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Barnmice Community -> Barnmice Forums -> Horse Health -> Injury or speculative lameness...
Post Info TOPIC: Injury or speculative lameness...
Jackie Cochran


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Date: Dec 18, 2012
Injury or speculative lameness...
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The hip joint is buried pretty deep under the most powerful muscles in the horse's body. If it is the hip joint I definitely would not be happy at all. But in all the decades I've been with horses I have not heard of problems with the hip joint itself. I am sure I will get plenty of flack for saying this, but I personally never had a person tell me that her pleasure horse is lame because of its hip joint. If your horse was a race horse or show jumper it would be different as anything can happen there.

LOTS of horses can have problems with their stifle joints (the leg joint just behind the bottom of the belly) especially if they have straight hind legs. A few months ago a mare I ride would not let me pick up one hind leg. The barn owner (a VERY experienced horsewoman) looked at her, and looked very carefully at the sole of her foot that she would not put weight on. Since she could find no problems in the hoof she decided it looked like a stifle problem and backed her up quite a bit.  The mare seemed to get better but she still got a week off of any work. 

Horses have been known to hurt their hip bones (the part that you see jutting out to the side above the flank) if they run it into something. It hasn't ever happened to me but I've read about it in vet books.

Get the vet out if possible. I do not know what the weather is like where you are. If the vet could not get out to my horses right away I used to hose the horse's leg with cold water for 20 minutes twice a day, the vets did not seem to mind at all, and they told me that it was probably the best thing I could do until they got to the horse. Of course this was almost 25 years ago and I am sure that there are a lot more effective therapies today. Once I was out in an ice storm hosing my mare's swollen knee down, but I am in NC so it was not much below freezing. People thought I was crazy but the swelling went down.

Hosing down is NOT a substitute for a vet. It is something a person can do that usually won't hurt and may help the horse a little.

Since he is alone in the pasture and has just been trimmed I do suspect a hoof abcess. Do not work your horse other than hand walking until the veterinarian tells you that the horse is sound again. If you start work too soon it can make the problem a LOT WORSE. I'd lose 1-2 weeks of riding with a hoof abcess (soaking it once or twice a day in warm water with Epsom salts), and with other problems it took up to 6 weeks to heal, and of course with the broken bone (green stick fracture) it was 3-4 months after the injury, with me doing around 2 months of physical therapy, before the vet said the horse could be ridden.

Let us all hope that this is a hoof abcess or stifle problem! Quick diagnosis and proven effective therapies. A knocked hip bone is not a total disaster either usually, it just takes time to heal.

GET A VET OUT if your horse is still refusing to put weight on his leg tomorrow. They do not make wheelchairs for horses.



-- Edited by Jackie Cochran on Tuesday 18th of December 2012 08:43:45 PM

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Starbuxchic


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Date: Dec 19, 2012
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I will go into more detail in explain tomorrow when I figure out what is going on but here is a synopsis. A few days ago I was trying to lunge Flynn, as I try to lunge him he tried to kick out at me multiple times so I would stop. I figured maybe it was something to do with this feet getting done the past week or him just being well being a horse. Today I received a message from the barn owner letting me know that he has gone lame in his back left leg. He appears to be in much pain and would not apply pressure to that leg. I'm going out tomorrow to check on him and see what possibly needs to be done. I don't want to call a vet out there for something that we're just going to speculate about and waste money that I don't have. I was wondering if any of the people on the form have had a horse bump if it before in pasture and had it been so sore that they have not want to apply pressure. He is stall bound for the night he won't be going back in the pasture and we will see if it's improved any by morning. I will post pictures when I go out tomorrow maybe you all can give me some insight if you had any issues like this before. He hasn't been ridden in a few weeks he's by himself in the pasture and as I said he recently had his feet done.

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Jackie Cochran


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Date: Dec 19, 2012
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If he is not putting weight on his hind leg? I definitely would call the vet.
My immediate guess would be a hoof abcess, or a stifle problem? But I am NOT a vet, the only times I had a horse refuse to put weight on his foot was hoof abcesses, a green stick fracture, a stifle problem and suspensiatory ligament issues. If you are lucky it is just a hoof abcess, and the vet will tell you how to treat it. But this is not something you can assume. If it is a stifle problem the vet can show you what to do if it happens again.

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Starbuxchic


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Date: Dec 19, 2012
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Yeah I was thinking hoof abscess too. But after talking to the barn owner again it seems it is his hip. They checked for all the signs of the others but nothing. Being a first time horse owner when I hear "it was def the hip, I will show you when you get here tomorrow" really brings out a lot of worry

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Barnmice Media


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Date: Dec 19, 2012
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Hi Starbuxchic,

Jackie has given you some good advice here, I would echo what she has said. I hope your horse gets better soon and is only off with something minor like a hoof abcess. Keep us updated! 



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Starbuxchic


Yearling

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Date: Dec 22, 2012
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Jackie had amazing advice. I kept in contact with them daily in case we needed to call the vet out but the next day he was applying pressure he's putting his weight on and he walks without a problem. I had talked more in depth with the barn owner and apparently when he started limping his back leg was completely soaked as if he had maybe fallen or had been rolled and rolled on to something. I did have the vet on call in case luckily he has greatly improved and went through his first winter blanketing yesterday. Considering he's never been blanketed that was a little frightening. But thank you I really enjoyed knowing that I can talk to people about these issues and receive sound and amazing advice I appreciate your help. :)

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Jackie Cochran


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Date: Dec 22, 2012
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Yeah, he put weight on his leg!!!!
If he fell on his leg there could be bruising. If he can walk without a problem I still recommend hand walking at least a few times before you lunge or ride him again, mostly to give the horse a chance to tell you what he thinks about it all. Remember that bruising can take a few weeks to resolve totally. Sure that can put ambitious training on hold, but believe me your horse does not care about any training schedule.
I would still consider light hosing, it will cool the bruised tissue down and it will help the extra liquid in the bruise to move out and get replaced with fresh blood. I have found it simply amazing how horses often get better if their humans are doing SOMETHING, and the hosing seems to work well with bruising and swellings.

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