sudden lameness and no idea why

[CLB]

My girl was out xc schooling and after jumping off drops and ditches fine we jumped a small barrel on very flat ground, two strides later she skipped through her head up and was lame (she didnt touch the jump). After box rest, scans and nerve blocks nothing should up. She has improved but still lame, and the vet feels this improves the more she is worked on a lunge (bad leg on the outside is worse). After 4 weeks i feel i am unclear what im dealing with, i have been told to walk her am and pm with box rest but concerned i am riding an injured horse, albeit in walk. She did the injury 4 weeks ago and a physio, under vet instruction found a little bit of shoulder tenderness, which may have been caused by a lower injury or her shoulder. My gut feel was tendon, but the scan was clear except a 0.4mm swelling which the vet dismissed..any ideas?? thanks

 

[Goldenstar]

When one of my driving horses damaged one of the ligaments in his foot the lameness was most marked when lunged with the injured leg on the outside of the circle you could also see it driven when the affected leg was on the outside and he was on a curve but this was a slow onset lameness and it was slight so I am not sure it is any help.

 

[CLB]

thank you golden star, it did cross my mind that it could be something in the foot, however she didnt nerve block to her foot with any difference. the nerve blocks were done to her knee, and she was better but not sound. The v et thought the improvement was down to the exercise..??

 

[TicTac]

When one of my driving horses damaged one of the ligaments in his foot the lameness was most marked when lunged with the injured leg on the outside of the circle you could also see it driven when the affected leg was on the outside and he was on a curve but this was a slow onset lameness and it was slight so I am not sure it is any help.

Same here. My mare is very slightly lame on her right fore ( the more boxy upright foot) Her lameness is more noticeable when she is lunged on a surface with the ' lame' leg to the outside. Vet thinks it could be collateral ligament damage and we should know more once she has been scanned and xrayed etc.

 

[Birker2020]

If I were you I would ask for a referral so she can have a proper trot work up and diagnosis. After four weeks you would expect to know what you are dealing with. They say 90% of lameness is in the foot so I would have thought that would have been the first area they would have nerve blocked - but hey I'm not a vet and I am probably talking rubbish I don't know.

 

[misst]

I would want a full lameness work up by either a vet who really was on the ball or referal to a local equine hospital. If the problem is soft tissue damage in the foot (sounds ominously like one of ours who had this) you will only really see it on MRI. Why would your vet not block the foot? Mine always starts at the bottom of the leg and works up methodically - or I thought he did anyway Maybe I am wrong? I am sure one of the vets on here could tell you if I am.

 

[cptrayes]

My gut feel was tendon, but the scan was clear except a 0.4mm swelling which the vet dismissed..any ideas?? thanks

I would ask for a second opinion on this scan. I have heard of horses with tiny lesions in a tendon being very lame. Improvement on exercise will fit with this. Beware of stopping work altogether as adhesions can form and be worse than the original problem.

 

[CLB]

tahnk you everyone for your replies. I have booked for the vet to come back so should know more. Apologies i was not very clear before...she was nerve blocked from her foot working up to her knee. If the injury was in the foot i would have thought this would have discounted the area due to the nerve block, but will be asking a lot more questions this time round and will be getting the small area in her tendon re-scanned and expkained

thanks again, fingers crossed!