Horse lame on hind leg....

[SDBoerGoats]

My grandsons horse turned up lame yesterday morning. She was turned out in pasture all day, came in with no noticeable lameness. When he went to get her out of her stall, she was 3 legged, would barely put weight on the back foot.
I found some slight swelling in the inside of the hock. Also a small fresh scrape on the outside of her leg, a few inches below the hock, skin just scraped off. Moon shaped, so I thought maybe the other horse kicked her.

Hosed it down with cold water, gave her some bute, also coated the area with Numotizine. Well, she is no better at all. The slight swelling in the front part of her hock is totally gone, no heat anywhere. She will only put weight on the toe and acts like it is really painful.

I went out today to check her hoof, to see if she was getting an abcess, don't detect anything but wonder why she will only put weight on the toe. In checking closely, it now seems like her tendon is thicker, at the back of her cannon bone. I put an Epsom salt poultice on it tonight. The bite doesn't make a dent in her lameness.

If she doesn't improve a whole lot by tomorrow, it might mean a trip to the vet. But there isn't much outwardly in signs, except for the thicker tendon now.

 

[chubbydog811]

I would call the vet and ask what they think if she isn't better in another day or two. Even more so if there is nothing visually wrong.

I actually had this happen to one of my horses - a pony got loose and kicked him hard in the ankle. Other than a little swelling, nothing else was noticeably wrong. He came in that night sound, came out 3 legged in the morning. Couldn't even get out of the barn to hose. Turns out he broke a bone in his ankle. Luckily it was a 6 week fix, and a slow start up.
Not saying the horse's leg might be broken, just saying you never know if you might be looking past something that you can't see.

Definitely keep up with the hosing and bute though!
Good luck with her!

 

[SDBoerGoats]

Thanks Chubbydog, I'm really concerned about her. I called my vet and he is out on call, but will call when he gets back in. She's the same today, after the Epsom salt poultice. I went out to hose her leg, etc, and she was laying down resting in her stall, I think she is tired from keeping all her weight on the left hind. So I let her nap and will get her out later. But when I fed, she was still 3 legged, and doesn't want to put weight on that leg at all.

I am afraid of a fracture myself, she is too lame for it to be something simple. I have never had a horse this lame, in my life of owning horses. The really bad thing is, I just got this horse for my grandson, his first horse ever, and she is the perfect horse for a kid to learn to ride on. She didn't have the best life before we got her, her feet were in horrible shape, she was really thin, and deep scars on her lower lip and her tongue from someone in the past doing a bitting up job. She's been treated like a Queen since we got her, blanketed, in a stall at night, and complete adoration and attention from her new master. So this really sucks, if I could turn back time, I'd do things differently, and she'd never have been turned out with another horse. He is showing in 4H his first year ever, and fair is in about 4 weeks. He's been so looking forward to his first time showing his horse. I am praying this goes away!

 

[GLENMAR]

 

[yankee'n'moxie]

I don't have any experience with lameness, but I just wanted to post and say that I am praying for your horse and your grandson!