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My horse is mysteriously lame2007-11-24 21:18:31

There is no heat or swelling in her hooves or legs, she is just slightly (almost unnoticably) lame at the walk and takes short coppy, lame steps at the trot. THe only thing i can think of is that she might have bruised her sole when i was taking her on a hack on the uneven trails around our farm, it was alot of trotting and cantering but she is very fit and has good legs. Any suggestions on what might be wrong?

Answers:

A bruised sole or a stone bruise are strong possibilities when considering the cause of your mare's lameness. Another possibility you might consider is back problems. Back problems will frequently show up as lameness, particularly in the hind legs. Check the fit of your tack and examine the mare's back to make sure she isn't sore there. Still another thought for you is the possibility that your mare could have Lyme Disease- one of its major symptoms is intermittent lameness, first in one leg one day, and in another leg the next day, without heat or swelling in the feet. If you live in a tick prone area ( and a lot of us do, nowadays) then I would have your vet pull some blood and check the mare for Lyme. Lyme is easy to treat with antibiotics if the mare is positive for it- and her attitude will be very different once she starts to feel better. We have had a couple of our horses test positive for the disease, and they got much better with treatment, so I know that this does work. Since you mentioned riding on trails, if those trails go through woods, then your mare is at risk for tick bites- and so are YOU, I might add. Hope this helps you.

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Don't ride your horse until you have your farrier out to trim the hooves. It's a distinct possibility there is something lodged in the bottom of her hoof.