Lameness?

[copper76]

CAN ANYONE HELP WITH MY HORSE?
I HAVE OWNED HIM FOR 4 YRS SINCE HE WAS A 2 YR OLD AND UP UNTIL NOV 00 HE HAS NEVER BEEN LAME IN HIS LIFE.i TURNED HIM OUT IN THE FIELD AND WHEN I BOUGHT HIM BACK IN HE WAS LAME.THE FARRIER CAME OUT AND SUGGESTED THAT I POULTICED HIM AND PUT HIM ON BOX REST AS THERE WAS NO HEAT /SWELLING ANY WHERE WHICH I DID AND AFTER 3/4 DAYS HE WAS SOUND DO I BOUGHT HIM BACK INTO WORK AND TURNED HIM OUT AGAIN BUT AFTER ABOUT 2 WKS HE WAS LAME AGAIN SO I CALLED THE VET WHO DID VARIOUS FLEXION TEST AND HOOF TESTS BUT COULD FIND NOTHING SO SUGGESTED I RESTED HIM UNTIL HE CAME RIGHT WHICH AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS HE DID,HE THEN STAYED SOUND FOR A FEW WEEKS AND HE WAS JUMPING ECT (INC COMPETIONS)THEN HE WENT LAME AGAIN!!I CALLED THE VET AGAIN AND THIS TIME HE WAS NERVEBLOCKED AND THE LOWER LEG WAS SEEMING TO CAUSING A PROBLEM SO WE BOOKED HIM IN FOR LOWER LEG XRAYS.(MEANWHILE HE PUT A SPLINT THROUGH).THE XRAYS SHOWED NOTHING UNUSAL AND THE HORSE WAS SOUND SO HE WAS WORKED AND WAS FINE FOR 3 MONTHS ,WE TOOK HIM BACK FOR CHECK UP XRAYS AND AGAIN HE WAS GIVEN THE ALL CLEAR.
HE STAYED SOUND AND COMPETED BEING PLACED S.J. AND X.C,HE ALSO WON PRELIM AND NOVICE DRESSAGE AND WON MAY HUNTER/WORKER CLASSES.
THEN IN JUME HE WENT LAME AGAIN SO BEING FED UP BY THIS TIME I TOOK MY HORSE TO A DIFFERENT VET WHO RE-NERVE BLOCKED AND RE-XRAYED.THIS VET COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH HIM OTHER THAN WHEN HE WAS XRAYED THERE WAS SOME SHADOWS IN THE NAVICULAR AREA SO AS THEY WERE NO OTHER PROBLEMS TO TREAT THIS IS WHAT WE TREATED.THE HORSE THEN HAD 3 X SHOCKWAVE TREATMENT,12 WKS NAVILOX AND 4 WKS OF BUTE.THE HORSE WAS AGAIN SOUND BUT AS HE CAN BE SOUND ANYWAY FOR MONTHS I AM NOT SURE THE TREATMAENT WAS THE REASON.HE STAYED SOUND UNTIL OCTOBER WITH JUST 2/3 OFF DAYS WHEN I JUST GAVE HIM A BUTE.HE ALSO HAD A DIFFERENT FARRIER AND WAS PUT INTO EGG BAR SHOES.
HE WAS RE XRAYED IN OCT 2001 AND THE XRAYS HAD NOT CHANGED AND HE WAS SOUND ON TIGHT CIRCLE ON A HARD SURFACE SO THE VET SUGGESTED HE COULD GO INTO HARDER WORK AND P'HAPS DO A BIT OF DRESSAGE.SO PLEASED,I TOOK HIM HOME.THEN HE WENT LAME AGAIN!!BUT HE WAS ONLY LAME WHEN TROTTED IN HAND NEVER WHEN RIDDEN OR LUNGED-YOU COULD TROT STRAIGHT AWAY AND HE WAS ALWAYS SOUND ,IT WAS AS IF HE WAS THINKING IT WOULD HURT BEFORE GIVING IT A GO!THE VET SAID TO CARRY ON WORKING HIM AS HE WAS SOUND WHEN WORKED.
I ALSO LET HIM WEAR MAGNETIC OVERREACH BOOTS IN BED.
ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO A PUT HIM ON MSM POWDER AS SOMEONE SAID IT WAS GOOD AND AFTER 2 WEEKS OF BEING ON THIS HE WAS 99.99% SOUND.HE HAS SINCE BEING DOING POLE WORK AND SOME SMALL JUMPS AND PLENTY OF HACKING AND FLATWORK.HE ALSO IS LUNGED AND DOES LATERAL WORK WITH NO LAMENESS OR STIFFNESS AFTERWOODS-HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD MSM WORK THIS WELL.WE EVEN REMOVED HIS EGGBAR SHOES AND PUT NORMAL ONES ON TO SEEIF THE SHOES ARE WHAT ARE KEEPING HIM SOUND-CAN ANYONE SUGGEST HELPFUL SHOES OTHER THAN EGGBARS?
MY HORSE HAS NO OTHER SIGNS OF NAVICULAR OTHER THAN THE LAMENESS:
*HE IS SOUND ON A CIRCLE(TIGHT) ON BOTH REINS
*HE CAN DO LOVLEY LENGHTHEN STRIDED GETTING 8'S IN THE DRESSAGE ARENA
*HE DOESN'T HAVE A CHOPPY STRIDE
*HE NEVER TRIPS OR STUMBLES
*HE NEVER WEIGHT SHIFTS
*HE NEVER POINTS A TOE AND STANDS WITH THE WEIGHT ON HIS HEELS.
*HE STAYED SOUND AFTER BEING ON BOX REST WITH NO SHOES ON FOR 3 DAYS AFTER X RAYS.
I TOOK HIOM BACK TO THE VETS FOR A CHECK UP LAST WEEK AND HE WAS SOUND ON THE HARD ON A VERY TIGHT CIRCLE IN TROT ON THE LUNGE.
HE WAS XRAYED AND THEY WERE REALLY GOOD.
HE THEN GOT A STONE WEDGED BETWEEN HIS FROG AND HIS SHOE AND IS SLIGHTLY UNLEVEL ON THE HARD IN TROT BUT COMPLETLEY SOUND ON THE LUNGE IN THE SCHOOLA ND WHEN CHARGING ABOUT THE FIELD.
HE HAS GOT SLIGHTLY TURNED IN FEET-WHICH ARE IMPROVING WITH A NEW FARRIER-COULD FOOT BALANCE JUST BE THE PROBLEM?
I AM SORRY THIS IS SO LONG BUT IF ANYONE CAN HELP OR SHED ANY LIGHT OR SEND ME HELPFUL INFO OR STORIES I WOULD BE GRATEFUL-DOES HE HAVE NAVICULAR OR IS IT A QUESTION OF FOOT BALANCE OR IS IT JUST A MYSTERY LAMENESS??
THANKS IN ADVANCE!
HAILEYWILDER@MAIL.IE

