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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
   
Location: Phoenix | So I've noticed that my horse's front leg looks like it's "becoming" crooked. Well, he's not locking his knee joint in his front leg. He's got most of his weight on it, but it's "loose" so to speak. He doesn't appear to be favoring it, he's just bending it and little and it makes his leg look crooked.. What could be happening? Arthritis in that knee? I put shoes on him and he's sound and feeling good but it still sits in my mind and worries me. Anyone have a similar experience?
Edited by hammer_time 2015-02-14 2:28 PM
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
 
| My old guy would do that when he needed injections in his pasterns, so it could be anywhere below the knee in that leg.
I have also seen a horse do this as in the knee some tissue grew inbetween the joint space so when the knee was locked into place the tissue would be pinched and caused pain. I can't remember the technical name for this, but to remove the tissue is a simple injection, Palesine, no damage to the joint and the side effect is amazing local antiinflammatory properties. |
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  Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | I've got one that stands buckled over pretty bad if she over does it. She was born with really contracted tendons and while her legs did straighten completely this seems to be a lasting effect. I don't ride her much because of it but she is completely sound.
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Yeah this is his....he's 16 and has never done this before. Probably wouldn't hurt to get x-Rays. I've been researching joint supplements because I know it would be good to get him on one. He moves pretty good tho. I'm always worrying and over analyzing this horse tho.....
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | The full body picture above is on uneven ground. But here's a pic from December when I first brought him out here and he's standing straight on it.
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Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | Is it just the pics or is that right knee swollen? |
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | You have something going on now. Its time to call the vet. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
| ajs2002 - 2015-02-11 1:59 PM
You have something going on now. Its time to call the vet.
I agree, I think for him to be fine a few months ago and now it's only in one leg, I would assume that something is going on. Did it start after getting shoed? |
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | No it was like that before he got shod. Knee isn't swollen, and doesnt have heat or anything, That's a terrible angle and he's very furry at the moment. |
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Expert
Posts: 1857
| hammer_time - 2015-02-11 3:18 PM
No it was like that before he got shod. Knee isn't swollen, and doesnt have heat or anything, That's a terrible angle and he's very furry at the moment.
maybe take him in for an ultra sound and just make sure that nothing is going on. Better to be safe than sorry! |
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 Night Chat Leader
Posts: 13150
Location: Home....Smiling M Farms | He looks like he has heel pain, he's not putting his weight down all the way through his knee to keep the pressure off the back of his foot. |
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 Loves to compete
Posts: 5760
Location: Oakdale, CA | I would take to vet asap! |
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | The sore heels is probably valid. That pic was taken when I was trying out that whole "barefoot" thing and he didn't take well to that. All we did for 3 weeks was walk because that's all he could tolerate. Which is OK, because I'm bringing back after a 3 year stint as a pasture pet. Fast forward to now and he's got shoes and he feels like a million bucks. But I'm still seeing glimpses of the almost bent leg and it does look a bit bigger than the other knee--but there's no soft tissue swelling that makes it FEEL bigger, you know? I'm scheduling a vet appointment for next week or this Friday if possible. Hopefully it's nothing major. But he is 16....wahhhh |
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Ok now I'm thinking he's navicular. Soreness in the heels probably occurred when I had him barefoot for the last couple of weeks. I'm trying to get the vet out or go to him in the next couple of days. Wish me luck. Crossing my fingers he's not navicular. He's not sore or lame though. Gahhhh I'm going to over analyze this until I get him looked at. |
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 Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | Mine started doing this when he was about 17. He had really "loose" knees. He would stand like your horse, but even when he stood square, I could easily push his leg forward. He just wasn't locking his knees and seemed to be keeping weight off of them. Like yours, he appeared sound. He has bad arthritis in both knees, the one that seems worse on film actually looks better on the outside...
While I was running him, I kept his joints injected and used polyglycan and glucasamine IV.
I had to retire him at age 19 due to a soft tissue injury (misdiagnosed, b/c vet initally thought it was his knees.)
The way he runs around and goofs off now that his injury is healed, I have a hard time believing those knees are very painful...
Good luck figuring your guy out!
Edited by just4fun 2015-02-11 11:27 PM
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Thanks for the input. That's how he is on that leg--a loose knee. It's not terribly severe tho. Just enough to make me question (and worry). Was the soft tissue injury related to the knee? Like he mis-diagnosed? |
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Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | hammer_time - 2015-02-12 12:08 AM Thanks for the input. That's how he is on that leg--a loose knee. It's not terribly severe tho. Just enough to make me question (and worry). Was the soft tissue injury related to the knee? Like he mis-diagnosed?
I don't think the soft tissue was related. He injured himself during the winter (he has winters off b/c I'm a wimp! lol!) I took him to a different vet that hadn't seen his knees. So, when he saw them on film, he didn't look anywhere else. Just said they were the cause and it was time to retire him. He is sound again after a year off.
After consulting with another vet, I've thought about trying to get him legged up this spring and just to see how it goes. Really, with older geldings, what do we have to lose? As long as they're feeling good and loving their job! Although, when they give 110%, it's hard to know when to call it quits. |
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Hmm....I'm hoping he's still just a little sore from being barefoot.....vet is coming out Saturday morning. We'll address the agitation while loping as well. |
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| Mine was diagnosed with a deep digital flexor injury last March (age 13) and closer to the time of injury he stood with his hurt foot all the way out, which is understandable, and now - he isn't completely sound yet - he will stand like that sort of. I would definitely be looking in the foot via x-ray and/or ultrasound and see what's going on! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 683
Location: Ohio | My older gelding showed the same exact symptoms with zero heat/swelling, suddenly standing like he was over at the knee. X-rays showed a bone lesion on his knee. He had the winter off and never showed lameness until I started conditioning harder later that spring and doing a lot of pattern work. Tight circles were the only thing that brought out any lameness, even then he just felt slightly stiff at times. He is retired now (19 yrs old), only option was a very expensive bone surgery that I couldn't afford at the time. He is 100% pasture sound and can be ridden on light trails / flat work, just handle hard turns or stops anymore. |
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Hmmmm.....gah I'm just hoping this won't cost me an arm and a leg to fix. Right now he's a glorified trail horse but I may start breakaway roping on him next year..... |
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | UPDATE: we're injecting the SI and hocks. X-ray of knee showed almost like a chip that hasn't detached yet....probably whacked it on something in turnout. Vet said he's seen racehorses with worse knees still running/racing. We are going to treat with Prevacox and come back in a couple months to see if its better/worse/same. Since he's sound on it, and I do light riding anyways, I'm OK with this. I'm glad we are addressing the hind end issues that I've always wondered about. |
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Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | Glad you were able to get him in and now have answeres.  |
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