Poor pony suddenly went very lame out hacking :(

charleysummer

charleysummer

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poor Summer doesn't have much luck with her legs.. Tuesday I schooled her for 20 minutes as was in a rush and she moved beautifully, dropped in a nice frame and not showing any signs of pain. Yesterday my friend came to ride, she's quite inexperienced and I didn't really want her to school her because of this so I put her on the lunge and watched her go round for 15 minutes walking and trotting in the sand school, still looking totally sound; after this we went out on a short and steady hack, trotted down a short stretch of grass- apparently she still felt fine, then went for a very short canter down some grass and then another trot where my friend commented how she 'feels like she keeps going down holes' I looked behind, by which time we were already in walk and couldn't see any holes so just thought nothing of it.

Summer then refused to go forwards- she can be like this with inexperienced riders so I said I'd get on her so she couldn't mess around. I got on her and she moved straight away but something was very wrong- I nudged her in to trot and she was very lame on her hind leg :( I got off and trotted her up and her left hind was very lame. We led her back to the stables and cold hosed for half an hour then walked her up and down a bit. She was walking very strange, trying to land on her toe then locking the foot back very sharply- she would put weight on it standing still at times but usually resting it, and in trot just very very lame. There is a strange swelling around the front just below the fetlock joint and big squishy windgall swellings. She is now stabled.

Any ideas? She's had simliar before with her other hind leg and was sound after 3 weeks out in the field resting, but I couldn't put her out looking at the awkward 'snapping back' in walk.
 
Sounds very similar to my mare. She has swollen hind fetlock with most of the swelling on the inside near the front. She was scanned yesterday and she has a lesion on the tendon sheath right next to the angular ligament. It is going to take box rest and more than likely, she will need keyhole surgery. They are rescanning in two weeks time. She is 5/10 hame in trot but in walk, only lame for first few strides.
I would definitely call out the vet asap and keep our horse in!
 
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Sounds like it could be a tendon injury to me, happened to mine a month ago - still awaiting firm diagnosis with scans etc.

Is she insured for vets fees?

I would get yourself a support bandage (the type used for humans) roll that over the leg and then put ice in it. Easier than cold hosing ime as you can muck out the stable whilst the pony is being iced :)
 
charleysummer said:
poor Summer doesn't have much luck with her legs.. Tuesday I schooled her for 20 minutes as was in a rush and she moved beautifully, dropped in a nice frame and not showing any signs of pain. Yesterday my friend came to ride, she's quite inexperienced and I didn't really want her to school her because of this so I put her on the lunge and watched her go round for 15 minutes walking and trotting in the sand school, still looking totally sound; after this we went out on a short and steady hack, trotted down a short stretch of grass- apparently she still felt fine, then went for a very short canter down some grass and then another trot where my friend commented how she 'feels like she keeps going down holes' I looked behind, by which time we were already in walk and couldn't see any holes so just thought nothing of it.

Summer then refused to go forwards- she can be like this with inexperienced riders so I said I'd get on her so she couldn't mess around. I got on her and she moved straight away but something was very wrong- I nudged her in to trot and she was very lame on her hind leg :( I got off and trotted her up and her left hind was very lame. We led her back to the stables and cold hosed for half an hour then walked her up and down a bit. She was walking very strange, trying to land on her toe then locking the foot back very sharply- she would put weight on it standing still at times but usually resting it, and in trot just very very lame. There is a strange swelling around the front just below the fetlock joint and big squishy windgall swellings. She is now stabled.

Any ideas? She's had simliar before with her other hind leg and was sound after 3 weeks out in the field resting, but I couldn't put her out looking at the awkward 'snapping back' in walk.
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we had a livery pony / well horse like that here grey mare called summer
 
Thankyou very much for the replies, She was kept in but started box walking due to being fed up so I've put her out in a small paddock where she is moving around a lot less, she is about 4/10 lame now, which is good considering I'd have said she was 7/10 yesterday. Have been cold hosing for half an hour at a time and buted a little yesterday (she refused to eat some food)but none today

Last time I called the vet out they said to just see how it went over the next couple of days and then come in for a scan if it got worse/no better, so I will do this. Have a feeling it is overstrain from the sand 'fluffing up' a bit deep where she was lunged.
 
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