Definitely take him to New Bolton. It is one of the top equine clinics out there. He can’t tell you what hurts, what is stiff, what doesn’t feel right. You have speculation from 3 vets and all sorts of ideas posted here. Horses will do the best they can with what they have to work with. A comprehensive lameness examination usually includes tests such as ultrasound, x-rays, and blood work. That is the only way you can see inside his body. You need a specialtist to untangle the signs and symptoms in order to design a treatment plan.
My late Paint gelding had a lump on his left knee when I bought him in 2001 at age 7. It was never a problem, but the flexion started declining slightly when he hit his early 20s. He still was perfectly sound until he stood around for a month when the BO locked horse owners out of the farm when the pandemic hit in 2020. He started to have lameness problems and I had to retire him from riding. He was on previcox. He didn’t show signs of discomfort.
When I had his lameness exam done the specialist spent about 30 minutes with me, including reviewing the ultrasound of his knee. The arthritis was much worse than I thought and he started periodic shots of Osphos.
The other significant exam was the films of his hooves. No hoof, no horse. If they are not properly aligned and balanced he will have continuing issues. Fortunately his hooves were described as “perfect.” I had our vet take x-rays of his knee and front hooves every 6-8 weeks, which we sent to our Cornell-trained farrier. He was able to maintain the balance on a 4-week schedule.
I knew I would lose him to his knee. The vet asked me to agree to put him down when she said it was time. I did. He was still energetic even through the lameness was getting worse. The end came when he lost so much flexion that his knee could no longer control his hoof when he was walking. I had promised him years ago I wouldn’ let him deteriorate into an old man. I put him down at age 28 with his wonderful personality still thriving.
Your horse’s hooves look like they have improved since you bought him. However, they are showing many signs of continuing problems as they have grown out. They loook like they came off 4 different horses. I would definitely have him examined at New Bolton so that you can determine if you need a different farrier, for starters. Your horse is very young; they reach full growth at 5-7 years old, depending on the breed. A specialist will be able to tell you and your vet what the problems are how and how to treat them. Do it now. Otherwise you may find yourself down the road in a few years contemplating whether you need to put him down.
