Pictures Palomino has hurt herself

LadyGascoyne

LadyGascoyne

Still Fig-uring it out...
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Got to the stables tonight and she’s dragging her left hind 😭

It seem to be high up- right from stifle or possibly sacroiliac because I’d be tempted to say she looks wrong behind on both.

She’s totally weight-bearing, and almost sound in a forward walk but lame moving off and sore turning. I’d say worse uphill than downhill but ok on the flat.

No lumps, bumps, marks or indications of collision but unhappy if you press around her flank/quarter.

Not colicky, eating happily and passing droppings.

I suspect she’s come to a skidding halt from a gallop, turned too fast or bucked stupidly. But being completely neurotic, I’ve done the “what if it’s laminitis even if it’s nowhere near the fronts” thing and taken her off grass and put her on a deep bed.

Now I’m regretting that from a stiffness perspective!

If I don’t see an improvement tomorrow I’ll call the vet. I know in my head; three-year-olds running around fields can pull things and tweak things and I need to calm down and only look at the horse in front of me- she’s not a sick horse, she’s not crippled and she’s not unhappy- but every horror story just flashes before your eyes, doesn’t it 😭

Drag:

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In the sick bay, hubby being supportive:

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Hopefully just a tweak!

I've just had this with The Beast this week so I know how you're feeling. She's got much better with rest so I'm no longer contemplating all the horrible scenarios! But it's not a fun time.

Hope your pretty girl is better soon.
 
my loan horse came in lame one day and i thought it was high up as she was walking so oddly, it was an abscess , so dont rule out the foot as i had never seen a horse move like she did with a problem in the foot.
 
Thanks everyone. She’s the most special creature, I hate to see her uncomfortable.

I’ve just used a gin glass for my wine so there’s that.

Husband says she looks stiff but I just worry so much when when they look wrong like that. We will see tomorrow.
 
She looks a bit better this morning and is now only showing she’s sore if you press around the stifle itself. Moving deliberately through the hind but not dragging a toe.

She was lying down when I got there- not unusual for her- but had no trouble getting up.

She’s still lame so I’ve kept her in the stable with some licks and a ton hay.

My feeling is to rest it today and reassess this afternoon. Does that sound reasonable? Trying to strike the delicate balance between cautious and neurotic.

Will post this in the vet forum too.
 
Copied my answer from your vet thread.

I think if she has tweaked the stifle that there isn't a huge amount to be gained by very early intervention. If it had been locking stifles I would have expected you to have seen or felt it before now - has she ever had any trouble picking the foot up when asked to? I wouldn't expect soreness around the joint either, locking stifles isn't an injury, it's a ligament that's too long.

Because she is weight bearing and happy to have the other leg picked up, then If she was mine I would have her turned out to stop it stiffening up, and wait a day or two to see if it improves. I had one who was similarly built who twisted badly fighting not to load one day whose injury sounds very similar. She was unsound in the field for a while but came right as rain after about a month.

Fingers crossed, she's such a lovely little mare.
 
I was thinking slipped stifle as well. Ive only seen it once but young horses are susceptible. My friends 2yr old did it in the field, she was trotting along and all of a sudden stopped as if shed been shot, completely lame behind and dropping on one side. I called my friend in an absolute panic, convinced the mare had broken a leg, 5 minutes later she was almost back to normal, a bit stiff and sore but just a bit lame rather than completely crippled. she did it once more that we know of but is now 9 and has no issues at all.
 
PS I see I've mistaken the term slipping stifle for a suggestion of locking stifles, so you can probably ignore that bit :)
 
To be honest I would get the vet to check. I know its all extra money but depending on what it is it might need rest or excercise.
None of us can see it and are not vets and can only advise on past experience. A vet will hopefully put your mind at rest. Good luck and I hope it's nothing seriously wrong.
 
Sandstone1 said:
To be honest I would get the vet to check. I know its all extra money but depending on what it is it might need rest or excercise.
None of us can see it and are not vets and can only advise on past experience. A vet will hopefully put your mind at rest. Good luck and I hope it's nothing seriously wrong.
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Agree with this I wouldn’t be taking any chances with a youngster as any injury could affect her ongoing development.
 
I’m not worried about the cost of a vet, and she is insured for every possible eventuality, but I suspect a vet will say rest, anti-inflammatories and reassess once trauma has settled. It’s what would probably say if it was someone else’s horse but it’s just harder to do when it’s yours.

