Lameness

Gail pearce

New Member
Jul 17, 2019
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While out hacking, Horse goes lame. Sound in walk but lame in trot. Couldn’t find any swelling or heat in leg.
Cold hosed and bandaged. Box rest and got farrier out, Farrier couldn’t find any tender spots but advised to poultice anyway. Very small bit of puss came out. Farrier came back out to do other Horse and checked ours. He didn’t think anything wrong and said probably wasn’t proper puss. Trotted Horse on lunge and he was almost sound farrier agreed 100% better. He put shoe back on and we decided to box rest a few more days. Put Horse back on lunge to see if sound ready to turn out and Horse lame again. Any ideas. Please.
 
How lame is he? when you lunge is he better/worse on the hard/soft? better/worse with the lame leg inside/outside? is it definitely in the foot? shoulder tweaks can often look very similar to foot pain. If you got some puss out then it's possible it didn't fully drain the first time and will need more treatment but if you are at all unsure it's probably better to involve your vet to be on the safe side.
 
Farriers always my first call - did he mention possible bruising? Otherwise I'd call vet.
 
I had similar with mine last year I think, really strange lameness that was on and off for several days, but when he was lame he was very obviously lame. Of course when the vet came he was having a sound spell and she couldn't find anything wrong. She could only say it wasn't a fracture and almost definitely not an abscess either, although she was perplexed as to why he would be so on-off sound with a soft tissue injury. Anyway we treated it like a soft tissue with turn out in a very small penned off area of his paddock (she didn't want him on box rest as he has mild arthritis), rest and then bringing back into work slowly. A few weeks later the farrier dug out a huge abscess hole. He hadn't shown any reaction to the hoof testers and no obvious release of pus.

That's not to say yours is the same though obviously! Personally I'd get the vet out, but that's just me. There are others on our yard who would just turn out a horse with vague lameness to see if a bit of rest did the trick.
 
I would call the vet for advice, but I personally would not box rest for mild lameness.

My horse is lame in trot and has been for 18 months. He has had surgery, 7 months strict box rest and now has been out overnight for 3 months. We are now walking for 6 more months in the hope the injury will heal completely. After my experiences I would never box rest again unless it was a case of life or death (which to be fair it was for my horse at the time). Box rest caused severe behavioural problems, swelling (he had a gigantic sheath), stiffness (he could hardly move) and utter misery for both of us.

Anyway I digress. To answer your question, I say call the vet. The vet is the only person who can really help you.
 
I am another one who would call the vet.
Given my boys history. I wouldnt box rest him if he was mildly lame. Abscess lame with abscess i would still turn out. Abscess lame and no abscess box rest vet out strsight away.
 
Thanks for all advice, farrier coming back out and vet will be with us Friday.
The degree of lameness is different at times.
Will let you know what vet says. I am convinced it’s puss though. If he hadn’t been almost sound after poultice but as soon as we stopped quite lame. The reason I didn’t call vet at first is, they always tell you to cold hose and box rest.
 
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Thanks for all advice, farrier coming back out and vet will be with us Friday.
The degree of lameness is different at times.
Will let you know what vet says. I am convinced it’s puss though. If he hadn’t been almost sound after poultice but as soon as we stopped quite lame. The reason I didn’t call vet at first is, they always tell you to cold hose and box rest.

I have to say my vets are far more helpful than that, always have been, and with the current tendency to sue for anything and everything I'm amazed any practice would be that blasé.
 
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