fairyclare
Well-Known Member
Ok, I will try not to waffle on and make this too long and waffly......
Background info - Dutch bred mare, 20yrs old, I have owned her 14yrs. We have done pony club, riding club, affiliated SJ, local level XC and a bit of hunting, she is by no means high mileage!
Never had a day lame in the 14yrs I have owned her, does not look or act 20!
So..... Hacked her round the farm fields on 6th May, she felt stuffy and kept going disunited in canter, pulled up and finished our 20mins, just assumed she was feeling a bit bloated as they recently moved to their summer paddocks.
The following day she had the farrier, she was a bit snatchy with her hind feet with him and he mentioned she looked rather stiff coming out if her stable, joking saying 'what have you been doing with the old girl'. He finished shoeing her then, as I turned to walk her away he and I looked, stopped her and almost at the same time said 'she isn't right'. Trotted her up and turned her etc and both agreed she looked ever so slightly lami in the turn - sound but stiff looking on the straight.
He said that he had not seen any evidence of lami in her feet as he was shoeing her and advised that she is restricted and to keep a very close eye on her.
I put her muzzle on her and put her out in our 'sick' paddock and rang the vet.
Trotted her up in the eve, sound on the straight but quite lame on off fore and I level on near fore.
Decided to take her to the vet as we don't have the best facilities for trotting up and also had decided that we would probably want x rays doing.
So, vet nerve blocks off fore, she is now lamer on the near fore but nothing major, block the near fore and she is sound, sort of.
Vet x rays both front feet, all clear no sign of anything like navicular or pedalosteitis etc, it did show the minutest 'spot' on the laminae, I struggled to see it on the off fore, looked like a hair on the screen - vet assured me that it wasn't anything to worry about.
He suggested to treat her as if she was laminitic and that she may just been feeling sensitive in her feet due to the weather changing and the grass coming through, better to treat as if laminitis and it not be than to ignore possible warning signs (just to clarify, she is an ideal weight,no pulse, minimal heat in the foot, no laminitic stance and no crest!)
Vet also suggested pads to help support the foot.
Farrier rang vet later that day and discussed it, phoned me and said he'd order the pads and get back to me ASAP.
She was barefoot in front whilst waiting for her pads to arrive.
Turned out for reduced hours in a green guard muzzle in a sick paddock with a little pony for company.
Finally got him back with pads and packing on the 22nd(!!!!!!!) once pads were on and packing was in I asked if he would watch her trot up so he could see for himself, LAME! As lame if not more so, looking stiff on off hind too.
Farrier now stumped as to what is causing it, he has suggested possible concussion higher up but said that was just a guess.
So, the dilemma is what to do next, I am insured, initially told vet I wasn't because I was sure as eggs I'd cancelled it, when I looked a few days ago I hadn't I'd actually renewed it DOH!!
However, I do not want a massive bill run up with excessive nerve blocks, x rays, scans etc.
as I see it I have 3 options -
1) Leave it, let her rest, let her enjoy being out and not working (still restricted just incase of lami)
2) Go back to my local vet and do more diagnostic tests and hope something materialises or take her back to my old vet in Surrey for him to do the diagnostic's.
3) Ask to be referred straight to Rossdales or AHT for a specialist to diagnose.
Although this is not about the money I do have to factor that in, ins is £3500 with £500 excess I have already spent £400 on the initial trip to the vets.
Also, she is 20, she is my horse of a life time, she owes me nothing, I owe it to her to look after in in her advancing years. I would not be looking to put her through any op's and box rest is out of the question, she would do more damage than good!
Prior to this bout of unspecified lameness we were hacking regularly, having lessons, jumping 3ft/3'3" she is reasonably fit.
Both my regular instructor and the jump trainer I go to once a month comment on how well she looks for 20 and how supple she is, on our last vist to the jump trainer he suggested I show her in the veterans class as she looks so fantastic and moves so well!
Ay suggestions as to what might be the problem, any similar experiences, and advice to offer? Please.....
M&S cookies and a cup of tea for those completing this epic tale, sorry I waffled! I have probably forgot bits and made little sense - I'm on the iPad so no editing either, eeeek!
