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| Need to pick your brains about my 4 yo colt who has come up mildly lame this summer and no one has solved the puzzle yet. Would love any input. He has another apt at the vet Monday as well. Here is the q background on him. Bought him as a 2yo. Good looking and well put together. Only flaw was that his right front foot was a bit clubby and he was still butt-high. His 2 and 3 year old year was spent mostly trail riding with some light patterning thrown in the fall of last year. Through all this, he was right as rain. No issues. This spring, I started legging him up and patterning him to prepare for a barrel clinic. When I got to the clinic, he warmed up fine, but bucked a little around the barrel when I loped the pattern, as well as stumbled a few times. I pulled him out of the clinic and hauled him to the vet. He flexed sound on all four going straight, but limped on the right front (clubby foot) when turning in a circle that direction on the pavement. No heat or swelling anywhere. His back also presented very sore through the loin area. Directions were to give him some bute, rest him, and use a chiropractor. I did all three. About a month later, I hauled him back to the vet, his back was better, but he still limped when turned to the right on the pavement. The vet blocked the leg from the foot up. He thought he saw some improvement when he got above the foot (I personally thought he was still favoring). He then took a bunch of X-rays of the foot. He said the x-rays look pretty clean and that he couldn’t see any navicular issues and that the club wasn’t bad at all. He then went ahead and injected the foot in hopes it would make the colt more comfortable and sent us home. Absolutely no difference. Here are some of the symptoms I’ve seen over summer: more frequent urinating at first (maybe due to back pain), loose stool, stumbling, reluctance to want to move out, doesn’t want to be touched much, stands at the feeder with back legs parked up underneath him at times. Both rear legs pop when he walks. Still reacts a little when palpated at the loin area. He eats great and is absolutely fat and shiny, looks to be in perfect health. He is still butt high, so not sure if that is putting extra stress on the shoulder, but the shoulder doesn’t look to have any atropohy that is noticeable. He doesn’t short stride and has no problem taking the right lead. Here are some of the treatments we’ve tried: Omeprazole and probiotics in case of an ulcer, stall rest, Chiropractor, Massage, several supplements including one for a kidney cleanse. He is now just on Exceed 6-way and grass hay. Anyhow, I’m trying to figure out if I have a back problem leading to a front limp or a front limp leading to back soreness. Some people think I’m crazy and just want me to use him, but I know my horse and he had never limped on a tight circle before. The shoer says he doesn’t seem to have any stiffness in the back legs and his 2 cents are just that the colt is growing too fast (he is big!) and will probably even out and be right as rain. The JD Looks do mature late. I really want to use him next year. He is out of Captain Biankus and a AAA daughter of JD Look and he can flat fly. Sorry for the book, but I could really use some brain power here. I don’t want to just have the best looking trail horse lol.  |
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Location: Romoland CA | I know your guy is off in the front. But you mentioned him bucking around the barrels when he turns while loping. Have you looked into stifle issues or hock soreness? Soreness or issues in those areas classically manifest back issues like pain and stiffness and tender to the touch. Without seeing pictures of his front feet it is hard to say if he is balanced in his shoeing which I am sure that is the first thing you have looked at. Sounds like you treatment for ulcers is under control. On a scale of 1-5 five being the lamest what would you rate him at? |
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Member
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| In a straight line, it's a zero. When I turn him on pavement, it's between a grade 2 to a grade 3. We haven't X-rayed hocks yet. I have definitely had that on my radar though. He hasn't bucked since that day at the clinic. I think it might have been brewing before that and he hit the wall, so to speak. I do some hock stretches with him sometimes though, and he sure doesn't act painful that way. I will try to post a few leg/foot pics tomorrow if you wouldn't mind taking a look. I already have about $2000 into this so far. Itr's getting really frustrating. Sure wish he could talk!
Edited by shany5 2014-11-06 11:58 PM
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Member
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Location: Romoland CA | Yes definitely post the pictures you have. I am not a vet or an expert but I've had horses with similar issues that you are describing. It turned out to be in the stifle area but she was never off in her front end as you are describing with your guy. Hopefully you can find some answers. It is very frustrating to spend money and never get a clear diagnosis. Also some of your symptoms you describe are possible symptoms of EPM the stumbling, frequent urination, standing up underneath himself etc. I'm leaning towards something neuro but I'm not sure and it's hard to say.