[ponyvet]

If his foot balance is poor then yes this could well be the problem. Is it bad? If you can post a photo either I or Wally can tell you. If so you need to address this and see what happens. A lot of unexplained, unspecific lamenesses are related to poor foot balance, and a remarkable difference can be made.

However this sort of vague intermittent lameness with no specific signs can also fit in with navicular syndrome, but could also be one or two other things. I'll print out your post (as it's quite long and complicated) and have a think.

[copper76]

THANKS FOR THE REPLY PONY VET-I HAVEN'T GOT THE FACILITY TO POST A PHOTO BUT WITH RE:TO THE FOOT BALANCE HIS TOES WERE TURNING IN ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO BUT I GOT A NEW FARRIER AND CHANGED HIS SHOES AND NOW THEY ARE STARTING TO STRAIGHTEN OUT.
HOPE THIS HELPS!!
HAILEY

[ponyvet]

I think sorting out the hoof balance is the best way to go, as regardless of anything else going on that's a very important thing to a horse. Poor foot balance means that the strains on all of his muscles, tendons, bones and joints are not evenly distributed as they should be. You try walking around on the edges of your feet for a while and see how the rest of your leg feels. Even after a few strides your knees will feel stretched, imagine being a horse and having to walk like that all day every day! :)

I still think navicular could be the problem.

[clipclop]

If it is a foot balance or navicula problem the i can reccomend Cytek shoes.

My horse has been wearing them for some moths now and has definately pidgeon toed. Her hooves are slightly changing shape and she used to have a problem with stumbling ,but not anymore.

Also my farrrier has had reports from other owners with horses with navicular of these horses becoming soun with these shoes.

You need to find a Cytek trained farrier to supply and fit these shoes as ordinary farriers don't carry and are not allowed to fit them before attended a course.

Details and information about Cytek shoes can be found on their website. I can't remember the address but the link is on.

htp://www.Horse-directory.co.uk/articles.htm

Ponyvet. Have you come across these shoes?

[ponyvet]

yes. Cytek is a brand name for a shoe with a rolled toe, which is set slightly further back on the foot to bring the breakover point backwards. In a horse with good foot balance they would be crippling, but those type of feet are so rare, it's fair to say most horses would benefit from this type of shoe. They don't sell them to anyone who hasn't been trained but all farriers are capable of trimming a horses foot correctly (well I say all but there are some who still think long toes and low heels are good!!:mad: ), and they are all capable of putting a rolled toe shoe on.

Basically with all of these trendy foot things it all comes down to having good foot balance, and good shoeing. Unfortunately it's not always done well, and there are still farriers out there who don't trim properly, use short shoes and the horse ends up with a poorly balanced foot.

look on this thread for my piccies of good and bad foot balance:

Correctly trimmed/shod hoof