After a hard summer/fall of dealing with hind end lameness, my horse has been doing much better the last few months since she had her SI injected. I even signed up for a clinic next weekend. So, of course, at my lesson tonight my horse was lame. Sound at the walk, seemed fine going to the right, but clearly uncomfortable and with a sometimes head bob going to the left. Appears to be something in the LH or RF. My trainer thought she had a bit of a pulse in her left hind, and we’re hoping to get the farrier out tomorrow to look at her. Please remind me that it’s been super wet lately here in Maryland and abscesses are really common and that is probably much more likely than anything else. I’ve just never had an abscess where the horse wasn’t pretty clearly lame in both directions, but I’ve really only dealt with front foot abscesses.
Also in Maryland. Could be abscess, could be stepped on rock! Hopefully your farrier can quickly find the problem and even better if he can give your horse quick relief. 
You could be right about the rock. My farrier wasn’t able to come out, but there was another farrier at the barn this morning and he took a look at her. Didn’t see sign of an abscess, but she does seems to be a little tender on the sole of her left hind, so we are thinking maybe stone bruise.
Mine gave me a stroke last summer with a hind foot abscess that appeared to me (experienced at looking at lameness) and 2 really good farriers to be a completely f*cked stifle. Vet out the following day, “Maybe it’s an abscess, treat it like an abscess and see what happens” It was an abscess. An abscess from hell, but an abscess nonetheless.
Fingers x’d for stone bruise or abscess for you!
Thanks! I was almost to the point of not obsessing over every step. Sigh.
Well I am going to burst your bubble and say it can always be something else. What I thought was an abscess( she had all the signs except sensitivity to hoof testers ) was upon x-rays, sidebone.
It was on a foot she had a few abscess issues with in the past and I just kind of waited as before and when it didn’t resolve I moved on to address what it could be. I wouldn’t wait too long before looking deeper if things don’t progress or improve.
I had a vet initially dx a pretty serious fracture as an abscess. He felt horrible when it came up on the screen as the film loaded. So… yeah. I hate abscesses. Granted this was a non-weight-bearing limb versus what sounds like something not as bad.
I also had a horse who was a titch off who wound up having a medial collateral sprain. Other than time stalled and Dr Green, he is right as a bell and the vet who dx’ed him is taking him on as a lease to be a fun dressage horse so clearly a non-issue.
But can we still say “jingling” on the new forum? The jingles helped my broke-legged burrito, so they should do good things for you too
You are a horse person. You will never not get to that point. I recommend chocolate, a sport that gives you an endorphin high, and a vet who will tell you when you are being paranoid.
Thanks for the jingles! She is sound at walk, so don’t think it’s quite as bad as a fracture! But just hoping it’s something straightforward and not another 6 months of mystery lameness.
