Reluctant to lift right hind

[sonestra]

Hello everyone,

I have the vet coming out for my 5 year old gelding next week, but I wanted to get some opinions beforehand and possibly some direction as far as what I should ask my vet to look at, priority-wise. I am trying to avoid having this drag out into several diagnostic visits before the issue is found since I know the vets are so backed up with appointments. I think I waited over 3 weeks for this one.

My horse has been out of work since covid, so he is not riding fit. Lives out 24/7 with a stall to come and go as he pleases, along with 1 companion pony. About 3 weeks ago I noticed my horse was very reluctant to lift his right hind. I did not see any obvious issue upon palpation of that limb, or the others. Back was not sore. Some bite marks on his neck and shoulders from his buddy, but that’s it. I gave it a few days, and the farrier also noted the same issue and could not find a source as far as his feet were concerned, such as thrush, bruises, etc. He is barefoot and UTD on everything. The weather had been very bad for a week, so I could not see him go on the lunge.

Once the weather cleared up, I put him on the lunge and he was fine to the left and lame to the right. The footing was still wetter and deeper than normal, but I would say 2-3 lameness, and it seemed more right front than right hind, but I think the right side in general was off. Still reluctant to pick up his right hind but much better than before. I should have taken his temperature, because he seemed a bit dull and didn’t seem to move forward the way he normally does, but I didn’t think of it until after processing everything. Definite tick country where we are.

Does anybody have any insight with this limited information? Is there anything that you think I should request as far as testing goes? I do know we can’t ultrasound after a block, so I am trying to keep that in mind. I appreciate any suggestions, in advance!

[Scribbler]

Sometimes they won’t pick up a foot if it means they have to balance on a painful foot or leg. You can try standing him on softer footing to see if that helps.

[Tarlo_Farm]

Are you trying to pick up and hold by the fetlock? Or can you pick up by the pasturn? If both, then likely the problem is in/on the left side. I have a horse we thought for ages was sore or imbalanced on the right hind. Turned out the issue was in the left fetlock. He’ll pick it up and stand fine if we pick up the left pasturn, but can’t put pressure on a seriously bent fetlock.

[sonestra]

Thanks for the replies! I have not tried picking up his feet on soft ground, though I did lunge him on soft ground.

He actually picks up his feet by voice command, so I never really have to touch him aside from running my hand down his legs, then once he picks it up, I hold his foot by the pastern. I have had to literally push him off balance to get him to lift it up now, like an old school pony of my childhood.

[hoopoe]

A lameness work up and then a discussion as to step 1/2/3… to make the diagnosis.

This is a plan you reach together once the vet has the info they need to make a plan in the first place.

then you can decide and reach a logical and reasonable best plan. Xray might be more telling than an US, for instance. Symptoms may not support a blood borne illness . Do keep the possible dullness in mind.

I agree that the issue may be a reluctance to load the left limbs as opposed to a right limb issue. It could be, as well, that your horse is possibly stronger on one side than the other and this is a body wide issue

dont bind up your vet with your diagnostic priority until they know what the problem might be.

Lameness and disease are rarely managed with a one and done visit. This is simply the nature of how diagnostic work up goes

I would recommend sitting down and writing down a time line of everything, including the horses work load history and turn out. the neck and shoulder bite marks may also indicate some possibility of a kick, possibly to the neck, which would certainly open up the possibility of hind end symptoms.

[B_and_B]

Another vote that it may be in a different leg or (just to make your life harder ) in the spine/neck. Especially if you say he seems off on the right front? Is that right? Often the horse doesn’t want to pick up a foot because something hurts in another leg and they don’t want to put all of their weight on to it. It may be subtle though, it only really hurts when they have to remain stationary with the bad leg weighted and so it only shows by a sudden reluctance to pick up another leg.

[sonestra]

Thanks, all. Yes, he seemed off on the right front but still not right on the right hind. It was hard to isolate the two due to the deep and soft footing. I do suspect this is a compensation issue, unfortunately. My mare was off on her left front before she finally got hitchy on her right hind. Turned out it was the right hind all along, and the left front lameness was a compensation.

I don’t suspect this will be solved in one visit. I have to find a balance. A lot of vets in my area are more conservative and would not suggest something like neck rads considering the bites to neck and shoulder. I would have to make the suggestion myself, which is why I would love to pick people’s minds. 😊

[sonestra]

*Update *

I can’t figure put how to edit my original post, so updating here. Veey touchy to groom on right side. Horse is lifing his right hind much better, but he is still lame at the trot on the lunge, tracking right. Sound at the walk and canter. He is sound behind, but will take a “stumbling” step with his right front every 4 or 5 strides or so. He is sound between stumbling steps. It almost looks like he falls into a hole every 4th or 5th stride. Important to note that as I kept lunging him, it went away after about 5 minutes. I just figured I’d share in case maybe this strikes someone who has had a similar experience. Vet will be out next Monday.

[Simkie]

Do you live in an area of the country where lyme disease is an issue? It often presents with funny lameness and a “don’t touch me” attitude. Just one more thing to consider! Hope the vet visit is enlightening

[mscapen]

Mme Mare had a knee buckling issue still has but I have not been riding her, retirement is most likely in our near future. We have injected just about every joint in her body at this point. The only thing that showed up on xray was the slightest but really barely a shadow of arthritis on the buckling knee. The test the vet did inititaly was simple she put her kne against Mme mare’s knee and pushed forward ( as in bending ones knee) Mme mare did not brace and her knee buckled ( she does not fall or anything). Easy enough test to do. Vet did not really have an answer except to inject that knee. As the buckling has just happenned under saddle and that in the mean time she managed to hurt herself in the paddock she has not been ridden since. But as I do this test regularly and that she still does not brace her knee I expect she would still do it under saddle hense the retirement.

[mscapen]

Wanted to add tested: for Lyme ( negative) and for sellelium levels ( also fine).

[B_and_B]

The only other thing that comes to mind…hyperextension of that front shoulder causing damage to the radial nerve. I’ve encountered two instances of this. One was an observed hyperextension, i.e. slip, at speed. The horse was immediately three legged lame. In that case the horse was never truly sound again, but lived for almost another decade. Extreme wasting of the shoulder muscle was obvious. That one really doesn’t bear on your situation.
The second however, was subtle. The horse came up not sound, not on the left front nor the left hind. It sort of looked like a weird on/off lameness in the front, with overall stiffness and pain. We thought abscess at first (you know one of those ones that is ‘working its way out’), but it didn’t resolve. What did become apparent was a loss of muscle on that shoulder. So take a look at that, is the muscling on both sides even? If it is a nerve injury, the asymmetry should start to be apparent in about a week. The good news is that case resolved completely given time.

[Xanthoria]

My old gelding wouldn’t pick up a hind leg and was lame on it. If opposite hind theory doesn’t pan out, look at the cruciate on the side that won’t pick up - in my horse it was blown.

[sonestra]

I definitely want to test for anything tickborn, given my area. The hind lameness is undetectable to me now, just leaving the weird off step on the right front every so many strides and the touchiness. He has lost a lot of condition though, but that could be for so many reasons. Lyme, ulcers, worm burden, being off grass now, his companion chasing him off his hay (he does have a worm burden that we always seem to be battling, he is off grass now, the pony does bully him, and I do suspect ulcers, but the others are hypothetical.)

[AKB]

I would ask the vet to do a brief neuro exam. If it is abnormal, talk about a blood test for Lyme as well as EPM.