Lame horse!?

Question

My horse was shod just under 4 weeks ago, I have been working him and he has been ok but not brilliant, I put it down to him being a pickle as he can be at 1st but I lunged him last week and the first few paces in trot on the left rein he was very slightly lame so I brought him back to me checked for stones in his feet etc but nothing then tried again he was fine, he still wasn't quite right when I changed rein so I thought he may have twinged himself in the field, I have given him a week off and last night I lunged him again this time he was lame again not hopping lame but still more noticable than last time I swapped reins to check and he was slightly lame on the right again. There is no swellings or heat in his legs or feet so do you think this could have something to do with his shoeing? I have called the farrier and am waiting for a call back! It was the 1st time this guy has shod him and my horse was 100% sound! Maybe a nail has goe in too close and is causing discomfort?

Answer 1

My advice to you would be to keep the horse moving. If left to rest the legs will swell up and cause discomfort and resriction within movement, it is better to get the blood pumping for natural healing to occur through gentle exercise. It is common for horses to go slighty lame after shoeing however things should settle down after a few days. Some horses have more sensitive feet compared to others and it is possible that the way this farrier has shod your horse may not have suited it. Or it could be that a nail has gone too far or he has trimmed his feet to much. Poorly fiiting shoes could also be a problem. If the lameness persists I would get a farrier you know and trust with your horse to have a look before calling out a vet. In my experience farriers tend to diagnose foot injuries more accuratly than vets :)  I like to use magnetic therapy on my horse if he ever gets anything like this as it brings out any underlying problem. Regardless, you know your horse the best and any action you take should be what you feel is necessary. I hope this helps :)