Not sure what to do now...

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Supanova

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Following my post a week or so ago - last Thursday my mare came out of the stable very lame on right hind. She had been in all day so can only assume she had rolled and banged or pulled something. We suspected it was her stifle area and the vet came on Friday and thought the same but didn't think it was anything serious and recommended a week's box rest which she had. Different vet came to check her again on the Friday just gone and said she was only very slightly lame and it could just be stable stiffness so recommended that I walk and trot her for 10 days to see how she goes. I did this on Sat and Sun (she didn't feel great to me but not exactly lame just stiff) and after I'd ridden on Sunday I noticed that she was resting right hind a lot and dragged her toe occasionally when I walked her out of the stable. I am just not sure what to do now. I don't want to keep riding her as obviously I am making her worse so I assume I just need to keep resting her, but I feel that I don't actually know what the injury is!! Should I push my vet to get a more thorough investigation or just give her more box rest and see how it goes? I did think about getting physio out to see if her back and pelvis are ok. Any advice gratefully received.
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Ok so now spoken to vet who agrees I should bring her in to be investigated but I need to aggravate the injury first so that she is a bit more lame as otherwise nerve blocks etc will be difficult to do. It seems rather a strange way to go about it to me......
 
Push the vet for a diagnosis. If you wait until your horse is more lame you could be causing more damage. In my opinion a good vet will be able to investigate providing there is some degree of lameness. When my boy was referred to Liphook he was only 1/10th lame however they managed a full work up just fine. It is also worth noting that you might not realise how lame a horse is until the nerve block is done as sometimes they compensate extremely well thus 'hiding' the degree of lameness.
 
Thanks Marchtime. Totally agree with you and to be honest I have ignored my vet about aggravating the injury as I think it is a stupid thing to do given we don't know what is causing it! As you say it is the vets job to find out what is wrong even if she is just a 1/10th lame!! You are right about her perhaps hiding how lame she is too. I am also not sure how high pain threshold she has because I have not had her that long. I have a feeling that she is quite a tough little mare and wouldn't show pain easily. I am taking her in tomorrow so I'm keeping everything crossed that it is nothing serious. Also having her back checked today which may reveal something.
 
Amy May- Yes the vet which came out first examined her foot and couldn't find anything wrong. I originally thought it was her stifle because she seemed tender when I touched it although now I am beginning to doubt that as I can now get the same reaction from her if I do it on the other leg!!! Its difficult because there hardly seems anything wrong with her now (was very lame on the first day) but I know that she is not quite right!!
 
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