I think if it isn’t right in a few days then it might be best to send her in for scans etc but right now they’d probably struggle with the stifle if there was swelling and bruising.

She’s not struggling to use it or reluctant to move- quite the opposite this morning, she’s bouncing- she’s just not moving correctly. She’s worse after bouncing too, it gets more sore.

If it’s not moving in the right direction tonight, I’ll call the vet to look at it. I’ll probably ask her to some and see her on Friday or next week regardless, just as a precaution and in case a few days don’t help.
 
LadyGascoyne said:
I’m not worried about the cost of a vet, and she is insured for every possible eventuality, but I suspect a vet will say rest, anti-inflammatories and reassess once trauma has settled. It’s what would probably say if it was someone else’s horse but it’s just harder to do when it’s yours.

I think if it isn’t right in a few days then it might be best to send her in for scans etc but right now they’d probably struggle with the stifle if there was swelling and bruising.

She’s not struggling to use it or reluctant to move- quite the opposite this morning, she’s bouncing- she’s just not moving correctly. She’s worse after bouncing too, it gets more sore.

If it’s not moving in the right direction tonight, I’ll call the vet to look at it. I’ll probably ask her to some and see her on Friday or next week regardless, just as a precaution and in case a few days don’t help.
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That is sensible but IF it is a slipping stifle box rest is the worst thing for it. I was advised turn out and lots of walking especially hills.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
Edited to add that first photo looks exactly like mine. Dragging the toe.
 
I would get the vet Especially with a youngster who knows what is the best treatment box rest restricting movement or out allowing gentle movement.I had a 2/3year old present the same and it was slipping stifle sometimes it locked for a strde stabling was a no no!
He grew out of it anti inflammatory and gentle uphill walking as little time in a stable as I could but I would take no chances with lameness in a youngster that could affect growth and future working life particularly as insured better safe than sorry in my book.
 
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Unless a horse is lame lame I wouldn't bother getting the vet straight away unless you tell them to come and do the full Monty with scans and X-Rays. They're only going to ask to see it move, flex it, say keep an eye on it and give it a week. Might give you a few sachets of Bute.

If she were mine, I'd turn her out with a quiet companion and see what she's looking like in a week's time. And have a big G&T.
 
My 2 year old occasionally suffers from a locking stifle. His leg gets stuck in a position similar to yours, but once it clicks out he’s stiff for 24 hours on it but fine after that. The first time it happened I called the vet as I honestly thought he’s broken his leg. Apparently it’s very common, more common in those being fed a high protein diet, & while going through growth spurts as ligaments and tendons soften to allow for growth. They do grow out of it apparently. Must be coming up to a year since I last saw it on my boy.
 
Bs_mum said:
My 2 year old occasionally suffers from a locking stifle. His leg gets stuck in a position similar to yours, but once it clicks out he’s stiff for 24 hours on it but fine after that. The first time it happened I called the vet as I honestly thought he’s broken his leg. Apparently it’s very common, more common in those being fed a high protein diet, & while going through growth spurts as ligaments and tendons soften to allow for growth. They do grow out of it apparently. Must be coming up to a year since I last saw it on my boy.
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Yes. That's like mine. My worry is that if it is slipping stifle with the OP s horse she's resting it and I was told that the worst thing for it.
 
Sandstone1 said:
Yes. That's like mine. My worry is that if it is slipping stifle with the OP s horse she's resting it and I was told that the worst thing for it.
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Ah, yes sorry. My youngsters live out. It’s definitely better for the horse to be out and “walking it off” so to speak. If she’s one to hoon around and cause a mischief with her field mates maybe put her in a paddock on her own for a few days
 
Thanks for the comments everyone. She’s looking much better this evening, so I’ve turned her out.

My logic in keeping her in was that, however unlikely, if it was something more sinister- a fracture that hadn’t displaced, a serious ligament tear or an unusual presentation of laminitis- then I’d want her kept as still as possible. If it’s a slipping stifle- which is a definite possibility- then exercise might be best for it but being in isn’t going to put her at immediate risk. If it’s a twist/ sprain/ tweak (probably most likely) it equally won’t cause lasting damage if she’s quiet for a while.

She’s markedly better in the last 24 hours and she has rolled, got up and down, trotted, cantered and bucked. I’m reasonably confident that if she had seriously broken she’d be looking worse not better- especially after bucking and twisting.

I’d say she looks a bit uncoordinated at times, and definitely isn’t right yet but I’ll review again in the morning and call the vet if there isn’t another improvement.
 
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