# My horse is limping, but I can't figure out why?



## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

I apologize that this is long, but I am really just stumped with what might be causing this. So if you have the time, please read the whole thing! I would love some new ideas....

I have a 12-year-old APHA gelding. He is 16.1 hh and I have owned him since he was 6 months old. Our favorite thing to do is barrel racing, but we also do all the other events at the gymkhanas/horse shows as well as some showing events (western pleasure, reining, etc). Basically, I've done EVERYTHING with him! Most of our riding consists of trail riding or working cattle. 

When he was 5 years old, he got his left front foot into the barbed wire fence and injured himself severely. I didn't ride him for a whole year after it happened. We thought for sure he would be nothing more than a pasture ornament for the rest of his life. He had been cut from the outside of his foot, starting at the coronary band, all the way down and around and under the hoof at the back. It was a mess. However, quite miraculously, he has been 100% sound and back to barrel racing ever since. His foot is just a bit funky looking now with all the scar tissue. He has never worn shoes as he doesn't have a need for them. I did inquire about corrective shoeing during the time he healed up, but the farrier thought it best to leave him barefoot. 

Well, I guess he has been 100% sound until this year. I am currently going to optometry school and my parents have been keeping him for me. I only got about a month and a half off this past summer, but which of all I was home the whole time and was riding him every day. About a few weeks in, I noticed that he was favoring his left leg but only when we would trot. I couldn't feel a thing when we walked, or galloped (lead did not matter). The first time it happened, I got off right away to see if he had a rock in his hoof but there was nothing. I felt both his front legs for any heat or swelling but there was nothing. 

This continued quite randomly off and on for the rest of the break I was home and riding him. I couldn't see a pattern or a reason why he would be limping on a certain day or not. And surprisingly, this was the best barrel racing season we've had yet (albeit it was quite short!) and we were winning in the 1D that when we've never been out of the 2D in years past! So I was very impressed with him and really wish I had a longer break...

Now, when I am not home, he does not get ridden very often (seriously maybe 3 or 4 times MAX the whole year) because my mom is the only other rider and she has her own horse to ride. However, she did tell me last week on the phone that she has noticed him limping out in the pasture. I forgot to ask her if it was when he was walking or trotting. But she did say she still sees him tearing around the pasture like crazy doing the playing stuff he does, as if nothing hurts. She did decide to ride him one day last week and actually didn't go very far because he started limping. She felt so bad for him that she got off the last quarter mile and led him home he was limping so bad. She's also checked his legs, hooves, etc and can't seem to see anything that would be causing him to limp. 

So the only thing I can come up with is that he may be having some early arthritis.

During the year we were letting him heal from his injury, we did have X-rays done to see if the wire had gone all the way to the bone or not. The vet said everything looked okay except for one little spot where the wire may have hit bone. She couldn't tell because of course, the X-ray was slightly blurry in the area of question. She said that if it did hit bone, it is possible he could have early arthritis problems. 

So does this sound like arthritis? What do you guys think? If it is, what supplements/treatment can I give him? He is a VERY picky eater...

Any other ideas of what this could be???


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## meemoicloee23 (Oct 2, 2010)

you said that you only had a month of and a half of training and you were competing at a gallop, barrel racing puts alot of pressure on a horse and they need to be very fit for them to do so. you said he doesn't get riddin much so my theory is he got into the gallop around barels a little to fast, (as in he needed to be a little fitter before you started) and now hes probably lame. you should call the vet and have him take a look at your pony


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

meemoicloee23 said:


> you said that you only had a month of and a half of training and you were competing at a gallop, barrel racing puts alot of pressure on a horse and they need to be very fit for them to do so. you said he doesn't get riddin much so my theory is he got into the gallop around barels a little to fast, (as in he needed to be a little fitter before you started) and now hes probably lame. you should call the vet and have him take a look at your pony


I should have clarified that I actually first noticed the limping BEFORE I took him to any barrel races or shows during my break. I rode him every day for a few weeks to get him at least a little bit of shape before I asked him to perform at a race or show. Overall, he never gets much out of shape (it's quite amazing, actually). He will sit all winter long with his head in a round bale 24/7 and never even get a hay belly. 

And now, he has been sitting at home in the open pasture for over a month with rest and relaxation, doing whatever he pleases, and yet he is still spontaneously limping. 

But yes, I do realize I was home for a very short time (only a month and a half) which is not much time to get him into shape for much of anything, so we only went to 4 things during that time. I do not use whips or spurs on him ever at a show; he runs freely himself.


