Suddenly Lame?

Roasted Chestnuts

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Took my guy for a hack today, all was fine, came in from the field fine and sound stood whilst legs were hosed and tail etc chopped in prep for pulling tomorrow. We went round the block in walk, nice cold sunshine inbetween the heavy showers (did get wet at one point but hye ho ;) :D) had a short trot then walked down the hill heading for home,Then as we got round the corner he suddenly went lame :( Like immediately hopping and bucking and kicking out really not happy :(

I got off and he was still at it bouncing and waving his left hind around so walked him home and when i got to the yard he was stamping and ears back and really unhappy. Wouldnt let me look at it without a fight, he had to get firmly told to stand up as I really needed a look incase he stood on summat but there was no stumble before the kicking started :dunno:

There is a small bit of heat but no swelling just above the hoof but below the fetlock joint, not much but warmer than the other three feet. Ive stabled him in a good straw bed with hay and a small feed over night to see if any swelling appears and to also get a good look at the legs dry as well.

Anyone else had anything like this?? Fine then suddenly lame? There was no stumble or misstep as the first buck/kick really surprised me :confused:

This is him, hes 22 welsh d x and been shoeless since july and doing well so far.
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Hes keeping weight despite being on pretty much nothing but a handful of soaked VV and a handful of alfalfa to get his sups once a day, these are equimins hoof mender and equimins glucosamine and condroiting supp for his arthritis. :)
 
No bright ideas here, just sympathy as mine also seems to be having his annual attack of foot rot and limped out of the field this morning. In his case, a couple of hours on a dry shavings bed made a big diference.

Only things I can think of offhand are mites, mud rash and cracked heels (cracked heels letting the wet in are my prime suspect with Jackson). It's been so wet! But no idea why he would be fine and then suddenly not.

Hope he feels better in the morning :).
 
Could he have stood on himself or a bite off a horse fly?
I would hose the leg, dry and leave him in tonight and check him out in the morning, if still lame and uncomfortable then perhaps a quick vet check?
 
Im hoping its a sharp stone or rick on something hard, legs were washed and no mudrash/cracked heels/cuts etc, his grazing is soggy but cant really do much about it with the time of year, plenty grass just soggy :o

Oh meant to add no pulses in any feet either. Hoping its just brusing but having had his stumble of summat sharp before he hasnt ever acted like the above, VERY out of character for him so I knew he was very sore.
 
Definitely would think he has stood on a sharp stone with those symptoms. His feet will always be wet at the minute which of course makes them softer and more susceptable to bruising.
 
sounds like he stood on something sharp. Could be an abscess brewing.. my horse went on a great hack on a satuarday galloping flat out etc and was fantastic, the next day he was crippled and we struggled to get him out the field.

Another abscess we had he was on and off lame for a week the first couple of strides being led out the filed but seemed to right himself. Trotted him up and the lameness really showed again an abscess.

ps he looks good for 22
 
Only time it happened to me, I'd been schooling and we'd stopped once we've finished, I nudged him on to go out of the school, and he was hopping lame, I've never dismounted so fast in my life! Turns out it was a locking stifle.
Sounds like ur boy may have stood on something sharp and caused busing to his foot. Hopefully he'll be better tomorrow!
 
Thanks for suggestions. Im going to see how he is tomorrow and if hes fine ill take him another walk and see how he is if no swelling or obvious lameness.

Again thanks for the comments about him :) Hes my bestest boy :D
 
Did this happen on the hill? When I brought my mare, she locked up on the stifle a couple of times coming downhill. She's muscled up now so doesn't do it anymore, but sounds like the same sort of reaction, kicking out and a little buck. It may be that he's getting a bit arthritic in that joint and it may be sore if he's locked it. Cold weather won't help either.
 
Well went up today and he walked out the stable fine (thank goodness) was standing well under himself though with the sore leg which i thought was odd, took some pics so Ill get them uploaded for folk to take a look at.

Friend came up with me and we trotted him up, very willing to go forwards bounced into trot and was powering forwards BUT coming up short when tracking up with that hind.

Everything points to either his foot or hock IME. He does have arthritis but its in the other hock. Ive kept him in again tonight and ill go out and get more of his supplement and ill double dose him on it for the next week and see if it makes a difference.

Also tempted to go get some tumeric as well and see if he will eat that as heard its great for joints.

Poked about with the foot and I cant find anything untowards in it, no holes, sore points, took the hoof pick and had a really good press about the frog and sole and around the cornonet band but other than the odd flinch at the coronet band he was fine. Not bumps or swellings, foot was slightly hot but not much above the others.

Going to play the wait and see game with him hes not half as bad as yesterday and willing to move around and trot up (nearly dragged my friend to the field ;) ) so not overly concerned enough to get a vet. Going to call the farrier tomorrow and see if he will come and have a look on his road past as he drives by my stables nearly every day :)
 
My old boy used to stand like this and with toe slightly turned out when he had arthritis in his hip. Kept that leg right under his body.
 
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