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Original poster

Horse suddenly a bit lame

43 replies

margarine17 · 04/05/2023 12:52

I am selling my horse as he is too good for me. A lovely lady drove over an hour to come and meet him and I went to the bottom of the paddock and when walking behind him to meet her I saw he was limping! Never happened before . I thought I was seeing things but the lady said as she patted him " he's so lovely but obviously lame".
I felt terrible. He was fine in the morning and has been totally sound the year I have had him. He was just stood in his paddock so no idea how he injured himself.
Had the farrier out today who found a tiny abscess in one back hoof. That was it. Said he will be right in a week.
But he was limping at the front.
My horsey neighbour watched him yesterday and thinks he is 3/5 on the lameness scale yesterday.
Farrier thinks he will be fine in a week.
Lady who wants to buy him is losing interest fast.
I'm a newby and totally confused.
Any help would be great.

OP posts:
JoeyRamonesHair · 04/05/2023 12:57

You're just going to have to be honest with the buyer; if they're interested they'll stick around and wait for it to get better, but be prepared for them to move on, sadly. It's just bad luck.

There's no saying how long it will take for the abscess to go - I've had a TB with a really bad one that turned into laminitis in all 4 hooves and five months of box rest to prevent the pedal bone from twisting. I've also had them clear up within a week.

Original poster
margarine17 · 04/05/2023 13:06

Thank you for reply. Is laminitis the same as founder. I thought that was more a pony thing. What would you recommend to do with him

OP posts:
XelaM · 04/05/2023 13:08

This exact thing happened to us!

We just had to wait for our pony to recover. Unfortunately, there's not much else you can do. It only took a week for her to be right as rain again. Our original buyer moved on, but we found another one. I just took it as a sign that our pony didn't want to go to the original buyer. 😬

Redebs · 04/05/2023 13:11

Your horse doesn't think he's too good for you; he's pulling a sickie so he can stay 😁

maxelly · 04/05/2023 13:25

If you're worried, the only thing to do really is call the vet, personally if there's no heat in any tendons or soles and he's comfortable/eating and not in any distress I'd leave it a week like the farrier said and see if it does clear up once the abscess is gone. Abscesses can make them go very suddenly/hopping lame whereas structural or muscular things can be more pernicious/slow growing. Laminitis (founder is another name for it) is more common in ponies but horses can get it too esp if a bit overweight, if it was that though I'd expect your farrier to pick it up - like I say I'd follow whatever farrier recommended in terms of rest and pouliticing etc (if recommended), if not better in a week either get farrier back for a second look or call in vet.... I wouldn't worry too much about the buyer, this one is probably a write-off anyway but horse sales market still seems bouyant so if he comes sound again soon you'll find another buyer...

twistyizzy · 04/05/2023 13:31

margarine17 · 04/05/2023 13:06

Thank you for reply. Is laminitis the same as founder. I thought that was more a pony thing. What would you recommend to do with him

Laminitis can occur in any breed. Usually linked to any horse who is overweight but also to PPID which can affect any horse.
The only way you will know for sure is to get vet out and I would always recommend this for any sort of lameness once abscess has been ruled out.
If anyone is saying they think your horse looks 3/5 lame then your horse is signifanctly lame (6/10 lame) so definitely get vet. 6/10 lameness isn't minor lameness.

Original poster
margarine17 · 04/05/2023 13:44

Oh. Thanks. That was my neighbour who said the 3/5 on the scale. The farrier watched him closely for 20 minutes and then said he saw it once. Horse has never been lame before.
No heat ( checked by me, neighbour, farrier and possible buyer).
Pulse is so low farrier was joking _ I'm sorry your horse is dead - Obviously not he is happy as larry.
So weird.
Farrier did say that horses do regularly "go lame' the minute you want them to do anything or sell them.
He was fine in the morning!!. by 3pm he's got this wee limp!