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## meemoicloee23 (Oct 2, 2010)

alright well then it sounds like you knew what you were doing, you should still get a vet to chek him out


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

meemoicloee23 said:


> alright well then it sounds like you knew what you were doing, you should still get a vet to chek him out


My only concern is that the day I decide to haul him to a vet (keeping in mind the closest one is 70 miles away, which would be 140 round-trip) or have the vet come see him (which is a minimum $100 for the trip alone) is that of course that would be the day he is fine with no limp. And I'm not so sure it would be a good evaluation if they cannot see first-hand how and where he is limping. 

My other problem is that my parents are keeping him for me right now while I am in school. And being in graduate school = no money. I myself would not hesitate to take him to the vet for a problem such as this once I am on my own in a few years, but right now I am not the one who would be paying the vet bill. And unless the vet happens to be coming out for the cattle anyway, there's little to no chance that's going to get my parents to take him to the vet. It is just too expensive for a horse that is currently eating all the grass in the pasture. 

So ... that is why I have not already taken him to the vet and am here on a forum instead trying to figure out what may be wrong.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

It could be arthritis for sure, but it could be any number of other things also. I know that often horses with arthritis do much better with regular exercise, which could explain the flare-up now. 
Truly, you will never know the answer without an xray or ultrasound or nerve block or any combination thereof. You could treat him as though he has arthritis until you get the vet to see him. Arthritis supplements certainly won't hurt him. Glucosamine and Chondroitin are my sups of choice.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

NorthernMama said:


> It could be arthritis for sure, but it could be any number of other things also. I know that often horses with arthritis do much better with regular exercise, which could explain the flare-up now.
> Truly, you will never know the answer without an xray or ultrasound or nerve block or any combination thereof. You could treat him as though he has arthritis until you get the vet to see him. Arthritis supplements certainly won't hurt him. Glucosamine and Chondroitin are my sups of choice.


Have you ever had horses that wouldn't eat it? (I'm assuming it comes in pellet form or something similar.) Or do you have a particular brand that you seem like like best? I've never used supplements ever, and neither has my mom, so I certainly feel un-educated in that sort of thing.

I have thought about starting him on something like that anyway, just to help prevent it or slow the progression in the long run, but I haven't yet. I am almost certainly convinced he will NOT eat it either. He is the pickiest eater I have ever seen. He even turns his nose up to certain feeds! Those should be like candy!

'Course, this is probably also why he never has a hay belly in the winter. The hay bale is there 24/7 but he probably picks through it so much, being so picky, that he probably doesn't eat that much. (And yes, it is good quality hay. We hay it ourselves.)


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## My Beau (Jan 2, 2009)

beau159 said:


> My only concern is that the day I decide to haul him to a vet (keeping in mind the closest one is 70 miles away, which would be 140 round-trip) or have the vet come see him (which is a minimum $100 for the trip alone) is that of course that would be the day he is fine with no limp. And I'm not so sure it would be a good evaluation if they cannot see first-hand how and where he is limping.


That's a chance you have to take. My vet charged me $95 for a same-day farm-call fee, just today... and they're office is only about 25 miles away. 

And the vet should be able to see even a minute lameness, or they can flex him and make something show up.


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## haleylvsshammy (Jun 29, 2010)

If you're concerned about him not eating it, find a supplement on SmartPak. Call them and talk to them about a supplement, and they will send you samples. That way, you know that your horse will eat it before you buy it.

As far as knowing what is causing the lameness, a vet is the only real way to go.


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## tealamutt (Aug 21, 2009)

if there are bony changes (arthritis) your vet will not need him to limp to see this on the radiographs. I would be thinking about long term changes associated with that leg injury last year. Often a foot that is significantly different than the others will cause problems, especially after a return to work.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

tealamutt said:


> if there are bony changes (arthritis) your vet will not need him to limp to see this on the radiographs. I would be thinking about long term changes associated with that leg injury last year. Often a foot that is significantly different than the others will cause problems, especially after a return to work.


What do you mean "leg injury last year"?

His severe injury occurred 7 years ago. (He is now 12, it occurred when he was 5 years old, in the fall of 2003.)

I actually even took him to a barrel racing clinic in May of 2004 (so about 1 and a half years after the injury) with Lynn McKenzie and she watched us run in slow motion several times on video, and I specifically asked her if he looked lame or sore anywhere (as she noticed it on a few other horses) and she said he looks totally fine. 

