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Discussion on Lame on one or both hind legs?
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Member:
leec
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Posted on Monday, Apr 25, 2011 - 11:46 am:
Hi Dr O,
My 6 yr old Appendix mare is off on one or both hind legs. There is no heat and no swelling that I can determine.
Here is the history:
Last Monday I had a riding lesson and my instructor noted that my mare seemed off on her left hind in her downward transition from canter to trot. The night before there were rails down between my mare and a new boarder – neither horse had any marks on them. After the lesson I put my mare away and she went over to the new boarder, they sniffed noses, the boarder squealed and struck out with a foreleg and my mare turned around and kicked out half-heartedly. She did hit the fence and when she walked away she hopped and held up her right hind for a few steps, then put weight on it, but it was obviously sore. Halfway between the fetlock and hock a bit of hair was mussied up and it seemed tender there. After a few minutes she appeared to be walking normally on it. The next day I moved her around from the ground a bit and noticed she did not want to move her right hind up and under herself, but the left seemed fine. I cancelled my lesson and cold hosed the area where she was tender after the fence kick the day before and gave her some Bute. By Friday she appeared to be reaching under herself equally with both hinds from the ground so I decided to try a little ride. I had no one to watch, but when I asked her to pick up the canter when circling to the right, she first hesitated then threw her head up when she went into it, and only held it for a couple of strides. After a few trot strides I asked her again and same thing. I stopped there. I didn’t give her any Bute on Saturday, as I wanted to see how sore she would be yesterday and maybe could get a better idea about what’s going on. I lunged her yesterday with a friend watching. There appears to be nothing off at the walk/trot in either direction. At the canter, she raced and scrambled into it to the left and did not look balanced. Went into it nicely to the right and seemed comfortable - this is the direction she struggled with under saddle... So, right or left or both??? Any ideas of what area of the leg(s) I should be considering if indeed she got her hind leg(s) hung up in the fence before the rails came down a week ago? Maybe I should be looking at her back? I did palpate her spine and got no reaction.
Thank you,
Lee C
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Member:
vickiann
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Posted on Monday, Apr 25, 2011 - 6:22 pm:
After it happened she could have been somewhat favoring the right when at liberty by placing more weight on the left, then causing her to get sore on that side?
Since you didn't see what happened when the rails were taken down there's no knowing whether there was an additional area where she hit the rail with another part of her body beyond where the hair was mussed up a bit and she palpated tender.
I've had horses put hind legs through rail fences a couple of times and injure themselves very high up on the inside at the top of the leg, in addition to lower injuries like you described.
After kicking into a fence I've also had a horse later come down with quittor in the impacted hoof.
Don't really know what to advise to do beyond perhaps checking her over again, looking for any additional sore or impacted areas, and if she is "off" I would not be inclined to ask anything of her at the present time.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Apr 26, 2011 - 7:49 am:
Hello Lee,
There is not any information in your post to deduce whether both legs are lame or not. We have some information that incriminates both legs but that is not the same as what might be going on now. I certainly would be suspicious of the area that the horse hit while you were watching but otherwise there is no information to localize the area of the leg either. The article on Localizing Lameness takes you through a step wise method of diagnosing lameness and you should follow its steps as far along as you can and if you still don't have answers you need to bring in professional help.
DrO
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Member:
leec
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Posted on Wednesday, Apr 27, 2011 - 12:06 pm:
I guess I was hoping there might be something specific to look at regarding the soreness appearing to be only at the canter  . I'm going to give her a few more days of rest and then see what I get on the lunge line. If there is no improvement I'll have the vet take a look.
Thank you,
Lee C
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Apr 27, 2011 - 2:23 pm:
If there is lameness in the leg I suspect a careful exam will pick it up at the trot Lee. This should help localize the problem.
DrO
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Member:
leec
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Posted on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 - 1:38 pm:
Hi all,
Just an update on this. I decided to take the 'rest and wait and see' route with this and I think I made a wrong call  On Monday I noticed a lump on the outside of her left hind – see pics. It was hard (didn’t pit when I applied pressure) and didn’t seem painful when I palpated it. However, on the lunge line at the walk, she had a slightly noticeable upwards head bob as that leg came in contact with the ground. I have the vet coming on Friday, but in the meantime should I ice the area and put her on Bute, bandage or ? Any thoughts Dr. O – does this appear to be/sound like a splint injury?
Thank you,
Lee C
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Friday, May 13, 2011 - 7:04 pm:
This is the region of the splint bone though some of the images of the swelling seem a little behind the splint. The description of a hard swelling is consistent with a splint also. As to treatment for a splint you can see our recommendations at HorseAdvice.com » Diseases of Horses » Lameness » Diseases of the Lower Limb » Diseases of the Splint Bones. You should note however that a head bob is most evident with front limb lameness, is there also evidence of hind limb lameness as discussed in the article associated with this area?
DrO
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Member:
leec
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Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 4:43 pm:
Hi Dr.O,
The vet was just here and she found a couple of things. The left hind is a tendon injury and she found a small splint high on the inside of the left front. She's prescribed DMSO for 10 days and Bute for the next 5. I'm to confine her to a small area and physio is to hand walk on hard ground. She going to write me more detailed instructions to pick up from her office tomorrow.
Lee C
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Member:
vickiann
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Posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 - 4:42 pm:
Hope the situation improves, Lee.
Good luck with the rehab.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 - 8:17 pm:
Thanks Lee, is there plans for ultrasounding the tendon?
DrO
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Member:
leec
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Posted on Sunday, May 22, 2011 - 12:43 pm:
Hi DrO,
In this case the vet felt confident that she wasn't going to find anything with ultrasound that would change how she would treat the injury at this time. However, if there was no sign of improvement in a week, she would reconsider and does want to see her in 4 weeks for a re-check. She has given me detailed and specific instructions for rehab over the next 3 months. The swelling/hard area has decreased considerably in the past week. The tendons (ligaments?) are nearly completely pronounced again. I will try to post a picture later today.
Thank you,
Lee C
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