Slightly lame pony

[notpoodle]

angel went ever so slightly lame yesterday :( it onl shows in trot and is barely noticeable (shes not bobbing her head up and down or anything, she is just not 100% on her right fore). i have kept her in overnight and most of today. her knees were both the same temperatutre again today (the right was a tad warmer than the left yesterday), nothing is throbbing, but she still wasnt 100% there on this right foreleg.

after some deliberation, i have turned her out again now, because i figured she's be more likely to make it worse if shes locked in the stable for another night, banging walls etc.

or was it stupid to stick her back in the field?

julia

[Yann]

I would have done the same - so long as it isn't something major that's going to be made worse by letting them move about it's probably better to let her walk it off:)

[notpoodle]

it doesnt appear to be anything major. am i right in thinking if it was an abscess if would be either throbbing or she'd have a high digital pulse or she would take offence to having her hooves banged or the hoof would be warmer than the others?

julia

[nutkin]

yep she is definitely better out in the field rather than being left in to stiffen up. She has probably just had a minor sprain of some sort, a bit like you twisting an ankle from running about. You could try cold hosing the leg if there is any heat or swelling but chances are she could just be suffering because of the hard ground. Alot of horses are at the moment as the ground is like concrete. Have you checked for any signs of bruising on the feet.

[notpoodle]

have done but couldnt find anything. also had a goods look for any scrapes etc (in case she'd been kicked) but nothing to see at all. ive hosed it till my arm almost fell off yesterday, and again this morning

julia
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[chickflick1066]

Perhaps the playing got a little tough in the field and she took a slight skid/slip to the leg. It doesnt sound too serious to me and you are doing all the right things.

Stabling could make her leg more stiff so turnout with help her :)

[Cheko]

The ground is very hard at the moment. P'haps she's got a bruised sole or it may be that they've all been flying around playing. Hope she's okay soon. Best wishes.

[notpoodle]

just got back from the yard. still not 100% :( it only shows in trot though and its barely noticeable. hosed it off again today and shes back out in the field.

a new horse has been introduced to the herd, so i suspect there might have been some commotion related to that

julia

[eventerbabe]

could well be a stone bruise if theres been a bit of running about coz of the new horse. my mare gets them a lot :rolleyes: give it a week or so and it should get better :)

[notpoodle]

according to yard-guy she is a lot better than yesterday but still not 100%. she seems perky enough though! when i put her in the field, first thing she did was canter across the field to check up on a new horse thats arrived last night!

julia

[notpoodle]

argh :(

today her BACK hoof was rather warm, along with the joint where the fetlock is (my english is failing me here,sorry). i couldnt detect any swelling and she didnt object to me picking the foot in question up and prodding it. she didnt seem lame either - but then im not very good at telling lameness if theyre not blatantly hobbling :rolleyes: nobody was around at the yard this evening, so couldnt get a second opinion :( i have hose the leg in question, along with the front one where she had been lame in the first place.

would it be possible that something at the back (maybe pus in the sole? an abscess?) would cause her front to look lame? what could be causing heat in the hoof and joint that i cant feel and she doesnt seem to feel either??

julia
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ps: farrier is at the yard tomorrow, would there be any point in getting him to have a look?

[notpoodle]

anyone got any ideas or thoughts on this? or should i get the vet out asap if the leg is still warm tomorrow?

julia

[eml]

Yes if she looks slightly lame in trot it is possible the diagonal hind is the true cause. If there is heat in one foot I would tend towards that being the problem and because of the hard ground at the moment could just be bruising. Lots of my ponies look quite footy but run up sound on a surface. Have you somewhere soft you could try her?

I would ask farrier to check first, since he is coming anyway, before calling vet, as they are often better at diagnosing foot lameness and definately better at finding abcesses.

To answer an earlier point a foot abcess does not always lead to a high digital pulse, it depends where it is in the foor and if blood vessels are implicated

[alwaysfallingof]

Ok, first of all don't panic! :)
There's no harm in getting the farrier to have a look at it if he's already there. If nothing else he will be *very* good at spotting lameness and will be able to tell you for definite which leg it is she's lame on so you can concentrate on hosing and probing that one.
I personally wouldn't get the vet up straight away for a very slight lameness, does anyone else on your yard need the vet up soon?

[Cheko]

Yes, I think it would be a very good idea to get the farrier to have a look. Trouble is, at the moment, the ground is rock hard. Hopefully, that's all it'll be. They do have a habit of tearing round no matter how hard the ground is. Anyway, keep us all posted. All the best.

[notpoodle]

this is all very confusing :( she was absolutely fine again today, nothing warm, nothing swollen and not lame. farrier didnt come today, but will have him check it out next weel just in case. im still puzzled how the leg was warm last night and wasnt today! i hosed it for ages last night, that might have helped ...

had a very good loom again at her hooves today ... they look absolutely fine, no thrush, no mudfever etc.

julia
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