buzyizzy
Well-Known Member
Apologies if this gets long, I'll try to be as brief as possible 😊
End of April this year my horse caught his leg on his lead rope whilst he was tied up, he'd managed to loosen it enough for it to drop and stepped over it I presume. I didn't see it happen, but when he stepped over it, he couldn't put that leg down as it was caught in mid air and he overstretched his tendons. He was never lame, but leg came up massively. A month's box rest and cold hosing twice daily later it was fine. Started leading him out on hard ground, very slowly, everything fine. Another three weeks later, all was still well, so I started riding him out, only walking. Built up to an hour's walking, all fine, started slow trots on the road, very short, all fine, built up to an hour and a half, all well. Hard legs, all clean. Last Saturday I took him out as usual, very full of himself, still doing roadwork, trotted a bit more, legs clean afterwards.
Last night I brought him in and he was a bit lame, 2/10ths I would say. I assumed he had stones in his feet so picked his feet out, walked him to lunge ring, definitely lame on right rein in walk. On closer inspection, he has a vertical swelling starting about an inch down the inside of his right fore which is smaller at the top and more so at the bottom. Heat present but didn't object to my palpating it. It's like fluid has gathered as if it's in a small balloon. Went down somewhat with cold hosing. The left fore is similar, but not nearly so obvious. Heat in that one too. He is grazing 24/7 on very hard ground on the side of a hill, quite bare pasture. It is very fluidy. When I cold hosed it, it was a dark grey swelling. He's always had issues with his legs filling after exercise and when he's first brought in for the winter, so could it be related? Could it be an abscess brewing, although it seems odd it's both front legs? I've read on here that they can get varicose veins and his right leg does have a tiny horizontal swelling from time to time. The vet is coming out next week to microchip both him and my daughter's pony, but if anyone can shed any light on what it might be, I'd appreciate it. I do have a picture but I'll have to put it on Flickr first and put up the link and I need to be off to work now.
I'm gutted this happened, he was going so well!!!
End of April this year my horse caught his leg on his lead rope whilst he was tied up, he'd managed to loosen it enough for it to drop and stepped over it I presume. I didn't see it happen, but when he stepped over it, he couldn't put that leg down as it was caught in mid air and he overstretched his tendons. He was never lame, but leg came up massively. A month's box rest and cold hosing twice daily later it was fine. Started leading him out on hard ground, very slowly, everything fine. Another three weeks later, all was still well, so I started riding him out, only walking. Built up to an hour's walking, all fine, started slow trots on the road, very short, all fine, built up to an hour and a half, all well. Hard legs, all clean. Last Saturday I took him out as usual, very full of himself, still doing roadwork, trotted a bit more, legs clean afterwards.
Last night I brought him in and he was a bit lame, 2/10ths I would say. I assumed he had stones in his feet so picked his feet out, walked him to lunge ring, definitely lame on right rein in walk. On closer inspection, he has a vertical swelling starting about an inch down the inside of his right fore which is smaller at the top and more so at the bottom. Heat present but didn't object to my palpating it. It's like fluid has gathered as if it's in a small balloon. Went down somewhat with cold hosing. The left fore is similar, but not nearly so obvious. Heat in that one too. He is grazing 24/7 on very hard ground on the side of a hill, quite bare pasture. It is very fluidy. When I cold hosed it, it was a dark grey swelling. He's always had issues with his legs filling after exercise and when he's first brought in for the winter, so could it be related? Could it be an abscess brewing, although it seems odd it's both front legs? I've read on here that they can get varicose veins and his right leg does have a tiny horizontal swelling from time to time. The vet is coming out next week to microchip both him and my daughter's pony, but if anyone can shed any light on what it might be, I'd appreciate it. I do have a picture but I'll have to put it on Flickr first and put up the link and I need to be off to work now.
I'm gutted this happened, he was going so well!!!