Get off you're hurting him!?!

[maria9657]

Ok so this half lease is turning out to be more trouble than it is worth.

I went to ride today, I didn't have much time as I was going out to dinner and had to be back in town by 4:30 pm. So I thought we would just have a short little 30 minute ride, walk, trot and a little canter. The ride went wonderful, he was very nice, light and responsive and didn't spend the whole time with his nose poked out. I was letting him wander around on a long rein so he would cool down when another mother at the yard came over

We wandered over to see her and she says to me "Get off you're hurting him!" then she proceeded to tell me that he was hopping lame in his right hind and that it was plain to see and I shouldn't have been riding him. I got off but couldn't see anything wrong. I untacked him and couldn't see or feel anything wrong. He wasn't limping (that I could see) he was willing to pick up all four feet, I didn't see/feel any swelling or heat nor did he react to my poking and prodding. I didn't see/feel anything when we were riding.

He is an older horse (18) and has some arthiritis (sp?) and gets a little stiff sometimes but other than that is in good health.

Thanks so much. I am going tomorrow to groom and cuddle with lots of carrots in my pocket.

[entreat]

Lameness can present in very mild ways, but for her to see it from the ground at a walk, you should've been able to feel a twist to his movement, or a real 'hump' when stepping with that leg.

The best way to see lameness is trotting in a straight line - if the head goes either up or down (in a bobbing manner with each step), the horse may be lame. whether the head goes up or down depends on where the pain is coming from, and how bad.

Please let us know what the vet says. Oh! and good luck :)

[Jumping Genius]

i don't think he is lame because when my horse was a little sore i could feel him limp!!even at a walk! he'll be fine let us know though!

[maria9657]

Thanks so much, I went out today to cuddle and love and what not, There was no one in the arena so I thought I would let him wander around in there to stretch his legs and have a roll if he decided to. The minute I let him go he was cantering around and leaping and bucking. He looked perfectly fine, better than usual. The only thing I noticed was that he was dragging his hind toes in walk and a bit in trot. He does need to get his feet trimmed, could the dragging be caused by his feet being grown out a bit?

[jUmPingIsLifE]

:rolleyes:
well if they own the horse...they can rush the vet out if they think he is lame. i would just sit back and see what the vet says is so terribly wrong with this terribly lame horse :rolleyes: :D lol by the sounds of it he really is fine i wouldn't worry much about it but if the vet does find something i wouldn't worry about it since it sounds like you really checked him out pretty well. let us know what happens

[Bacharel]

Im sure he'll be fine. My guess is that the owners are always looking out for every little boo-boo he could get so he doesnt become lame. Im sure they are just over reacting because almost anybody can feel a horse thats lame undersaddle, o well. :rolleyes:

[mustang fan]

I'm sure he will be fine!! my friends horse get stiff when they ride and he is always fine!! Im pretty sure the other girl was over reacting!!! that was rude to say " get off your hurting him!" let us know how he is!! :)

[RachelBraz]

Generally, when you're riding, it isn't *that* difficult to tell if the horse is lame... harder in a menage, but still not impossible! Especially if it's a horse you know! My loan pony went lame with a splint once, but I noticed the soreness on the foot a few days before the splint came up, becasue I was walking her up a hill on the road on a hack, and I could feel her not right. I stopped and got off and sure enough, a couple of days later there was a splint lump! My old pony went lame from a bruised foot once too, and it was only really visible from the ground at trot or on a turn, but I could feel it in walk on a straight line, so I got off and walked her home... she had about 6 weeks of not riding for that!
My point is, if you know the horse, and nothing was obviously wrong, wait for the vet and I'm sure the horse (and you!) will be fine!
Rachel

[maria9657]

The vet came out to see the lease horse today and he is perfectly fine. He got his teeth done while the vet was there so the visit wasn't for nothing. Apparently he was not so nice to the vet. She is a very petite lady and he is a 16.2hh brute who was not interested in having things stuck in his mouth. They had to sedate him (only once this time) before she was able to get in there. Oh well $150 later he is ok again.

I think that if I am going to keep up with my growing horse costs I need to become a vet, and marry a tack shop owner who conveniently also is a farrier, saddle fitter, saddle maker, chiro and dentist. If anyone knows of such a man, I will pay to have him flown over here to Canada. Ok I am just joking but in all honesty this horse owning (sort of) business is very expensive.

[Scarlett 001]

I think that if I am going to keep up with my growing horse costs I need to become a vet, and marry a tack shop owner who conveniently also is a farrier, saddle fitter, saddle maker, chiro and dentist. If anyone knows of such a man, I will pay to have him flown over here to Canada. Ok I am just joking but in all honesty this horse owning (sort of) business is very expensive.

Just curious, what deal did you work out with vet bills when you signed the half-lease? I guess I was hugely lucky to have no vet or farrier bills with my lease. That was always the big worry for me with leasing as it seems harder to put the vet money into things when you have no financial investment in actual horse ownership.

[entreat]

Ditto Scarlette.
Would they still expect you to pay if he'd not had his teeth done, and there was nothing wrong? Calling a vet out for no reason get *very* expensive! I don't knwo what to suggest here, but it seems the owners mum either doesn't know what lameness looks like (could it be he was just resting a hindleg while you were standing there?), or is a hypochondriac! Either or... it racks up the bills.

Could yousuggest someone else looks at the horse next time (YO perhaps?), instead of leaping to the vet?

[maria9657]

Thanks