Sudden Lameness help!!!

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Siam Jack

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Brought my girly in tonight for a lesson at 6pm she is out 24/7 at the mo. She was not right just bringing her in head low and very slow. Anyhoo got her tacked up and walked her round to the school and straight away knew she was not right... instructor asked me to just walk her round on a long rein as she is 16yrs and does suffer with a bit of stiffness but usually once round the school and she is brill, but not tonight, really lame on her front right it seemed like her shoulder was just totally tied up, no problems with her legs and when instructor had a bit feel around her shoulders she didnt flinch, but obviously something wrong..... She is a little star usually and she is worked every night not too much just a bit trot and canter in the school and a few gentle hacks. I took her out last night and she was fine!!!!
Now any advice will be greatly taken, I dont want to put her in as she rubs against anything and often rubs against the stable walls so much she bleeds...so she is out again tonight, checked her feet all OK and no obvious lumps from kicks etc Help!! I feel awful for her.....
 
Did you or your instructor feel for a pulse in her fetlock and for heat in her hoof? I know you thought it was her shoulder but there is so much lami about right now - the grass is growing like mad with all the rain and sunshine. They can get lami in one foot - be very very sure before you let her carry on grazing 24/7, there are many, not even overweight horses and ponies feeling their feet at the mo:(
I also agree about an abcess, they come on suddenly like that, but if it is that, she would get worse quickly, so much that she won't be able to put it to the floor. Is she shod or bare? When was she shod last, was it the last few days? If so, you need a vet or a farrier to come take the offending shoe off as he may have got one nail close to the tender part and it may be causing a pressure pin point.
My horse came in from the field hopping on three legs one afternoon - YO said he was fine when she put him out in the morning. He was trying to put his foot down but couldn't put weight on the heel. That turned out to be a suspensory ligament sprain.
She could also have trodden on a stone and bruised her sole if they were hoolying around the field?
Hope this helps to narrow it down, keep us posted?
How was she walking, apart from head down and slowly, was she breathing heavily? Was she throwing her head up and down taking the weight off the lame side?
 
I would say abcess. If there is a digital pulse, warm hoof and if when you press hard over the sole of the foot, heel or coronry band then it is defo an abcess. I'd get the farrier out to have a quick look and dig it out if necesary. I find vets dig too big a whole and you spend more time fixing the whole than the abcess.
 
my girl was exactly like this the other week, took her out for a hack the day before and was fine next morning i found her in the field lame, bought her in and called the vet as no obvious sign why she was lame, turned out she had an abscess brewing. Hope you find out whats causing it.
 
Sorry everyone have been offline for a while.....

I'm so concerned for her now, she is still lame, got the vet and the usual box rest and bute for a week, So after 5 days in and having rubbed her back end to bleeding have put her out and still lame, called the farrier who did a thorough check (more than the vet who just felt her leg and flexed it!) and could find nothing, vet suggested if no improvement x rays next, I asked if nerve blocking would be better and she agreed! have not done it yet as back man coming out this week to check her back, then will have to think about nerve blocking/x rays, she seems happy enough holding her head up and in walk not really noticable but as soon as in trot,just with me running beside her defo lame. Really not sure what next step should be? any suggestions? not impressed with vet at all !!
 
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