Possible Lameness *Video* opinions please!

Hoof_Prints

Hoof_Prints

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Hi, just wanting some opinions on my Connemara pony. I bought her fully shod and she was completely sound, easily tracked up and moved evenly with impulsion. I had all shoes removed and kept her this way for a couple of months, she always seemed fine but after doing more roadwork she landed a bit short on her hinds and her fronts were breaking up slightly so I had fronts on but my farrier said she looked tender still behind and to see how it goes. My vet trotted her up and said she landed very short behind and looked stiff, she was more specific but I would like to see what people think before I mention it (It's only something small). The vet did flexions and she showed nothing up, just landed short. Called farrier out and he agreed she looked tender behind and landed short so hinds went on too. She then started tracking up better and moving more willingly. I have added a video of her taken a couple of days ago, sorry it's not the best video but Bronte was a tad grumpy as she'd been in all day and wanted to go out! Would you say she looks sound?

ETA- she is being trotted on a concreted track, grass had grown over a bit in places but it's a hard surface

Many Thanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq6oBvSc7U4&feature=youtu.be
 
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When did hinds go on? I am thinking she might have made her muscles a bit sore/stiff if she's been feeling her feet and would benefit from some physio.
 
I don't think she looks unsound but there's definitely something not quite right with her backend - her off-fore looks stiff. She's gorgeous, BTW.
 
Thanks SpringArising, she is the loveliest little mare.

My vet said she thought she was 1/10 lame on and off on her right hind and left fore but she was unsure and couldn't say why as the flexions were fine so assumed it was her back feet just making her a tad unlevel. My farrier said she now looks sound and moves well but the more opinions you get, the better! She was not tracking up at all before shoes on the hard surface, so it's a huge improvement, but I agree her muscles are probably still sore if you think she looks not quite right. She looks OK to me but you forget what you are looking at when you see them every day!
 
My eye kept going to her off hind. Just looks stiff through the fetlock. If it were me, I'd carry on (unless it got worse) with gentle hacking, to see if she can trust her feet not to be sore, and then I'm sure she'll be fine.
 
Hoof_Prints said:
Thanks SpringArising, she is the loveliest little mare.

My vet said she thought she was 1/10 lame on and off on her right hind and left fore but she was unsure and couldn't say why as the flexions were fine so assumed it was her back feet just making her a tad unlevel. My farrier said she now looks sound and moves well but the more opinions you get, the better! She was not tracking up at all before shoes on the hard surface, so it's a huge improvement, but I agree her muscles are probably still sore if you think she looks not quite right. She looks OK to me but you forget what you are looking at when you see them every day!
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ETA - I made a typo on my original post. I meant to write off-hind, not off-fore! Her fore is absolutely fine. There were a few moments when the hind didn't really flex like it should have done & there was a few odd movements she made with it at around the half-way mark.
 
Thanks for the replies, really helpful. She showed no lameness on flexion so would you say it is just her being cautious of her feet or possibly something else? The odd movement at the half way mark may have been the girl pulling her head up as she kept going to eat the grass and jerking her movement (if that's what you mean) she was being unusually grumpy that day and wanted to eat! I will take a video of her directly from behind today if I can but the vet said there was no hike on her hips.
 
If nothing on flexion and vet thinking 1/10 I really would get the physio and go from there.

Frank became very very tight when he transitioned, and now he has an underlying prob arthritis in hock/stifle. I videoed him last year and sent it to the vets where it was agreed he looked lame- we had physio before they came just to remove any muscular issues and he was pretty darn sound for his age then!
 
She's lame right hind; physio can make the horse comfortable but will not remove the underlying pathology.
 
I am hoping it's just muscular, I would imagine it would show up quite dramatically on flexion if it was anything else? I just don't want her to be uncomfortable , but equally the vet and farrier seem to think it is minor and just from being a bit footsore; so going down the route of expensive investigations is best avoided if possible! I know she will never be a big moving, floaty warmblood, she will always have pony legs- just want her sound !
 
I would say clear lameness off hind. Personally I would want further tests because hind limb lameness is usually harder to detect, yet I would say that is really obvious to spot.
 
Moomin1 said:
I would say clear lameness off hind. Personally I would want further tests because hind limb lameness is usually harder to detect, yet I would say that is really obvious to spot.
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Hope you don't mind me asking, why would you say it is really obvious? My vet and farrier didn't seem to think so, and I struggle to see it. Not questioning your judgement, just wondering.
 
i think she looks wrong in off hind but the video is not really helpful it needs to be done from directly behind her, you do not get a true picture from the side from behind it will be clearer if she is dropping or not, it may be muscular if the vet thinks she is slightly off on the diagonal pair and a physio session may well fix it if caused by her being sore from having no shoes and her becoming tense, the underlying cause having been removed by her now wearing shoes.
1/10th lame is usually "really obvious" to someone that is looking hard enough, lameness behind is not so easy to spot as it can be exacerbated by tension, it does tend to show if you are directly behind or have them on a circle to see how level the movement is.
 
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Hoof_Prints said:
Hope you don't mind me asking, why would you say it is really obvious? My vet and farrier didn't seem to think so, and I struggle to see it. Not questioning your judgement, just wondering.
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I only say it because it was instantly apparent to me when I watched the vid, and I usually struggle to spot hind limb lameness without looking very hard for a long time. But I would go with what the vet says as they are the qualified one :).
 
I decided to watch the video and form my own view before reading what others said as I sometimes find other responses influence your views. My initial reaction (which I stand by) is that she is definitely moving her right hind oddly. It looks to me as though she is swinging it out as she moves it forward. But whatever it is, I am not convinced it is foot based. I too would try a physio.
 
Had vet out today and she did flexions, all manner of tests and declared her sound so that's good news! I can only assume she was a bit sore in the video after compensating through her muscles and has since come sound. Thanks everyone for looking, very informative replies, always learning!
 
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