What could be causing on/off lameness

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mariebx19 said:
Bonkers2-Not too sure what you mean but i have not told the vets that he isnt insured.Will be phoning on monday and hopefully they can give me an estimate on prices but asked a couple of months ago and i got a reply saying they couldnt tell me as it depends on what joint etc is needing x-rayd.

Yeah i will have him in work for a week or 2 before he is to be seen again,depends on what they say about a payment plan.I know,all my pets will definately be insured now.Just heard too many people say that they didnt get the help from insurance company when needed so put me off.No i didnt have him vetted.Just been looking up on bone spavin in hock and does sound like that but i suppose most things causing lameness could have the same symptoms.Do you think i should try light hacking on soft ground (because being kept in work is best for this) or just leave him on turnout as i dont know what the cause of his pain/lameness is ?
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Really tricky one. I would probably be inclined to work him 3/4 days before the vet comes every day. But if he still looks lame now, having been at rest, then obviously there is no need as the vet has something to see. But I am no expert- perhaps worth consulting your vet.

Good luck and do have a chat with your vet re payment. I owed my vets about a grand for various excesses, livery fees, non insurance stuff and they were totally fab about it. Infact they point blank refused to take it all at once and said it was fine I could pay bits of it off monthly.

Edited to say I had my 200 pound off the track tb insured via petplan. They've paid out nearing 10k for him. You only need a vetting if the horse is valued over a certain anount(usually 2.5k ish) though of course they will not pay for a problem that has occurred in the past. People can have rubbish experiences with insurance conpanies and theres a lot to be said for setting aside money every month as an emergency fund but I personally think it is important for piece of mind. I'd hate to hve to put a horse down because I couldn't afford colic treatment for instance.
 
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Yeah will speak to vet about everything.Really,one of my sisters dogs had to be taken to vets,out of hours,they were wanting £600 for an x-ray but we waited till the next morning and she was back to herself.Vet cost just over £200 (for consultation and painkiller and anti inflammatory injection) and i was £21 short and i couldnt pay for another 3 weeks and now they wont visit or even give phone advice unless i have the money for what they will be coming out for even though you usually have a month to pay vet bills.Yeah going to insure all my pets now,wish i had to begin with,thanks
 
I think insurance is a big cost, not advising anyone against it at all, but in the last 12 years I have owned one pony and 2 cats, my total vet insurance bills would have been £5,000.
I have had one horse bill which might have been eligible about £500, no eligible cat bills.
As I am not insured I am very particular about animals in my care [the horse bill was due to yard recklessness].
I have a full on medical kit and keep tetanus up to date.
I don't think I have been particularly lucky, but just average, its a lot of money, and one can never be insured for life for any condition which has been diagnosed, and exclusions can be illogical, this is the reason I don't insure, I think I would probably have a cat put down if one got ill as it is getting on now.
 
I am trying to put myself in OPs shoes, assuming she has not enough money to send him to the vet clinic at Turningshaw she should identify the best senior vet from her own vet practice [I will pm her], I don't know them all, but the one who gave the bute for 5 days and no further advice is one to avoid, as are the ones who could not identify chronic lameness in this cob.
Perhaps OP could get a part time job to increase her funds.
Even with a diagnosis, where do we go from there, this is the problem.
If he is shod, I would say remove shoes to save money, but give him a small feed of Fast Firbe and some salt for minerals, top up with some minerals. In winter add micronised linseed.
I would walk out in hand to try to get weight off, I would not ride him, he is in pain all the time, it just gets to the point he can't tolerate it.
 
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mariebx19 said:
Yeah will speak to vet about everything.Really,one of my sisters dogs had to be taken to vets,out of hours,they were wanting £600 for an x-ray but we waited till the next morning and she was back to herself.Vet cost just over £200 (for consultation and painkiller and anti inflammatory injection) and i was £21 short and i couldnt pay for another 3 weeks and now they wont visit or even give phone advice unless i have the money for what they will be coming out for even though you usually have a month to pay vet bills.Yeah going to insure all my pets now,wish i had to begin with,thanks
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Hmmmm not sure what to suggest then. You could get a credit card or you could try turning him away for a few months on as bare a paddock as possible. Insurance is hit and miss, I had a pony insured for 6 years at 45 pounds a month without a single claim. Torres was in near double figures after 7 months at 30 quid a month! Personally I just think if you don't hve access to cash instantly then it's responsible to insure. Good luck op hope he comes good zxx
 
I haven't been able to see all your vids - which is the fault of my machine/system, not your fault OP. However, from what I have managed to see, I think that your problem stems from the saddle, which could explain why the problem improves after a period of time off work and then gets worse while he is worked. Your horse has big shoulders and his saddle seems to sit on them which won't help but the major problem is that he appears to dip his back away from the saddle as his RH comes forward in trot and in the side-on view the cantle has excessive movement.
Have you had the saddle fit checked?
 