OP posts:
twistyizzy · 04/05/2023 13:49

margarine17 · 04/05/2023 13:44

Oh. Thanks. That was my neighbour who said the 3/5 on the scale. The farrier watched him closely for 20 minutes and then said he saw it once. Horse has never been lame before.
No heat ( checked by me, neighbour, farrier and possible buyer).
Pulse is so low farrier was joking _ I'm sorry your horse is dead - Obviously not he is happy as larry.
So weird.
Farrier did say that horses do regularly "go lame' the minute you want them to do anything or sell them.
He was fine in the morning!!. by 3pm he's got this wee limp!

Farriers aren't professionally able to make decisions on lameness. Yes horses do throw random lameness by tweaking themselves in field etc but the only way you will be able to judge it correctly is if you get the vet out.

Original poster
margarine17 · 04/05/2023 13:52

twistyizzy · 04/05/2023 13:31

Laminitis can occur in any breed. Usually linked to any horse who is overweight but also to PPID which can affect any horse.
The only way you will know for sure is to get vet out and I would always recommend this for any sort of lameness once abscess has been ruled out.
If anyone is saying they think your horse looks 3/5 lame then your horse is signifanctly lame (6/10 lame) so definitely get vet. 6/10 lameness isn't minor lameness.

Show quote history

You seem super knowledgeable. Thank you for replying. He does have an abscess though. SO farrier recommended the week wait. He is a bit overweight so thanks for mentioning that. I will pull back on the feeds.

OP posts:
twistyizzy · 04/05/2023 13:55

margarine17 · 04/05/2023 13:52

You seem super knowledgeable. Thank you for replying. He does have an abscess though. SO farrier recommended the week wait. He is a bit overweight so thanks for mentioning that. I will pull back on the feeds.

Show quote history

It isn't just feed you need to pull back on for lamintis, you need to get them off grazing immediately. But it might not be lami hence why i keep banging on about the vet. If it is laminitis it can go bad quickly and immediate action is required but it might not be lami so in that case you don't need to keep them off grass. Until you get the vet it is all guesswork and you could end up doing further damage by not treating appropriately to the issue.

Original poster
margarine17 · 04/05/2023 13:57

Redebs · 04/05/2023 13:11

Your horse doesn't think he's too good for you; he's pulling a sickie so he can stay 😁

@Redebs This thought had occurred to me. He lives in my backyard, with a Welshie who he loves( though she steals his food and nips him on the neck sometimes until he gets cross and puts his ears back and she runs away), but is hand fed, brushed , rugged , loved on by me and chats with all the horses in the neighours paddocks . He does a bit of lunging occasionally. A very happy horse

OP posts:
Original poster
margarine17 · 04/05/2023 13:59

twistyizzy · 04/05/2023 13:55

It isn't just feed you need to pull back on for lamintis, you need to get them off grazing immediately. But it might not be lami hence why i keep banging on about the vet. If it is laminitis it can go bad quickly and immediate action is required but it might not be lami so in that case you don't need to keep them off grass. Until you get the vet it is all guesswork and you could end up doing further damage by not treating appropriately to the issue.

Show quote history

We have almost no grass at the moment. I hand feed

OP posts:
Original poster
margarine17 · 04/05/2023 14:00

I'm Southern hemisphere

OP posts:
twistyizzy · 04/05/2023 14:00

margarine17 · 04/05/2023 13:59

We have almost no grass at the moment. I hand feed

Show quote history

Almost no grass can be too much for a lami horse. Plus the grass wil be growing even if you can't see it because the horses will be eating the new growth which is higest in sugar = bad for lami horses.

Original poster
margarine17 · 04/05/2023 14:11

Ok. I'll see how the abscess goes in the next week ( as the farrier suggested) . If he goes bad I will call the vet first thing. He honestly looks like a super happy healthy horse. Just the limp as of yesterday. Could barely see it today. I'm no expert but it took a lot of running him up and down his field for the farrier to finally see it.

What I wanted was help . SO - call vet if he gets in anyway worse
; check for heat - none at the moment; reduce his feeds; check his feet; walk him ( that may have been from somewhere else) as in on a lead.
Hope that 's right.
You people are fab!!