I've also asked tons of trusted and knowledgable people at the horse shows I would go to, to watch my horse and I during an event to see if they can notice any signs of lameness, and no one ever could see anything.

I even entered him in a halter class at a local show and we took 2nd out of 7 geldings! Even with a bum scar-tissued foot! I spoke to the judge after the event because I wanted his opinion on his foot, and the judge said he could clearly see that it was not something he was born with and it did not affect his gait at the walk or trot at all, and therefore was strictly a cosmetic blemish. He also said if his hind end would have been a little more muscled, he would have placed him 1st!

So like I said, up until this year, he has been 100% sound with no signs of lameness. And now he's going this limping thing.


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## Deerly (Apr 18, 2010)

Your mom telling you on the phone the horse seemed to be limping w/ no other details really isn't enough to go on to tell you what's wrong or what could be the issue.

Honestly it could be something as simple as a rock in his foot or a sore muscle / light sprain. It could also be an abscess or arthritis or something much more serious.

A limp could be a problem with his foot, his leg, his back, all kinds of things that may make him uncomfortable. 

I think it's probably quite possible to get some help on the internet but you need to provide more information! Maybe even a video of him being walked / trotted so people can see what you mean by "limp" and narrow down where the lameness may be coming from. 

You can use hoof testers on his feet (since he's barefoot) and feel for heat or swelling in the leg. If it's a really dramatic limp out of the blue I would probably think it's an abscess.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Deerly said:


> Your mom telling you on the phone the horse seemed to be limping w/ no other details really isn't enough to go on to tell you what's wrong or what could be the issue.
> 
> Honestly it could be something as simple as a rock in his foot or a sore muscle / light sprain. It could also be an abscess or arthritis or something much more serious.
> 
> ...


Yes, you are right my mom did not give me any other details when she saw him out in the pasture limping the first time. She was just walking across the yard and saw them moving around out there in the pasture and noticed it, but didn't have time to go look. 

However, I should have said that she does try to check the horses (including her own, who we have to constantly monitor for foundering) at least every couple days. So she has looked him over since then. Plus, I DID say that the day she rode him and he was limping, she did check him over for any rocks in his feet, any swelling or heat from his joints, or any obvious outward signs of lameness, only to find nothing. 

As far as it being a sore muscle or a light sprain ... would that really be something that could be happening over the total span of almost 3 months, and occuring randomly during that time? It was the middle of July when I started riding him during my short break, and now it is October. I guess I would assume if it was a sore muscle or something, it would have healed on its own by now, especially since he has just been sitting in the pasture resting for over a month? I guess I would also assume he would consistently be limping if it was a sore muscle or light sprain, because it would always hurt? But I guess there could be "worse" days than others....

I would absolutely love to post a video, but as I mentioned, I am 1600 miles away in grad school. That doesn't work to well to get a video of him.  And my parents have dial-up internet still, so there's no way my mom could upload a video with that. I wish I could though.

We don't have a hoof testers, but like I said, my mom has already checked his feet and legs for any signs, as I did as well when I was home. Although not a hoof tester, I did pick at his foot with the hoof pick to try to see if there were any tender spots. I didn't find anything. 

And his limp (at least when I was riding him) was not a huge dramatic limp, but it was easily noticable. I guess I have personally never seen a hoof absess, but I would assume it would be something obvious to see? 

*I really do appreciate all the ideas guys! Keep 'em coming!!*


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## beauforever23 (May 6, 2010)

i would say that he's lame. maybe some laminitis, but could be arthritis. i'm not a vet nor am i a farrier so i couldn't say but, good luck with him and i hope he gets better  i would also suggest since he's limping that you give him some time off and get a vet down


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Dont arthritic problems kind of go away with exercize? I mean, when you first start trotting, there is the limp, but after he warms up it goes away?


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

beau159 -- The supplements I bought for arthritis I got at a natural food store. They were in powder form. What I did was sprinkle them over his pellets, then add just a bit of water so the powder would stick to the pellets. I've only given it to three horses, but none of them had issues with it. It would be easy enough to mix it onto anything they like, or to add something else to their pellets. There is no taste or smell to the powders I bought that *I* could tell. Though horses might be different.

tiny -- Arthritic symptons _can_ dissipate with exercise, but it really depends on the severity of the arthritis and on the horse. Regardless, arthritis is degenerative and will get worse no matter what we do. All we can do is try to slow the progression. Though I suppose some people with lots of $ and hor$e$ might go for surgical options in the right circumstances. Exercise will not cure arthritis; but lack of exercise and movement (ie. stalling) will certainly have a negative impact from my experience.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

> i would say that he's lame. maybe some laminitis, but could be arthritis. i'm not a vet nor am i a farrier so i couldn't say but, good luck with him and i hope he gets better  i would also suggest since he's limping that you give him some time off and get a vet down


He HAS been on REST since the end of August. He has only been ridden once since the end of August and that was the time I explained he was limping when my mother rode him.

NorthernMama: Thanks for the tip on powder supplements. If anything, I think that would be our best bet. However, I still doubt he will eat it because I did try to use FinishLine Ultra Fire a few years ago to give him a little more energy for our barrel racing runs. I got a ziploc-sized sample from the company to try, and it was in powder form. My little ****** would not even take a lick of it! Even put in with his feed! But I do recall there was some smell to it (I thought it smelled like yummy candy). The rest of our horses gobbled it up, but not him. 

But I guess you don't know until you try.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

My farrier is a huge wealth of knowledge. He can identify a problem in seconds that takes me ages and ages of looking. As he is coming out to your horse anyway, his advise costs your nothing. Hopefully your farrier is as good as mine, if not you really need to suck it up and call in a vet. $100 is not an excessive fee for such a large distance IMO.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

AlexS said:


> My farrier is a huge wealth of knowledge. He can identify a problem in seconds that takes me ages and ages of looking. As he is coming out to your horse anyway, his advise costs your nothing. Hopefully your farrier is as good as mine, if not you really need to suck it up and call in a vet. $100 is not an excessive fee for such a large distance IMO.


Actually, we do not have a farrier. My mom and I trim our horses hooves ourselves. We used to have one guy come out that also did some of the neighbors, but our horses would be sore after he left because he trimmed too short. He also was really rough with the horses and we did not like him. This was the first time we had ever had a farrier do any of our horses, but we had him come out for the first time the spring after my horse got his injury (spring of 2004) because his hoof was growing out funny and I didn't know how to handle trimming it. He trimmed it for about a year and then I felt I had done enough research and question-asking to tackle it myself. 

In the summer of 2008, I temporarily had my horse with me in a city, before I moved for graduate school. I used the same farrier that the lady did I was boarding with for the summer. My horse also was sore after his trimmings with him as well. 

When my mom's horse foundered that same summer, she took him to a local guy the spring of 2009 to get shoes put on her horse to help her transition back to riding, after being sore on her feet. He actually did a nice job with my mom's horse. He trimmed my horse and our other horse as well, but I didn't like how he filed the hooves because my horse got cracks in his hooves after going to him that summer! He has NEVER had crack problems with his hooves - not even his messed-up scarred hoof.

No, I did not go to farrier school but my horse has NEVER been sore after I have trimmed him nor have his feet ever cracked. Even though I hate trimming feet, after going through 3 farriers that I didn't necessarily like, I prefer to do it myself because there are no problems that result when I do. And it gives me the chance, I think, to really get to know my horse's feet inside and out. 

But long-drawn-out story short --> we do not have a farrier.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I am sorry that you have had bad experiences with farriers, mine is worth his weight in gold and I thought that it was worth suggesting as you had not mentioned your farrier issues before (at least in this thread). 

I understand that it is not possible for you to get a video but how can anyone comment on what is wrong with your horse without seeing it move? The lameness could be coming from any part of its leg or back, and it is impossible to say without seeing something. 

You are looking for a free fix without giving us anything to work with - and you are saying that posting pics or a video is impossible so the only answer is to either leave your horse lame or call a vet. And no, sorry the $100 call out fee is not a lot of money, your horse should be worth that to you. 

What would you do if something was really wrong with the horse and you cannot manage a $200+ vets bill? Don't get me wrong, I understand that we all have to dig deep but that is part of the responsibility of owning a horse, or a dog or a cat. I get that everyones financial situation is different, and I always live pay check to pay check, but I make sure I could manage $200 for a vet call if it were needed or I would not own the animal.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

There was nothing wrong with your farrier comment. I appreciate that you mentioned it. I just thought it best to explain why we do not have a farrier, and get ahead of anyone asking the question "how on earth can you not have a farrier?". I wish I have found a good farrier, like you have, but it unfortunately has not been the case. 