Gutted of Essex
Background info - Dutch bred mare, 20yrs old, I have owned her 14yrs. We have done pony club, riding club, affiliated SJ, local level XC and a bit of hunting, she is by no means high mileage!
Never had a day lame in the 14yrs I have owned her, does not look or act 20!
So..... Hacked her round the farm fields on 6th May, she felt stuffy and kept going disunited in canter, pulled up and finished our 20mins, just assumed she was feeling a bit bloated as they recently moved to their summer paddocks.
The following day she had the farrier, she was a bit snatchy with her hind feet with him and he mentioned she looked rather stiff coming out if her stable, joking saying 'what have you been doing with the old girl'. He finished shoeing her then, as I turned to walk her away he and I looked, stopped her and almost at the same time said 'she isn't right'. Trotted her up and turned her etc and both agreed she looked ever so slightly lami in the turn - sound but stiff looking on the straight.
He said that he had not seen any evidence of lami in her feet as he was shoeing her and advised that she is restricted and to keep a very close eye on her.
I put her muzzle on her and put her out in our 'sick' paddock and rang the vet.
Trotted her up in the eve, sound on the straight but quite lame on off fore and I level on near fore.
Decided to take her to the vet as we don't have the best facilities for trotting up and also had decided that we would probably want x rays doing.
So, vet nerve blocks off fore, she is now lamer on the near fore but nothing major, block the near fore and she is sound, sort of.
Vet x rays both front feet, all clear no sign of anything like navicular or pedalosteitis etc, it did show the minutest 'spot' on the laminae, I struggled to see it on the off fore, looked like a hair on the screen - vet assured me that it wasn't anything to worry about.
He suggested to treat her as if she was laminitic and that she may just been feeling sensitive in her feet due to the weather changing and the grass coming through, better to treat as if laminitis and it not be than to ignore possible warning signs (just to clarify, she is an ideal weight,no pulse, minimal heat in the foot, no laminitic stance and no crest!)
Vet also suggested pads to help support the foot.
Farrier rang vet later that day and discussed it, phoned me and said he'd order the pads and get back to me ASAP.
She was barefoot in front whilst waiting for her pads to arrive.
Turned out for reduced hours in a green guard muzzle in a sick paddock with a little pony for company.
Finally got him back with pads and packing on the 22nd(!!!!!!!) once pads were on and packing was in I asked if he would watch her trot up so he could see for himself, LAME! As lame if not more so, looking stiff on off hind too.
Farrier now stumped as to what is causing it, he has suggested possible concussion higher up but said that was just a guess.
So, the dilemma is what to do next, I am insured, initially told vet I wasn't because I was sure as eggs I'd cancelled it, when I looked a few days ago I hadn't I'd actually renewed it DOH!!
However, I do not want a massive bill run up with excessive nerve blocks, x rays, scans etc.
as I see it I have 3 options -
1) Leave it, let her rest, let her enjoy being out and not working (still restricted just incase of lami)
2) Go back to my local vet and do more diagnostic tests and hope something materialises or take her back to my old vet in Surrey for him to do the diagnostic's.
3) Ask to be referred straight to Rossdales or AHT for a specialist to diagnose.
Although this is not about the money I do have to factor that in, ins is £3500 with £500 excess I have already spent £400 on the initial trip to the vets.
Also, she is 20, she is my horse of a life time, she owes me nothing, I owe it to her to look after in in her advancing years. I would not be looking to put her through any op's and box rest is out of the question, she would do more damage than good!
Prior to this bout of unspecified lameness we were hacking regularly, having lessons, jumping 3ft/3'3" she is reasonably fit.
Both my regular instructor and the jump trainer I go to once a month comment on how well she looks for 20 and how supple she is, on our last vist to the jump trainer he suggested I show her in the veterans class as she looks so fantastic and moves so well!
Ay suggestions as to what might be the problem, any similar experiences, and advice to offer? Please.....
M&S cookies and a cup of tea for those completing this epic tale, sorry I waffled! I have probably forgot bits and made little sense - I'm on the iPad so no editing either, eeeek!
Gutted of Essex