Edited by BarrelRacingOnFaith 2014-11-07 12:40 AM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 499
Location: ARKANSAS | FIND ANOTHER VET!!! Get a Second Opion!!!! If it were you and you were not getting results and the dr was not finding anything then YOU would get a second opiion. IMO: i would start with having a blood analysis done first to make sure nothing was going on inside...as a 10 yr my barrel horse was suffering the same symptoms you are discribing and he ended up with a calcium dificency, he is NOW 22 and retired and enjoying life.
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Extreme Veteran
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Location: TX | I also would say to get a second opinion...
Have you thought about checking suspensory, knee, shoulder in the front.. I would definitely have his hocks, stifles, SI, etc checked too. But he also could be showing signs of lameness in places that he is not actually sore if he is trying to overcompensate for what is really hurting him. It can be very frustrating and EXPENSIVE!!
Good luck with your guy! Hope you get this figured out soon! |
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Member
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| ladyelbert - 2014-11-07 9:34 AM
FIND ANOTHER VET!!! Get a Second Opion!!!! If it were you and you were not getting results and the dr was not finding anything then YOU would get a second opiion. IMO: i would start with having a blood analysis done first to make sure nothing was going on inside...as a 10 yr my barrel horse was suffering the same symptoms you are discribing and he ended up with a calcium dificency, he is NOW 22 and retired and enjoying life.
Thanks for the post :) the vet I am taking him to Monday is a different vet and is supposed to be a great lameness vet. Fingers crossed!i think I will go ahead and do a blood panel while I'm there just to be sure something isn't majorly out of whack. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
 
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I would be checking his pelvis. |
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Member
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| meganmc2209 - 2014-11-07 9:52 AM
I also would say to get a second opinion...
Have you thought about checking suspensory, knee, shoulder in the front.. I would definitely have his hocks, stifles, SI, etc checked too. But he also could be showing signs of lameness in places that he is not actually sore if he is trying to overcompensate for what is really hurting him. It can be very frustrating and EXPENSIVE!!
Good luck with your guy! Hope you get this figured out soon!
Yes. I am hoping to have the new vet do blood work, look at hocks and stifles, then move into that right front above the fetlock and work up from there. Basically throw about $500 more at it and hope we find something lol!
Edited by shany5 2014-11-07 10:00 AM
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 Expert
Posts: 2013
Location: Piedmont, OK | Sounds like backend issues to me. Hocks, stifles, possibly SI or whorl bone. Find a really good lameness vet. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 302
Location: TX | Ugh.. Trust me I know the feeling. I owe my vet a pretty penny. I have it set up where I just make a monthly payment.. lol.
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Had one horse who was the exact same as yours sound on straight lines, lame in circles.
His problem contracted heels |
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Member
Posts: 21
| Never had a horse with that before. What can you do about it? Also do you know how to post a picture on here?
Edited by shany5 2014-11-07 11:57 AM
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 Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | I think for sure it has to do with that club foot. Since he is sound on straits and lame on the turn, if it was hind end problems.. he would show the short step on the hind and would not track up under himself with the hind feet. I am going to venture to guess, that his tendon is too short (ligaments connected to the bone too early and aren't letting the tendon stretch with the bone as it grows), and since he has grown...it is putting pressure on the tendons when stressed in the turn. Ask the vet about clipping the check ligaments that attach the tendon to the bone (inferrior/superior check desmotomy). Compensating from the foot and carrying his body differnt is probably also causing the back soreness.
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Member
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| You may have just gave me the ah-hah moment. This sounds very feasible to me. I will definitely ask the vet about it. Thanks.  |
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Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | shany5 - 2014-11-07 12:01 PM You may have just gave me the ah-hah moment. This sounds very feasible to me. I will definitely ask the vet about it. Thanks.
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Expert
Posts: 1280
Location: Texas | My vote is to take another look at that clubby foot. Might need to trim or shoe him differently. You need a second opinion from a great farrier. |
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Expert
Posts: 3514
| With a club foot you always need to be aware of collateral ligament soreness. Make sure he is balanced . |
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Member
Posts: 21
| It just seems strange to me that I have had the same shoer for him all along and that he has never been lame before. |
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