Horse lame...can't figure out why

Don't mess around with lameness. I would suggest getting a vet out.

at this point, i dont think i need to go as far as to get a vet out. he's not falling over lame and seems to be happy (was limping at the trot, but ears were pricked forward and didn't seem to be in pain). i'm going out tonight to check for a bruise or heat in the hoof. If i find some, i'll soak his hoof like was suggested. thanks for all of the help

How long has the limping been going on for?

Turn him in some tight circles to the left/right. That will give you an indication of soreness on the front. My horse gets a lot of abscess but you only notice it at the trot when it's first starting to form. Then he gets to the point where it's at the walk, then he doesn't want to move.

I wouldn't take a wait and see approach with any kind of lameness. Better safe than sorry.

I agree.

If the horse is head-bobbing lame, it is our responsibility as horse owners to figure out what's going on.
If it's been more than a day, I say get a vet out. I don't like to mess with lameness. It could just be an abcess... or it could be something that gets worse the longer you leave it.

thanks for all of the advice. i have an update. i brought my trainer over to look at him and she agrees that the lameness is very very subtle and most likely due to a sore shoulder (he tweaked this same shoulder a couple years back) so i've started him on bute. I'll give him the week off and some bute and then see where he is then. If he's still lame or somehow gets much worse over the course of the week, then i'll probably call the vet out to look at it

If it's a recurring injury, even slight, I'd suggest getting the vet out as soon as possible. Like I've said before, don't screw around with lameness.
Just so you are aware, the horse will look better on bute. Bute is a painkiller. The horse might not appear lame at all, and might convince you that the injury is gone. It also takes up to 2 days for bute to work out of the system.

Here is a great thread on lameness on another forum:
http://fhotd64476.yuku.com/topic/29139
(ignore all the cattiness)

Wow, JDI. Off topic but reading that right there makes me all that much more thankful that I am a member here on Horse Forum. That was just ugly.

That member of that particular forum has history. When she first joined, people were very nice to her. Then she started asking the same questions over and over, and making up excuses as to why she couldn't do what was suggested. I think this thread just made everyone blow up at her; her horse was lame for 3 days, they never diagnosed it, the lameness 'went away' and she was back jumping the pony within a week.

My app gelding was limping at just the trot when we moved him to the new place (this was a year ago) There were no injuries, no heat, nothing, but we knew that his limping was not a good sign.

We called the vet out and the vet said he was lame and that he might be in the beginning stages of Founder (He was of average weight and only 9 years old at the time) X-rays were taken at the vet's earliest convenience there was a very slight sinking of the coffin bone.
The farrier also came out when the x-rays were done and they came up with a plan to help correct that.

I rather spend the money on a vet when it deals with lameness/hoof problems than wait and see. Just my personal preference.