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  Discussion on Odd lameness
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Posted on Saturday, May 6, 2000 - 11:30 pm:

I have a 5 yr. old MFT. I bought him two years ago. I did have him vetted but nothing wrong was evident. However, when I started riding him he would catch on his front right foot every once in awhile. To make a long story shorter-he was diagnosed as navicular- or at least with SOME navicular changes. But unwilling to give up I took him to a chiripractor/massage person. His hip was out of place. So he adjusted his hip and did some other work on him. After that he no longer would favor that leg and no longer shows any lameness when riding. That was over a year ago.

However, the problem I do have is that about every two weeks he is lame in the morning when I go out to feed. Almost three legged lame--but he walks out of it. I have even ridden on these days and he shows no lameness. It's almost as if his leg goes to sleep and he has to walk around on it for awhile in order to get back his circulation. Or maybe a tendon or whatever that needs to be stretched out before he can walk normally. I haven't taken him back to the vet. Do you have any ideas as to why this would be happening? Does this sound indicative of NS? I am giving him MSM, CortaFLX and have also started giving him Buteless. This is so wierd to me. Any help would be really appriecated!!!

Posted on Sunday, May 7, 2000 - 9:14 am:

Hello Marylee,
You see this diagnosis: "hip out of place" from chiropracters a lot, but this always strikes me as very unlikely. Horses with there hip luxated are three legged lame, unable to use the hind limb without a lot of pain. This could not be related to a problem characterized by: "a catching front foot". It also sounds like the navicular diagnosis was just as cavalier. I am uncertain what was causing your trouble or how it may be related to your newest problem. You need a accurate diagnosis to persue a rational treatment and prognosis of your current problem. See
The Horseman's Advisor: Equine Diseases: Lameness: The Diagnosis of Lameness in the Horse for more information.
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, May 9, 2000 - 11:08 am:

Dr. Oglesby,

Thank you very much for your response. However, I made a mistake in my message, It wasn't his hip, it was his right front shoulder they fixed. Guess that's my problem--don't know one end of my horse from the other. Anyway, does this make a difference in your advice?

I am going to get more x-rays and see what I can find out.

Marylee

Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2000 - 7:40 am:

No. You need to pursue an accurate diagnosis of what is causing the current lameness.
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 7, 2002 - 8:39 am:

In my veterinarian practice many horses are taken to one of several traveling horse chiropracters and always comment on the great things they accomplish at $100.0 to $75.00 per treatment. One of the best is pulling the tail up between the hind legs and popping their lower backs into alignment. They also go along the neck and back finding dislocated shoulders; vetebrae out and other spinal problems which are replaced with a popping noise. The owners say horses act and preform better. I've been practicing for thirty years and feel like I'm missing something.

Posted on Thursday, Aug 8, 2002 - 6:14 am:

I have missed it to DrT. A vertebral lesion that is so severe that it completely paralyzes a horse requires a myelogram to diagnose but some of these folks, with just their eyes and hands, find misaligned vertebrae that result in training problems and are able to correct them with a shove. If these horses are truly doing better due to these adjustments, something not yet demonstrated to my eyes, I think the real reason remains unknown.
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Aug 8, 2002 - 4:24 pm:

Could be that some of these cantankerous horses are mistaking the "adjustments" for heavy duty discipline and decide to toe the line for awhile. How would you interpret tail pulling, head twisting and shoving and thumping?

Posted on Friday, Aug 9, 2002 - 9:13 am:

I have thought about that Elizabeth. It is possible that the movements, some of which are quite violent, may knock the horse "psychologically" down on the totem a notch or two.

Other thoughts I have had are that time alone is a powerful factor: time to heal, time to learn, time for other treatments that are frequently incorporated to work. Of course there is also the powerful thought, "I have addressed things so they should be better". This not only changes our perspective but gives us more confidence.

Of course some out there are saying, "maybe it just something YOU can't see DrO" .... and that always is possible so I promise to keep looking hard at it.
DrO

Posted on Friday, Aug 9, 2002 - 12:08 pm:

I haven't fully made up my mind about chiro for horses, but the one and only time I had chiropractic work done on me (after a hard fall), I felt SO much better. I know, horses are not built like people, but that experience leaves me wondering: if it worked for me, could it also work for the horse?

Of course, as with anything, the most important aspect is to have someone who knows what they are doing!

Posted on Monday, Aug 12, 2002 - 7:39 pm:

I would feel more confident if the horse chiropractors began with a good series of x-rays like the ones that treat people usually do.
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