had 2 years out because I listened to the owner who didn't want the vet. I vowed this would never happen with my boy. However last summer mine went slightly lame. He actually had a bruised sole... the vet diagnosed (wrongly) 'possible laminitis so box rest but bring him in for nerve blocks, x-ray etc etc... might be navicular' Farrier went mad and sorted it all out for me... So u can see why my friend has lost faith in the vet...

Will try to persuade her tho... :(
 
Get the farrier out first then but he sounds like he needs a professional attention now. If he can't weight bare then he's suffering in my opinion.
 
A) Don't ride him. B) Get the vet out for an initial diagnosis. OK it'll cost for the visit, but your friend may not need to go down the nerve blocks, x-rays route. Some vets, like mine, are far more pragmatic, and work upwards from the slight to the serious. But your friend needs that initial diagnosis to rule out laminitis, in particular - and to ge tpain relief for the horse.
 
He can weightbear on the leg, and sound in straight line. Not sound turning towards the bad leg. I was wondering about lami but no heat anywhere or digital pulse. She thinks the pain is in his shoulder. SHe has him on devil's claw and arnica. I offered her bute but she wouldn't give him any! I guess as he isn't mine I shouldn't be worrying about him, but I am!!!! I will try and persuade her to call out the vet.
 
Far be it for me to advise other horse owners but if it is a mild lameness that is not clearing up after a few days rest you really need to try and convince your friend to get the vet. It may be nothing other than a mild strain but for the sake of a visit from the vet for 50 or 60 quid it will put the mind at rest or stop a real bad problem from becoming even worse. I hope the horse is not being ridden whilst lame pushing herbal remedies down its throat is not a good idea unless you know what is causing the persistant lameness.
 
No she isn't riding him!!!! I had a good poke at him today while she is away and couldn't find any heat anywhere. He was trotting round in the field looking sound as anything. Hopefully she will get the vet!
 
Did the back person find anything wrong with the horse? Mine was lame on his front right and not using his hind right well either, he was out in his pelvis on the right hand side and had a very tight right shoulder, he seems much happier since treatment:)
 
Hmmm yes his back was out when the back man came in last month, he put him right but he could easily have put himself back out as there has been a lot of hooning about in the field lately. He is also cold-backed anyway.
Would a vet check the horse's back as a matter of course anyway or just focus on the leg?
 
Well, if they check his leg and can't find anything, I would expect the back to be checked as well, but they might recommend having a back person out.

Hope it's sorted for you soon:)
 
Sounds a bit like a check ligament to me. We had one that showed a pulse in that area within 24 hrs of the injury and then nothing else. They are often sounder on the straight, but lameness likely to show up as they pull up from trotting and on the turn as you describe.

Seems little point in chucking all these supplements at the horse, when you have no idea what is causing the lameness.

With his history, I'd expect most vets to want to scan the tendon to make sure that all is ok in this area.

It is quite common for horses to have problems with the diagonal pair of an injured limb, as this is the leg that takes the strain while the injured one heals. Hence you may often end up with this see-saw effect.

Hope all's well with him soon.
 
Navicular??? Sorry to say it but stumbled out on hack, intermitent lameness, sometimes field sound but more lame on turns, pointing from toe, all sounds like navicular to me, was this mentioned/checked by the vet?? xx
 
Got the farrier coming tomorrow to rule out the foot then vet will be called. Chatted to a few people at RC this week and someone else suggested check ligament, bugger if it is as he's not insured on that leg. Also, his owner says he is prone to navicular so it may be the start of that, with the hard ground, could have brought symptoms on?
Anyway she will see what farrier says tomorrow and go from there. Thanks guys, will let you know what happens.
 
SO the farrier came today and had a dig about in his foot and said it is a bruised sole!!!! As if? The same thing happened to my horse last summer, different farrier as well... So she has been told to tub the foot and then he is putting some heart bar shoes on??? I think thats what she said!!!! So when he has tried those on Tuesday we will know if he is still lame or not.

Will let you all know what happens. Interesting though.
 
noblesteed said:
SO the farrier came today and had a dig about in his foot and said it is a bruised sole!!!! As if? The same thing happened to my horse last summer, different farrier as well... So she has been told to tub the foot and then he is putting some heart bar shoes on??? I think thats what she said!!!! So when he has tried those on Tuesday we will know if he is still lame or not.

Will let you all know what happens. Interesting though.
Click to expand...

Sounds sensible, actually.
 
So horse has heart bar shoe on sore foot and is pretty much sound. We will see how he gets on with more work, she's just walking him out at the moment.
 
noblesteed said:
So horse has heart bar shoe on sore foot and is pretty much sound. We will see how he gets on with more work, she's just walking him out at the moment.
Click to expand...



Well no, he's not sound is he. He is in fact lame with heart bar shoes on so he cannot feel his foot. Therefore, he is now not looking after his own foot, and your friend still has no idea whats up. Prone to navicular?

Complete circus, this sounds.
 
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