Jaffa
Well-Known Member
My horse has been presenting intermittent lameness since March.
His history is as follows - winter shoes off and is turned away, come the spring he has been tried a few times (light heartedly) to see if he will cope without shoes, we tried fronts only for a little while but it showed he needed hinds as well, he was never lame during this period only short striding and from having a good look (he has white feet) that we could see he was bruised ever so slightly so farrier put shoes on. Farrier before hand had always commented on him having good feet and he would expect him to cope fine on grassy tracks, which the horse did.
Since March something happened, I tried an EP (couldn't come more highly recommended!) and unfortunately after they trimmed the horse he was lame. I thought he looked short striding before the appointment but his rider said he felt fine out and about and was eager to go on into trot even on gravel tracks when in the past he would have seeked softer surfaces. Anyway after the EP was out, even they mentioned about an area where the horse was showing sore and how they hadn't taken much off in that area if any at all (on the horses sole).
Horse was box rested for three days with bute - came sound. I also asked the farrier to put shoes on him, he came and even looked at me with raised eyebrows and said he looked as though he as trimmed incredibly short, within a week he was lame again. So time for the vet as the farrier couldn't find anything. She pulled the shoe off and thought there might have been an abscess brewing in the same area the EP found he was sore so he was box rested again and poulticed for 10 days. Nothing. Farrier put the shoe back on, and he came sound(ish) again, the only symptoms were short striding and even the vet struggled to see it and said she would barely put him at 1/10th lame. But to give him time and see how he was. He had 2 weeks off out in the field with shoes - sound as a pound.
Rider had a change in circumstances so he had his shoes off, horse was a paddock ornament during this time then until 4 weeks ago. I will hold my hand up at this point and say I let his appointments too long for trims following his shoes off as his feet were tatty. I long reined him around the school and he looked fine, until I put him on a 20m circle at a trot he tripped a lot and I noticed an ever so slight head nod, put it down to his tatty feet and had the farrier retrim him. Out in the field I have seem him trot around and be silly with the other horses and he was sound.
4 weeks on (still sound in the field), my horse comes in to the yard and the first time he has set foot on cement / hard standing. After 6 strides he 'skips' and I think 'Oh **** not again' and trot him up, now we have a definite head nod as he shows which leg he is sore on (same as before). So vet comes out again within 24 hours, she looks and says 'Yes defintely can see it now but interestingly he was fine on it until you turned him to trot him back to me and then he got sore.' She hoof tested him again and his reaction was to rear up snatch his leg away and then refuse to give it back. In fact he struck out several times when she tried to get it back again :blush: He is an opinionated arse at times but is generally good, and I understand his unwillingness as he's sore and we want to poke about with it !
Given how long this has gone on for now, vet wants to do a nerve block on him / x ray him and ideally have him attend their hospital to get to the bottom of it, she has said if the xray doesn't show anything then they can ultra sound him as they'll have everything there. He isn't insured, he's 16 but I want to do my best for him - but I'm not made of money sadly. Throw into this mix the fact my farrier has retired and now I have had to get another one out, his reaction last week when he first saw him was 'I'll put shoes on him and he'll come good - you'll see.' Vet has asked for him not to have the shoes on as he'll only have them removed when he goes to the hospital (why the **** did I sell the trailer only 2 months ago?!!), farrier is insistent that he needs them on now. I disagree as my horse IS sound out in the field and last time when he was shod he was still sore anyway !
Do I sent him for the lameness work up ? Or just have a mobile visit again for x-rays ? Should I turn him away for longer to see if he comes good on his own ? (Bit reluctant to do that as he is now worse when he is on hard standing than before) What the hell could be causing this ?
Any help or advice would be welcomed !
His history is as follows - winter shoes off and is turned away, come the spring he has been tried a few times (light heartedly) to see if he will cope without shoes, we tried fronts only for a little while but it showed he needed hinds as well, he was never lame during this period only short striding and from having a good look (he has white feet) that we could see he was bruised ever so slightly so farrier put shoes on. Farrier before hand had always commented on him having good feet and he would expect him to cope fine on grassy tracks, which the horse did.
Since March something happened, I tried an EP (couldn't come more highly recommended!) and unfortunately after they trimmed the horse he was lame. I thought he looked short striding before the appointment but his rider said he felt fine out and about and was eager to go on into trot even on gravel tracks when in the past he would have seeked softer surfaces. Anyway after the EP was out, even they mentioned about an area where the horse was showing sore and how they hadn't taken much off in that area if any at all (on the horses sole).
Horse was box rested for three days with bute - came sound. I also asked the farrier to put shoes on him, he came and even looked at me with raised eyebrows and said he looked as though he as trimmed incredibly short, within a week he was lame again. So time for the vet as the farrier couldn't find anything. She pulled the shoe off and thought there might have been an abscess brewing in the same area the EP found he was sore so he was box rested again and poulticed for 10 days. Nothing. Farrier put the shoe back on, and he came sound(ish) again, the only symptoms were short striding and even the vet struggled to see it and said she would barely put him at 1/10th lame. But to give him time and see how he was. He had 2 weeks off out in the field with shoes - sound as a pound.
Rider had a change in circumstances so he had his shoes off, horse was a paddock ornament during this time then until 4 weeks ago. I will hold my hand up at this point and say I let his appointments too long for trims following his shoes off as his feet were tatty. I long reined him around the school and he looked fine, until I put him on a 20m circle at a trot he tripped a lot and I noticed an ever so slight head nod, put it down to his tatty feet and had the farrier retrim him. Out in the field I have seem him trot around and be silly with the other horses and he was sound.
4 weeks on (still sound in the field), my horse comes in to the yard and the first time he has set foot on cement / hard standing. After 6 strides he 'skips' and I think 'Oh **** not again' and trot him up, now we have a definite head nod as he shows which leg he is sore on (same as before). So vet comes out again within 24 hours, she looks and says 'Yes defintely can see it now but interestingly he was fine on it until you turned him to trot him back to me and then he got sore.' She hoof tested him again and his reaction was to rear up snatch his leg away and then refuse to give it back. In fact he struck out several times when she tried to get it back again :blush: He is an opinionated arse at times but is generally good, and I understand his unwillingness as he's sore and we want to poke about with it !
Given how long this has gone on for now, vet wants to do a nerve block on him / x ray him and ideally have him attend their hospital to get to the bottom of it, she has said if the xray doesn't show anything then they can ultra sound him as they'll have everything there. He isn't insured, he's 16 but I want to do my best for him - but I'm not made of money sadly. Throw into this mix the fact my farrier has retired and now I have had to get another one out, his reaction last week when he first saw him was 'I'll put shoes on him and he'll come good - you'll see.' Vet has asked for him not to have the shoes on as he'll only have them removed when he goes to the hospital (why the **** did I sell the trailer only 2 months ago?!!), farrier is insistent that he needs them on now. I disagree as my horse IS sound out in the field and last time when he was shod he was still sore anyway !
Do I sent him for the lameness work up ? Or just have a mobile visit again for x-rays ? Should I turn him away for longer to see if he comes good on his own ? (Bit reluctant to do that as he is now worse when he is on hard standing than before) What the hell could be causing this ?
Any help or advice would be welcomed !