Yeah im going to get everything you would need in a first aid kit for my cats,dogs and horses.The past month or 2 i have had 5 visits from different vets to my 2 horses because they had a cough and runny nose (first time one was given pain and anti inflammatories) for them to finally tell me they just had a cold and dont give anything,just give it time to go away itself.Also 2 visits because my youngest has a lump on his shoulder.The vet that has came out recently isnt on the website so she must be new.I might try county vets.He isnt shod and will start in hand walks with him through the woods at the yard so it isnt on hard ground.Gates were left open to their field so all the horses got into another one which doesnt have as much grass,think the yard owner is happy for them to be kept in there but will still get a grazing muzzle,hate leaving anything on them out in the field but it looks like it will come off easily if he gets caught.
 
No point in paying for Physio if there are underlying problems going on- and he will be stiff because he will be compensating and holding his muscles differently. He needs a full work up by an experienced equine vet.
 
ETA. - as apparently I ran out of time!
Have now managed to see your vids and still think the root of your problem is the saddle, which is causing muscle damage. When on the lunge without a rider the RH dip is not so pronounced but is still there. What did your massage therapist say about the muscles under and around the saddle? What happens if you run your hand with a firm pressure along the back? Around the ribs?
 
I only bought the saddle a few months ago and had it checked before using it.The leading and lunging video is before i got the saddle.The physio was also a few months ago.He doesnt react at all to pressure around his back/ribs.The back was never a big problem with tight muscles when the massage therapist has seen him.
 
He is out of work,has been for a couple of months and probably will be for a long time.If this is the saddle i still have when he is back in work then of course it would be checked before.
 
Stiff on right rein, dragging hind toes, unhappy lifting right hind.... All signs of gastric ulcers. It may be that there is a low grade lameness and associated ulcers. (E.g stumbling is often indicative of navicular issues) navicular and ulcers often come together
 
I spoke to the vet the last time about gastric ulcers and she said there is very little chance of him having them as he is not in hard work,doesnt have hard feed and is on 24/7 turnout.He never reacts to hoof testers,farrier said his feet are in great condition and he doesnt look like the type to have navicular.
 
My horse Welsh cob x pretty much looks the same as this. Not a lot to see but vet suspected spavin, common at around 7 yrs. He suggested I ride him until there was something more to see or they could work him up to full lameness for me. As he's great out hacking and the problem is in the school, I did not fancy possibly getting a completely broken horse back, so I went for the first option. That was 2 years ago. I would say he has got worse in the school 'though, reluctant to go forward and canter on one rein so I just do a little bit of walk & slow trot in there once a week for 15 mins which seems to help. Shame as I was hoping to show him. I suspect there's still not enough for the vet to see and, as I love hacking and he still comes back sprightly after 12 miles, I'm letting the sleeping dog lie. If you can't afford a full investigation, I would avoid doing things which aggravate the problem (if you know what they are) and, when he's feeling rough, time off, bute and gentle return to exercise when you see an improvement. I previously had a coloured horse with a hip/ligament injury (fully diagnosed) who also presented a similar picture and his condition would flare up occasionally and I nursed him along for years in the same way. Enjoy the good times while you can! He looks a real sweetheart.
 
Yeah im thinking more towards that from hearing symptoms and watching videos with horses with it.Should have the money for x-rays in no time just depends on everything else (wether he is seen at the vets/yard,medication) he is completely out of work right now and wouldnt mind if he could never be ridden again,or even a few days light hacking round the woods that have just opened up at the yard,going to take him in hand walk round them for the first time tomorrow.Thanks,Yeah he really is :)
 
mariebx19 said:
Yeah im thinking more towards that from hearing symptoms and watching videos with horses with it.Should have the money for x-rays in no time just depends on everything else (wether he is seen at the vets/yard,medication) he is completely out of work right now and wouldnt mind if he could never be ridden again,or even a few days light hacking round the woods that have just opened up at the yard,going to take him in hand walk round them for the first time tomorrow.Thanks,Yeah he really is :)
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Very lucky horse :)
 
This was domino today.Brought him in and lunged him to see how he was after months of being turned away.He still avoided the right rein (would just turn to try to work on the left rein) just wondering what people think? is he still lame? is there anything i could give him for pain until he can be seen by vet?

 
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You really need a plan of action, how much are you willing to pay to find out the problem and then what would you do.
As an aside, you really need to keep a big cash reserve for vet bills, I have made suggestions about gettting a second job, did sister pay back money for the doggy vet bill?
The only thing I can suggest is that you walk in hand 30 mins on a road every day.
No one can diagnose a lameness or a soundness from that clip, nor should they try to be honest.
 
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Can't really see anything in that vid OP.

He is worringly overweight though.

A cash reserve or a 0% credit card bonkers ;)
 
Vet got back to me and x-ray to the hock is only going to be £124 for 4 photos so think im going to start with x-ray to the right hind hock as i really think that is the one that is causing pain,then i have extra for travel,sedation and medication.Going to order a grazing muzzle tonight,was just wondering what people think of this one? Stupid question but is it breathable enough?

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Got to wait at least 3 days for it to come through.Can it be left on 24/7 ? Should i get him used to it gradually ?
 
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