Hey, quick question for all you out there. Dealing with some lameness here on my 10-year old gelding.
He came up lame last Friday, I believe, in the pasture, but nothing drastic--a slight limp at the trot. He is a running rough-house-er in the pasture, and loves running, bucking, and playing, even on the horribly hard ground we've had with the temperature into the negatives. He's been off since then, with the limp getting worse and more noticeable (now clear at the walk.) I assumed an abscess, and the farrier was due out Monday, and hoof-tested him--absolutely no reaction. So, no abcess.
I went out to check him Tuesday, no change--lame at the walk. Checked him today, still lame.
I ran my hands down his legs on Friday and found no heat, same for all the other days. I ran my hand down his leg today and found what very clearly seemed to be a splint--but it was boney, and no reaction to me pressing it. The area was a little bit hotter, but nothing terribly noticeable.
Is it an old 'cold' splint? Or could it somehow be causing the lameness? I was surprised that he didn't care when I squeeze it (pretty hard, too!), but as for the moment there is NO other heat on the leg, no areas that cause pain when I squeeze, etc. I've not had to deal with splints in a long, long time--and when I have, they're usually 'hot' and ouchy.
Anyone ever heard of something like this?
He came up lame last Friday, I believe, in the pasture, but nothing drastic--a slight limp at the trot. He is a running rough-house-er in the pasture, and loves running, bucking, and playing, even on the horribly hard ground we've had with the temperature into the negatives. He's been off since then, with the limp getting worse and more noticeable (now clear at the walk.) I assumed an abscess, and the farrier was due out Monday, and hoof-tested him--absolutely no reaction. So, no abcess.
I went out to check him Tuesday, no change--lame at the walk. Checked him today, still lame.
I ran my hands down his legs on Friday and found no heat, same for all the other days. I ran my hand down his leg today and found what very clearly seemed to be a splint--but it was boney, and no reaction to me pressing it. The area was a little bit hotter, but nothing terribly noticeable.
Is it an old 'cold' splint? Or could it somehow be causing the lameness? I was surprised that he didn't care when I squeeze it (pretty hard, too!), but as for the moment there is NO other heat on the leg, no areas that cause pain when I squeeze, etc. I've not had to deal with splints in a long, long time--and when I have, they're usually 'hot' and ouchy.
Anyone ever heard of something like this?