OP posts:
OrlandointheWilderness · 04/05/2023 16:43

Laminitic horses rarely present as lame in one leg, and present as 'footy' initially (if they are lame you've missed the first signs). Hard crest, overweight and underexercised. They will avoid putting pressure on the toes and distribute their weight more into the heels. It can also be caused by concussion.
With all due respect, as you don't seem particularly knowledgeable I would advise calling the vet out. With more experience I'd give it a few days, rest and bute and see if it resolved.

OrlandointheWilderness · 04/05/2023 16:45

What sort and type is he? Is he fit and regularly worked and what sort of things do you do with him? Is he shod? Any history of lameness?

Kyse · 04/05/2023 16:48

OrlandointheWilderness · 04/05/2023 16:43

Laminitic horses rarely present as lame in one leg, and present as 'footy' initially (if they are lame you've missed the first signs). Hard crest, overweight and underexercised. They will avoid putting pressure on the toes and distribute their weight more into the heels. It can also be caused by concussion.
With all due respect, as you don't seem particularly knowledgeable I would advise calling the vet out. With more experience I'd give it a few days, rest and bute and see if it resolved.

That ^^

It could just be a one off abscess, they do get them
Laminitis I always think they look like they're humans walking barefoot on a stone beach, that kind of footy walk

twistyizzy · 04/05/2023 17:59

OrlandointheWilderness · 04/05/2023 16:43

Laminitic horses rarely present as lame in one leg, and present as 'footy' initially (if they are lame you've missed the first signs). Hard crest, overweight and underexercised. They will avoid putting pressure on the toes and distribute their weight more into the heels. It can also be caused by concussion.
With all due respect, as you don't seem particularly knowledgeable I would advise calling the vet out. With more experience I'd give it a few days, rest and bute and see if it resolved.

Not always, if a PPID horse for example could be a fit horse. Although fat horses are more prone to lami it is a mistake to say that all horses who have lami fit the traditional image of a cresty, obese native horse.

OrlandointheWilderness · 04/05/2023 18:37

Oh I'm very well versed in laminitis and all its idiosyncrasies @twistyizzy, but in a fresh lameness on one leg it would be very unlikely this is the first thing you would think of really.

twistyizzy · 04/05/2023 18:55

OrlandointheWilderness · 04/05/2023 18:37

Oh I'm very well versed in laminitis and all its idiosyncrasies @twistyizzy, but in a fresh lameness on one leg it would be very unlikely this is the first thing you would think of really.

True but not unheard of to have lami symptoms in 1 hoof only. Mine did (a fit, lean TB).
I think the fundamental point though is that OP needs to call the vet as it is all guesswork up until then.

liveforsummer · 04/05/2023 19:34

Not always, if a PPID horse for example could be a fit horse. Although fat horses are more prone to lami it is a mistake to say that all horses who have lami fit the traditional image of a cresty, obese native horse.

Then there is stress laminitis - can be in one foot. Usually caused by over compensating from pain elsewhere but can be to do with hard ground etc too

Original poster
margarine17 · 05/05/2023 16:57

OrlandointheWilderness · 04/05/2023 16:45

What sort and type is he? Is he fit and regularly worked and what sort of things do you do with him? Is he shod? Any history of lameness?

Thanks everyone. He is slightly overweight. . Not cresty .
He is not regularly worked, not shod, no history of lameness to my knowledge, certainly not in the year I've had him.
He is a palomino quarterhorse.

OP posts:
Original poster
margarine17 · 08/05/2023 05:28

Getting the vet out as still trotting strangely on his right front foot . Walking fine. Not holding it up . I actually think its his shoulder but I'm a newby. Will see what the vet says.
This silly horse managed to jump the fence in the middle of the night ,when he was at a trainers and then was just stood outside his pen in the morning. Dented the fence and bruised himself but that was 2 months ago and he's been fine since then.
He's a doofus.

OP posts:
Original poster
margarine17 · 08/05/2023 05:34

Are pics allowed? Though it won't help will it.

OP posts: