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  Discussion on Prolonged Lameness after ride
Author Message
New Member:
kimmart

Posted on Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 - 9:14 am:

I have a Tennessee walking horse gelding, 12 years old, that is experiencing lameness in his front legs. The lameness resulted from a trail ride that we did no May 14. The ride included some steep hills (up and down) and lots of flat dirt roads. He was ridden for about 3 hours at a walk and rack (mostly a walk). He didn't demonstrate any lameness on the ride or immediately after the ride, but the next day he walked very stiffly in his front end. His coronary band area was a little warm, but no swelling in the legs. I started him on bute which did seem to ease some of his pain. He laid down a lot the first couple of weeks after the ride. He is getting progressively better but more than a month later, he is still not walking comfortably. I notice that backing up and turning are difficult for him. When asked to back up, he first moves his body back with his front legs extended and then seems to struggle to pick up a foot and move it backwards.
Some years ago, one of my vets diagnosed him with navicular because he has a short stride, forges, and trips a lot on the second day of riding (first day he is fine-second day he trips). My farrier does not think this horse has navicular and we had been keeping him sound with frequent trimmings.
Within the last few weeks I have noticed a pronounced growth of gray hairs around his right front ankle (I have no idea if this is a symptom of anything). That leg does seem to be exhibit more stiffness than the other. He is moving around the pasture slowly now and does not lay down as much. I have read many of the articles regarding lameness here but I haven't really found a good answer. I thought he probably had laminitis at first, but I just didn't see any further signs of laminitis. He is not longer on bute because he has improved. I know that some injuries require an extended amount of time to improve. I am guessing that the steep hill riding strained something in his legs.
I am wondering where to go from here as I am worried that he is still stiff. Do I wait to see if he continues to improve? Do I have my vet come out and perform some tests? What do you recommend?
Thanks
Member:
juliem

Posted on Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 - 11:23 pm:

Welcome Kimberly, I think the answer is "Yes, time for a vet visit." A lameness that goes on this long needs attention and diagnosis so you can formulate a recovery plan. I wouldn't wait any longer if he were my horse.
New Member:
kimmart

Posted on Friday, Jun 25, 2010 - 7:32 am:

Thanks, Julie. My vet is scheduled to come out on Monday!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Jun 25, 2010 - 4:58 pm:

Welcome Kimberly,
I second Julie's good advice. The history is strongly suggestive of bruised soles and I have had horses that took several months to heal. Is he barefoot? Severe bruising of the soles can lead to founder. While waiting for your vet you should study HorseAdvice.com » Diseases of Horses » Lameness » Diseases of the Hoof » Hoof Abscesses, Bruises, and Gravels. The diagnosis article on the Diseases of the Hoof menu would be a good one too.
DrO
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