And I said that posting VIDEO was not possible. I never said that posting pics was not possible. No one has asked for them and although yes they would be helpful to show what his messed-up scarred foot/hoof looks like, I don't think it would necessarily add any more diagnostic information as to why he is limping since his hoof has been something that is constant. It has not had any sudden changes although yes, as we have discussed, it could be an arthritis issue. Which again, a picture is not going to help because it is a picture of the outside of his foot, not an x-ray. Plus, as I have stated, he does not have any outward signs of lumps, bumps, swelling, or anything of the like, so again, there is nothing a photograph would show in that area. I have some past photos of him on my computer that I can upload to photobucket or something and post them on here, but like I said, I don't know that it would add any more diagnostic information to lead to a confident diagnosis.

I hate to admit my inability to be independent at this point in my life, but right now I am living penny to penny on student loans and my parents until I graduate in a year and a half. Some would say "well go get a job" but most people never go through medical school and have no idea how difficult it is just to pass the classes. And it is impossible to understand unless you are going through it. If something was seriously wrong (like when my horse got himself hurt in 2003), yes we called the vet out because he was close to bleeding to death (actually is a miracle he didn't) and we absolutely needed it. But since his limping is not "killing him" in any way, my parents are not going to spend the money on him. And I am grateful enough to my parents for them to help me with my tuition and expenses that I know most parents either wouldn't do for their kids, or would be financially unable to do so even if they wanted too. No, my parents are by no means well-off, but my dad manages money very, very tightly .... which is why money is not spent on things that are not life threatening (such as a horse that is not being ridden and is just sitting in the pasture and limping occasionally). 

Would I spend the money on him if I was finally on my own and independent? You bet I would, and without a second thought.


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## Charis (Jul 6, 2010)

Vets can tell lameness, and have ways of testing for it where a truly lame horse cannot pass for sound. I also trust my farrier, and respect his opinion as much as my vet's when it comes to sone things. You're better off spending the money now on a vet's assessment than letting him get more sore or possibly throwing money down the drain with supplements that may not even help with the issue if you don't know WHAT you're treating in the first place.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cinnys Whinny (Apr 10, 2010)

Charis said:


> Vets can tell lameness, and have ways of testing for it where a truly lame horse cannot pass for sound. I also trust my farrier, and respect his opinion as much as my vet's when it comes to sone things. You're better off spending the money now on a vet's assessment than letting him get more sore or possibly throwing money down the drain with supplements that may not even help with the issue if you don't know WHAT you're treating in the first place.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I agree. If you treat with the wrong things, you can actually make matters worse in some cases. I do know what you mean about financial situations. I once sold my *entire* CD/DVD collection on Ebay to pay for a vet bill for my dog when it got into a case of chocolate bars (those ones you sell for school fund raising)...plus I had to pay for the chocolate.


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## Charis (Jul 6, 2010)

You can leave this "mystery lameness" alone and undiagnosed, but you'll pay for it in the ling run; either your horse will become pasture sound at best, or he will cost you more in vet bills to treat later on.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Charis (Jul 6, 2010)

beau159 said:


> I should have clarified that I actually first noticed the limping BEFORE I took him to any barrel races or shows during my break. I rode him every day for a few weeks to get him at least a little bit of shape
> 
> And now, he has been sitting at home in the open pasture for over a month with rest and relaxation, doing whatever he pleases, and yet he is still spontaneously limping.


Please clarify this for me; I read this as "I noticed he was lame, but ran him anyways, and he's been sore since." Am I misreading this passage? From this post and others, it sounds to me like you're working and running this lame horse on a regular or at least semi regular basis? I won't work a horse at all if they're even a bit off. You could be making the situation worse by continuing to work him if he's off. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I understand, now, your mistrust of farriers, and it's bad that you don't have a good one in the area. I also get that your mom has dial up but is it possible that she could send you some photos of him moving that you could post here? I think it is possible that someone could notice something in a photo. 

I am sorry for getting snippy with you earlier.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Charis said:


> You can leave this "mystery lameness" alone and undiagnosed, but you'll pay for it in the ling run; either your horse will become pasture sound at best, or he will cost you more in vet bills to treat later on.


This!

Charis, I read those posts the same way you do, about seeing the horse lame but running it anyway. I look forward to the clarifications.


