non pain related hind limb lameness - HELP!

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llewismum

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I have a rising 4 welsh sec D who was backed at the end of last year then turned away over the winter. When I went to the stud to see him he had clean limbs but a day or so after he was delivered I noticed a massive splint on his right hind (he has previously been running on a hill side in wales hence I hadn't really been able to get that close to him to notice before! Anyway he has gone to an event yard with a friend to be brought on and sold. About a week or so into his work he showed lame on the left hind, the vet came out but couldn't find anything wrong with him so suggested box rest and bute and see if there was any improvement. The bute however made no difference (he was having 2 in the morning and 2 at night so a significant amount). He then had a mctimmony lady out to look at his back who did say he was very sore and tight across his bum and possibly this was something. His tack, teeth etc have all been checked. He is in walking work only with no improvement/worsening. Does anyone have any experience of this sort of lameness? Any idea's what it could be? It maybe unrelated but he has always had clicky joints when he moves.
 
Sounds very strange, it might be that the bute just isn't strong enough (you can take as many nurofen as you like but sometimes it just wont shift that migraine!) It may be worth getting the vet to nerve block him and establish exactly where the lameness is located?
 
How long ago was this first noticed LM? If it's been going on some time now with no improvement, your ned may need a proper lameness work up to track down the source of the problem. Are you sure he was sound before as you also say you couldn't get close enough to see him properly. Hope he's ok poor baby x
 
I agree with Ali_m. Horses can never be lame unless there is pain, or their foot is deformed in some way so they look lame. Bridle lameness I believe is a totally different lameness altogether and not true lameness. I believe that the bute might not have been strong enough either. For my 17.1hh WB I give 4 sachets of bute for spasmodic colic. He weighs approx 580-600kKG
 
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I agree with Ali_m. Horses can never be lame unless there is pain,

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Might not be relevant in this case, but I wouldn't always agree with that theory.

My horse has dragged her hind feet, mostly in trot, for the last 8 years that I know of. I've owned her for four years, previous owner the four years prior to that.

I have paid for a full and comprehensive lameness work up, even though she passed a five stage vetting, as I "just wanted to know" why she does it. I wasn't sure if I took her to shows whether a judge would consider her gait as just a genetic abnormality or a lameness....which is what was holding me back from showing (and even after all those tests....it still holds me back lol)

My vet says it's categorically NOT pain related as he can neither make it worse (flexions) or cure it (nerve blocking). There is nothing on scans or xrays that gives rise to why she taps her foot down during the stride. It's a complete mystery, even to the vets.
 
If normal examination is not coming up with a diagnosis I would try thermography. It is brillient at pin pointing the spot of inflamation, the vet can then work out what is the cause of the inflamation and a treatment that will improve things.
 
Hi guys, the vet did come out and do a work up (minus the nerve blocks) and he didn't find anything. He is 15.2hh and not a heavy weight cob, he had the bute for 3 days at that dose and it made zero difference. Although I couldn't get near him in those first few days he was soon fine to handle. He wasn't lame until he started proper work (i.e. trotting and lunging) which was about 3-4 weeks ago. There is a definte roll to his pelvis as he moves and a I not sure about the pain theory because he's still so forward and happy to be ridden, I would have thought he'd of shown some signs of stress or not wanting to move if it really hurt that bad that 4 bute a day made no difference??? The one question mark I have is wobblers, I know it's not that common but it's not pain related and shows as a gait abnormality. My friend had a horse related to him who had it and I guess it has put the question in my mind. I couldn't say for sure if he was 100% sound before because I just turned him away when I saw the splint. I trotted him up before he was backed and he seemed fine but when he was backed he only walked and I didn't lunge him.
 
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