Sudden lameness off hind - what now?!

ponyparty

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Turned out as normal this morning, no issues then. About to leave the yard 1.5 hours later and my friend shouts and points to B, who is holding up his off hind leg very high - we thought it might be caught in a leg strap, he was some distance away so couldn’t really see.
When I got over there, his leg wasn’t caught in a leg strap; as I approached he put it down although very tentatively and was very lame on it. He started walking towards me, and the lameness lessened. He followed me out of the field with no head collar on (the horse that usually has to be turned in and out in a chifney!). We checked his leg and foot - no heat or swelling, but definitely lame. Not abscess, hopping lame (and no heat in foot); toe dragging lame, more apparent in trot. I have a video, if I can work out how to post it.

Phoned vet who has said to keep in, walk in hand for 20 minutes twice today and keep an eye out for heat/swelling. He seemed to think it could be an abscess; I really don’t. He said to update him later and if no better or heat/swelling appears, get him booked in tomorrow.
(He’s already under the vet for hock arthritis, which is worse in that leg.)

Any ideas? It rained heavily last night and the field is muddy but not deep. It’s sticky, slippy, clay - I’m wondering if he’s tweaked something pulling his leg up out of the mud, or has slipped. They weren’t hooning around or anything. Seems he was just stood there, or walking, and it suddenly happened.

Just as we were getting back into it and making good progress! He had a day off yesterday as was too busy with baby so if anything should be feeling sprightly today!
 

Meowy Catkin

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I had that happen once. Horse was fine, looked again a few mins later and she was lame I found *nothing* no cut, no heat etc... Turned out that she's damaged a tendon. By the time the Vet arrived it was swelling up and hot. All was OK in the end, but it brought home how quickly they can hurt themselves.

I hope yours is OK.
 

milliepops

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& the one of mine that was very very lame holding her leg up like that, but grudgingly walked in without much to see had broken a splint bone. Most things are in the foot though, fingers crossed for a little simple abscess that is over and done with quickly!
 

ponyparty

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Thanks for your replies. I'll try to answer all...

I've seen abcsesses before and if he had remained hopping lame I would agree; but it has worn off and is now clearly not causing that sort of acute pain.

I've since sent the vet my video, confirming what I already know - he's short in right hind stride and swings on the outside during protraction; in trot he drags his toe.

I have been back up to walk him in hand for 20 mins as per vet instructions - on a straight line he seems a bit better, no toe dragging in trot, but i couldn't lead and watch from behind at the same time so not sure how he's moving that leg. Walked him in the school for 10 mins and up and down the drive for 10 mins. In the school I put him on a circle and could see he's still lame and toe dragging in trot (just did a few strides so I could assess). Still no heat/swelling, and no heat in foot.

They definitely weren't hooning about this morning, I don't think he rolled either - certainly not directly before it happened. Bizarre!

SI could be a good shout, he does have back issues too anyway - vet was due out next week to reassess and potentially inject with steroids.

Will walk him out for 20 mins again later and see how he is; if no better by morning will let vet know and get him out to take a look.

Not only do I want to know what it is for horse's sake, I'm also mystified and want to know out of curiosity! Hopefully nothing too serious, as you say! :-/
 

ponyparty

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It's his stifle!

Vet came today, trotted up, still toe dragging. Examined very thoroughly; he found an almost undetectable collection of fluid on the right stifle; very very slight. He scanned both stifles, and suspensories just to be on the safe side. There was clearly excessive fluid and synovitis in one part of the off side stifle (I cannot for the life of me remember which bit now, doh). Suspensories came back clear, although there was a slight potential difference in the one on the right, so vet nerve blocked, just to eliminate that from the investigation - he was still lame in walk and trot so def not suspensories.
So - box rest for a week-10 days, 2 Danilon per day for 5 days then reduce to 1 per day for 5 days, vet comes back to reassess and potentially inject the joint with steroids if no improvement. He seems to think prognosis is good, so fingers crossed!

The day it happened, we'd had torrential rain all night the night before, so the field was extremely boggy and wet. By the time the horses had been out on it for a few hours it was so poached, it looked like pigs had been on it. We think perhaps he got a leg stuck in the mud, and has somehow injured himself pulling it out, or something like that. He hasn't been on grass/deep mud for ages as he was on hardstanding at the last yard, so perhaps he just isn't used to it. Vet has advised box rest while the fields are still terribly muddy anyway, so as not to exacerbate the injury.
 

Equi

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Hope he recovers well :) i had a call from my YO once to say my horse was hopping, i got down and he basically flung himself at me in a "mum im sore" way and before i got him from the paddock i gave him a bloody good deep muscle massage in the area i believed was the issue (stifle too) and after that he felt so much better. Give your horse a good ole rub!
 
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