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## mapleridgefarm (Sep 20, 2010)

I didnt notice where you live, but My concerns would be a foot issue (stone brusie, abcess... ect??), muscle issue, arthritis, or a tick borne disease. You can post a video on youtube and post the link on here, BUT the BEST thing to do is call your vet. The longer you wait the more damadge could be done.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Maybe I am not explaining things clearly because some of you are mis-reading what I am trying to say. Let me try to rephrase some of this so you can understand.

When I rode my horse --> from the middle of July to the end of August. He was ridden pretty much every day, between 3 and 5 miles out in the open country. Since the end of August, he has been on total pasture rest because I went back to school for the year.

When I went to events --> August 1st (local, low key fun horse show), August 4th (4D barrel race), August 15th (large horseshow/playday), August 18th (4D barrel race). He was NOT limping on any of these days or showing any signs of lamesness. If he was, I would have scratched.

When he was limping --> of course, I didn't write down these days. Before that first show, it was only a couple of times. And it was very random and not consistent. For example, the first time I noticed it was in the middle of a ride. He had a slight limp at the trot. We had already been trotting earlier in the ride and he didn't limp. We trotted later in the ride so I could check on him on our way home and he wasn't limping. 

He did not limp every day. Far from it. I would estimate I noticed him limping a total of 6 or 7 times during the 40+ rides he got. And again, not all of them were through the whole ride. 

Because the limping was such a sporadic thing and NOT constant, and since he has had no history of lameness and no signs of lameness on his body (no heat, swelling, tenderness, etc), I had no reason to think that this was a serious or chornic thing. My best judgement was that he had pulled something while playing in the pasture or maybe stepped funny earlier in the ride. 

What is NOW worrying me is the fact that my mom has noticed him limping despite being on 100% pasture rest for the last month and a half. If he had not been limping now, I wouldn't be here asking these questions because it seemed more of a fluke thing during that brief 1 1/2 months I rode. 

I would NEVER NEVER run a lame horse. But as I expained, I had no reason to believe there was a deeper or chronic problem at the time, and no reason to believe it wasn't a normal day-to-day soreness -- until now when he has been on pasture rest and is limping.


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## mapleridgefarm (Sep 20, 2010)

It sounds like lyme disease symptoms, but not sure where you are located....


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

mapleridgefarm said:


> It sounds like lyme disease symptoms, but not sure where you are located....


Could be any number of things, including navicular. The only way to know for sure is to have the vet out.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I don't want to come across rude, but if something bad is going on in leg and it won't be cared properly horse may go permanently lame or even worse be put down. For example, if you let an abscess to sit too long undrained it can cause real problems. I'm not saying this is the case, may be he just stepped on stone and bruised the leg, but you just never know. Forums are not the best place to get medical advise unless it's something you know for sure and just asking how other people deal with it.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Well said, Kitten_Val.


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## AdrienneS (Aug 13, 2010)

I'm not a expert in any of this at all but your horse sounds exactly like my friends and it turned out her horse has navicular. Some days he has no limp and others he's dead lame. She has wedge shoes on him now and that seems to help. I've also heard that barrel racing increases the chances of navicular. So maybe it has nothing to do with his previous injury and it's something else all together?

I'd pay the call out fee incase it's somethinhg you could catch before it gets worse.


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## Charis (Jul 6, 2010)

In my world of guess-ology, I would suspect perhaps navicular. The last horse I worked with that had navicular was inconsistently lame as well, depending on the day. Get a vet out.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## SecretHavenFarm (Aug 13, 2009)

Sorry, I dont have time to read threw all the replies. But this was happening with my QH, I later found out it was ringbone, so I would definatly get a vet out to xray before you do much more riding on him. Hope all turns out with your guy!


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## New_image (Oct 27, 2007)

I didn't read any responces but: Rule out an abcess. I had a mare who took six months to blow the abcess out, she was lame on and off during the whole time and no one could find out why. 
Secondly, rule out improper farrier work (much more likely than you think, everyones responce is "my farrier is great!" and ehhh not so much) If you can post pictures of the under side of his feet? 
Thirdly, Does he stand in a stall? 
And lastly, I have a goof ball five year old here who is always slightly lame on and off. He does so many amazing stunts in his free time out in his filed that he twists and ankle and is outchie for a day or two, typically only noticed under saddle at a trot. This is just him.

As an added note... Both the horse with an abcess and the gelding who over plays, were vetted with possible navicular. Rule out everything else before thinking its something too scarey. The vets were wrong in my case, the mare with abcess was fixed by proper farrier care. But by all means have an x-ray done if you susspect something like navicular or ring bone.


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