How often does your horse go lame and why?

[kryspyg]

Just a bit of a survey really as my loan has gone lame for the second time in 6 months (the other time it lasted 2 months) and I don't know if this is normal or i'm getting stressed for no reason.
She is an anglo arab and apparently has had no problems with lameness before.

Ta!

k
x

[Sammii]

Have you had a vet, farrier, physio out to give her a check over to see if you can find out what seems to be causing it? I do think that once may just be a coincidence but twice has got to mean there's something that's causing her pain.

I have had my horse for 13 months and he has only ever been lame twice. And they are both because he has navicular and when the ground is hard and he is due to be shod, he is very footsore. Never hopping lame, just footsore.

[kryspyg]

i paid for the vet to come down last time and he isolated the problem to her foot and said i could go for x rays or continue box rest. I cldnt really afford the £120 just that visit cost me so couldnt go on and i've not been allowed to use the insurance by the owner.

Last week the farrier apparently did a test and said the problem was in her shoulder but the owner said there is no way a farrier could know that. She was due to be shod and i thought that might sort it out but it hasn't.

I'm 95% sure last time was her off fore and this is her near though.

x

[CurlyWurlyRach]

my horse has (touch wood) never been lame in 2 years.
If she ever did go lame she would have the vet asap, if i couldnt afford vet bills i wouldnt have a horse.

[kryspyg]

If she was my horse i would have the vet down too but unfortunately I don't have the authority to make decisions like that for her. I wasnt meant to get the vet last time but did because i wanted to try to do the best for her.

I'm quite upset about the situation so please don't judge me!

[eventerbabe]

have a chat with the owner, why won't they let you get the vet? It may well be a shoulder issue. Working with a vet and chiro/physio might be the way to go if you can get through to the owner. Why are they so reluctant to sort this out? i really feel for you :( tis a horrid situation to be in.

*touches every bit of wood in sight* my cob has never been lame in 11 years of owning him.

[Sammii]

We understand you are upset, and we aren't judging you.
You really must bring this up with your horses's owners. She needs to be brought back to reality and shown the pain that your mare could be in.

Just because a farrier is trained in farriery it doesn't mean that he is not trained in other areas of horse-veterinary.

[kryspyg]

Thanks, understanding is appreciated!

This time it's only been a week so I'm still happy to just rest her and let her have a bit of time in the indoor school when it's free. She just wanders round and looks Ok walking on the softer surface.

I really just wondered if this was normal for her breed or anything and possibly something that will just happen a couple of times a year!

k

[Sammii]

No breed, unless bred into lines with serious conformational faults should just go lame without known reason.

Has she done anything lately that could have provoked say a pulled muscle or a strain?

[kryspyg]

Ok, good to know although some people at the yard always go on about how fine she is and attribute it to that.

She hasn't been doing anything out of the ordinary as it's mostly just hacking over the summer and usually for no longer than an hour. They sometimes do mess about in the field though so she could've twanged something then.

x

[teddypony]

My horse has been lame once in 12 years and that was due to a bruised frog from standing on a sharp stone. Sounds as though your loan horse needs to be checked out by the vet again, why wont the owner let you use her insurance?

[kryspyg]

i think they just dont feel it's necessary.
Last time people at my yard kept putting worries in my head though by saying 'maybe she's not insured on that leg now due to previous problems'!

This week I'm going to continue boxrest, letting her out in the school or for a grass-munch most days. if she has not changed by the weekend they are getting a surgical farrier down who has known her for years. i think part of it is also they dont trust the farriers they have at the yard!

k