Strange lameness

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Susie49

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Sure this will have been done to death but would welcome some advice or hearing experiences as tearing my hair out !
Bought a new horse last May , he went lame within a few weeks , vet investigated but it took some doing as not always that lame, nerve blocked to show in hoof , X-Rays clean. He went sound before they got to bottom of it ...until now .. He has started with going lame again ..after first incident called vet back out next day as coming to end of insurance for that foot! ... By then he was fine ..just ever so slightly off on tight circle after lots of lunging ! Day later fine again...3 weeks later .. Took out today went hopping lame ... Feet clear ... few strides later it's hard to see...
I just can't figure it and vet seems equally bemused ...he was vetted before I bought him , he is slightly toe in on one foot and he has a lump which wasn't mentioned on vetting (is in same sort of area as ringbone ) but X Ray's show nothing untoward ... It seems to happen when ŵe have been walking on soft ground and when he has been too busy looking round than concentrating on where his feet are .. I had moved and changed farrier and his feet were starting to look more twisted so I have moved to another farrier ... At a loss as I know if I get vet out he will be sound ... Could push for Mri but bet insurance will baulk at paying if not actually lame when ordered as I am already planning to move companies due to extortionate hike in price ! Anyone had similar experiences or advice to offer?
 
I think you're probably looking at the MRI/soft tissue scanners.

By my amazing powers of deduction ;) (and yours and your vet), you've checked out the lower leg and not found the problem there, so it's got to be higher up.

My only concern would be... the higher up, the more likely it is to be a "big" and potentially untreatable problem. I do hope you can get to the bottom of it.
 
Years ago I sold a young horse who later presented with acute lameness in the foot that didn't show anything on xray, They were about to PTS when somehow they found a splinter of wood in the inside of his foot - non metallic, wouldn't show on xray. Not sure whether its relevant except to say don't totally rely on x rays
 
What a nightmare for you - intermittent lameness is worse than something obvious.

If you've definitely identified it as being one foot, could your farrier have any ideas? Could it be a well-disguised access? Sounds harsh, but if you know work on soft ground makes him lame, could you (discuss with vet first) work him in those conditions just before or during a vet visit?
 
If you could take some photos of his feet and post them I think you may get good advice from some people on here, it may well be an imbalance relating to the pigeon toe and farriers trying to correct it and photos would be very useful to show how they look.
 
LJR said:
Do you have enough money left on the insurance to have a MRI?
Click to expand...

There should be enough money as I only claimed £600 but it's time I don't have . My insurance runs out in 18th April, I was planning to move as its gone up by 130 .. I can leave it with them but claim time runs out on 2nd may ... So I'd have to get him to Newmarket by then as this nearest Mri and I am away for 10 days of it ... But I also think insurance will be a pain and delay authorisation , I sent a bill through 2 weeks ago for last visit and they are debating paying ....
 
Susie49 said:
There should be enough money as I only claimed £600 but it's time I don't have . My insurance runs out in 18th April, I was planning to move as its gone up by 130 .. I can leave it with them but claim time runs out on 2nd may ... So I'd have to get him to Newmarket by then as this nearest Mri and I am away for 10 days of it ... But I also think insurance will be a pain and delay authorisation , I sent a bill through 2 weeks ago for last visit and they are debating paying ....
Click to expand...

I would ask my Vet to ring the insurance company and get their permission/consent for the MRI - I have done this before - its definitely worth a try.
 
Thoughts.....
Foot balance (complex on a pigeon toe limb) pictures n X-rays would be useful
Niggling ligament issue popped into my head, needs MRI to determine.
Could be higher up, but probability is weighted on foot issues in general.
 
I have taken photos but not sure how to upload ? Funnily enough he is sound today ... And has clearly been galloping round field looking at the state of it ... Been out ...Lots of trotting , walked over fields the wind and rain horrendous so he was leaping and throwing himself all over ... Nothing .. Not even a missed step ... Friend with me suggested as I have ms i can be slightly unbalanced if he pulls me about so that and a combination of new farrier has made it harder for him to keep balanced ? If it was something drastic like ddtt or collateral ligament could he fine to trot for miles one day and just slightly off another ? Very odd
 
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