Would really love to hear from anyone who has experienced...

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LouLou3

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Hi - if anyone has experienced something similar I'd really love to hear from you because I'm just so worried and new to being a horse owner so terrified its something I'm doing wrong.

I've posted other threads about my boys on off lameness...but in brief he has been lame for about 4 weeks.

week 1 - first noticed lame in trot so called vet - no heat, swelling etc so put him on bute for a week - kept his normal routine out in the day - stabled overnight
week 2 - off bute still slightly lame same routine.
week 3 - had to box rest due to poultice for puncture in other foot
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Also had them farrier out - said he had long toe and low heels so gave him support on heel and trimmed toes trotted him up - no sign of lameness so took him off box rest last Thursday
Fri - went to ride - discovered lame again
Week 4 (this week) - been on box rest since Friday - trotted up yesterday - cannot see signs of him being lame

When he is showing signs of being lame its in front left leg. Should also mention that to ride out we have to go up a fairly steep hill out of the yard - am going to experiment today trot him up in the yard and then take him up the hill and see if that affects him.

Vet coming out on Thursday so thats all booked - just puzzled and would appreciate any similar stories.

Thanks
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Hi - it does seem that way but not sure - am going to try walking him up the hill today to make sure its not the hill thats doing it. If thats ok and he's still sound I'll jump on him and see what happens.
 
I think you're only going to get to the bottom of what's going on with some further investigations.

Good luck, hope he comes right soon.
 
I wondered that too - have run my hands over his back and either side of his spine - he doesn't flinch but I'll ask the vet to check when they come out...he is very tight in his hind (right) leg - always has been apparently - also wondered if that could be a underlying cause too
 
Could he be bridle lame?
Describe the lameness
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Also, is it possible that he has just given himself a knock/sprain on leg? my horse twisted his fetlock last year.
 
This sounds a bit similar to my horse. I've had him 5 years and every year, once a year in the spring he's gone slightly lame. Each time he's had 2 weeks field rest / normal routine (if it's early and he's still in overnight) and then been fine it's always been alternate front legs - left, right, left, right and so on so we put it down to a clumsy horse and easily bruised soles.

Last spring however he wasn't fine after the two weeks.
He had x-rays which showed nothing, had more rest and bute and was fine. Back in work for about 6 weeks and then went on a riding holiday - just hacking on good ground. 3 days after coming home he was lame in the other foot. We x-rayed that one as well and again nothing but vet did say he had long toes and low heels and wanted him shod differently - with shorter toes and the shoes placed further back. This time it took him 5 months, steroid injections into to joints (vet said although they weren't showing any arthritic changes they could be the problem so we may as well give it ago) and a course of cartrophen come sound, and he is now shod with wedges to raise his heels up.

Without an MRI at £3k, a 12 hour round trip to Newmarket and a general anaesthetic we will never know exactly what the true cause is, (my vet said he'd rather spend the money on treatment and just give him everything for every eventuality) but the likely cause is as simple as poor foot conformation and we're lucky to have found it before it caused permanent damage.

I don't want to sound like the prophet of doom and it may well just be a bit of bruising, but if he's insured I'd get it investigated. If I'd realised sooner that was what the cause of the recurring lameness was we could have dealt with it before it required missing 7 months of last year on and off.
 
had horse similar to this at old yard, turned out after a back specialist came out he was slipping his hips because sand school was to deep (make shift school) can affect front to best getting back specialist out to check him
 
Maybe get his saddle checked as well? If the flocking is unlevel and it is pinching one shoulder then he may appear lame on that leg.....
 
I would be asking for a full proper lameness workup. Like sallysmith says you need to get to the bottom of it. With long toes and low heels would be inclined to think it could be similar to annagains' problem as we have a lad with a similar history of poor foot conformation/long toes/low heels and soft tissue damage due to this. If it is this you are going to need a top class vet and farrier. The sooner you get to the cause the sooner you can treat it..good luck.
 
Sounds like what Ive just been through with my horse, similar anyway. Kept going lame on and off, had xrays and scans and found nothing. Shes been on box rest for nearly 12 months now, and the only way we got to the bottom of it was when she went to Horsepital and had an MRI and it was found to be a tear in her Deep Digital Flexor Tendon. Remedial shoeng and a very controlled back to work regime has been the way forward and a second MRI. Im back riding now but theres no field for her until May when the mud has hopefully gone and shes a fit as a butchers dog!!

Get a full lameness workup done and as others say, if your insured and all else fails then get an MRI, its the only way to find it if its soft tissue damage. Good luck!
 
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