Need some help :( reg. lameness

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251libby

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She's just not right again and I'm wondering whether it's time to get the vet involved, or wait a couple of weeks.

She went a bit lame the day after quite an intense jumping lesson, and I put it down to her musscles aching and gave her a week off work but still getting turned out.
I trotted her up after the week and she looked 100%, and got on her and she felt up for it and her usual self.
I've been riding for about 1.5 weeks and no problems at all haven't been doing anything gruelling. Got into the school last night and she just wasn't herself, leniant to go fowards. So I asked an experienced person who was giving a lesson in the same school just to look at her whilst I had a trot round - at first she said she looked fine but a little stiff and then after watching us for a few minutes she said she didn't look right behind. I walked her round for a minute on a loose rein the took her back to the stable and got a friend to trot her up. She just looks a tiny weeny bit lame on her right hind, I dont think you would see it unless you were really looking for it.

Now I'm unsure of what to do as I am leniant to box rest her as she has RAO.
Do I wait and see how she is?
Do I wait and get my farrier to have a look when she's next up (2 weeks)?
Do I wait a week then get the vet up?
Or get the vet up right away?

I've been lucky and never had this before so really unsure what to do for the best
confused.gif



Any help or experiences please post
 
if you don't want to box rest her (what is RAO?) i'd turn her out in a small area where she's unlikely to do herself any further damage.
rest is probably the best thing, then gentle slow exercise for a while (walking only for at least a week or two, then gradually introduce a little trotting if she feels fine.)
i would never expect a horse to be lame after jumping, stiffness wears off and is even on all legs (unless there's an underlying problem, which i suspect.)
what surface is the school? if it's sand and a little deep, it will be hard work for her and show up a problem very quickly.
 
It was only a bit lame more stiff than lame and just blamed it on muscles aching.
RAO is new name for COPD. I could box rest her but her breathing is fantastic atm with being out all day and in at night, I wouldn't want to change that. Unfortunatly there's no small area that I can turn her out in, she doesn't really mess around in the field and her field mates are all quite relaxed.
And as I said the lameness really is very slight but since it has reoccured I'm worried it's something more serious. ?
 
I'd get vet for peace of mind. Don't want to be a doom monger but my boy went through little bouts on and off, but would be ok again after a day or two so I put it down to him having sensitive soles and having stood on a stone or something. Three months ago he went quite severly lame after a jumping lesson and still isn't sound. He's been diagnosed with navicular, very mild (borderline that it's there at all) according to his x-rays but it seems to be affecting him more than it should. It's always best to nip these things in the bud a small bill now could save a big one and a lot of heartache later.
 
I'd get the farrier first asap to check the feet, after all sometimes they can pick things up better than the vets if its anything to do with the foot or the shoe, so you can rule that out, because 9/10 any good vet will ask if the farrier has checked or removed the shoe, if you think it is something to do with the foot, again sometimes its a foot problem that triggers something else, so easier and less expensive to work your way up the legs.

Then I'd get the vet, if the horse is sound sometimes and other days not quite 100% right but obviously not hopping lame or in a lot of pain, I'd work the horse the day before or that morning to ensure the vet can see clearly what the horse is doing and why, so you can describe exactly exercise the horse has done prior to the examination, so your horse need to lame when the vet comes.

If the vet doesn't find anything too obvious then I'd have the back person out and chuck him out in the field for a long rest, may of just jarred something or pulled a muscle.
 
the shear fact that you are writing this confirms to me that you are concerned, and what better way to relieve the worry, than to get your vet to have a quick look over her. if the vet says its nothing, then you have peace of mind. if the vet finds something, at least you have a reason for her lameness and you will know where to go from here. the last thing you want to do is leave your with a niggling injury that could get worse or might just carry on being i niggle, but whatever it is, would you want your mare to be uncomfortable. little niggles can cause a horse to change a lot if left for a long time as eventually she will resent being asked to work in pain. do you horse the favour she deserves and just get her checked over.
 
I would never leave my horse in pain!
My question was should I get the vet now or wait a couple of weeks? FYI I am not asking her to work in pain, she come sound from the 1st instance, was in LIGHT work for a week and a half and when I got on her last night she didn't feel quite right, I rode for aprox 5 mins last night and got off as soon as I thought she might not be 100%. I am absolutly anal about my horses health so it really hurts that someone would say "do your horse the favour she deserves"!!! WTF

Thanks everybody for your input.
Annagain - thats what I'm terrified of
frown.gif

Kenzo - I'm going to follow your advice and get the farrier to come up and have a look as soon as she can and if she doesn't find anything I'll get the vet right away, thanks so much for advice.
 
i think you miss understood my meaning. i was not being horrible to you in anyway. i can see from the way you write that you really do care for your horse. but if your mare is intermitently lame, then your horse IS intermitently in pain. why waste money on the farrier, then the vet, when the one visit from the vet could do the job, as they can test the hoof also. i was simply trying to say that i can see that you are clearly concerned, and wouldn't a visit from the vet put your mind at rest. sorry if you took offence by my comment, it was not meant to offend. a lame horse, all be it only slightly, is i pained horse.
 
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