# Sound on a soft surface, lame on a hard surface???



## _jetset_ (20 September 2007)

I knew I shouldn't have got too excited 
	
	
		
		
	


	





Grace is completely sound in walk which is so much better than yesterday morning. However, when my hubby trotted her up for me, I could still see the lameness in the trot on the hard surface tonight, but there is absolutely no lameness whatsoever in the school when trotted up!

The digital pulse is not as high as it was the other day (from what little knowledge I have of digital pulses) and the lameness in the trot is 80% better than it was. It is now still obvious, but just a small nod of the head as opposed to the whole of her shoulder dropping. 

So, any suggestions as to what could make a horse lame on a trot up on concrete but not on a surface of a school???


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## Paint it Lucky (20 September 2007)

Generally lame on hard ground = a boney problem, i.e. arthritis, ringbone etc.

Lame on soft ground= a soft tissue problem, i.e. tendons, ligaments, muscles.


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## Christmas_Kate (20 September 2007)

It could be one of many things. When was she last trimmed? is she shod? I'd be inclined to say i would be in the hoof... has her frog dropped at all or has she been trimmed a little short? I'm no expert, so just throwing a few thoughts your way. 

The same keeps happening to ponio, he's sound on soft ground, but get him on hard ground and he just starts hopping again. We still havent worked out what it is.


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## _jetset_ (20 September 2007)

Hmmm, how about bruising?

Is that affected by one more than the other?

I don't think it is a bony problem, not really been mentioned because it was such a sudden lameness and this is not usually the case. When I mean sudden, I do mean sudden. One trip and she was lame.

Xrays will be done on Monday should she not improve any more than she has in just under 24 hours.


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## Equibeau (20 September 2007)

Yep, I second that, usually lame on hard ground = foot, lame on soft ground, higher up, ie muscular etc
Glad she is going in the right direction!


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## RachelB (20 September 2007)

Well mine was more lame on the hard and it turned out to be a tendon, which was strange! But yes, generally I agree with PaintedLucky, I assume the softer surface will be taking some of the concussion out of the stride and will be putting less strain on the bony parts of the leg...?


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## aimeerose (20 September 2007)

generally i have founf that horses are lame in hard and sound on soft if its bruising/corn related or bones/joints


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## _jetset_ (20 September 2007)

We definitely have a corn (of sorts, more a pressure point) which looks to have been causing some discomfort... but the vet didn't think that was main cause of lameness but since shoes were redone yesterday afternoon I have seen a huge difference in her even on the hard ground.


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## MillionDollar (20 September 2007)

Is she on bute?


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## _jetset_ (20 September 2007)

Nope...


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## H's mum (20 September 2007)

Not necessarily - tendon/ligament problems can be highlighted when trotted up on hard ground -  the horse tends to feel it less on softer ground thus hiding the lameness...  
Kate x


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## MillionDollar (20 September 2007)

Hmmmm, prehaps its just because there is no give in the hard ground and shes still feeling what ever it is, but it is getting better  
	
	
		
		
	


	




 and she'll hopefully be sound on hard ground in a few days


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## carthorse (20 September 2007)

Hi
When it is in a laminitic pony it usually means the sole has become tender from rotation of the pedal bone. I don't think this applies to you.
Did this horse have an abscess a while ago, could it be linked to that, they can cause recurring problems


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## _jetset_ (20 September 2007)

Thanks... it is truly baffling. 

I was given bute to give her, but I am a bit dubious about using it because I still don't know what is actually causing the lameness 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 There is a definite improvement today. You can't see the lameness in the walk, and it is much reduced in the trot and non existant in the school.


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## _jetset_ (20 September 2007)

[ QUOTE ]
Hi
When it is in a laminitic pony it usually means the sole has become tender from rotation of the pedal bone. I don't think this applies to you.
Did this horse have an abscess a while ago, could it be linked to that, they can cause recurring problems 

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you know, I am paranoid about laminitis and have asked the vet and she said she is certain it is not laminitis 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 But, I had to ask... It was a different foot that she had the abscess in


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## machannah (20 September 2007)

Sounds like she is still a little sore, and if it is a pressure point the hard surface would affect this, and not so on the softer surface. She is obviously improving, so i would stay off the bute as you need to see the changes and that will mask it 

Fingers crossed, all going the right way in my opinion


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## _jetset_ (20 September 2007)

Thanks machannah... I have never really dealt with bruising before or pressure points, so again it is a bit of 'learn as you go' in my case as Hannah stayed sound pretty much all of the time.


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## dieseldog (20 September 2007)

If you had a corn on your foot or a pressure point which sort of surface would you feel more comfortable walking on?  Hard or Soft?


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## _jetset_ (20 September 2007)

I have no idea... 
	
	
		
		
	


	





I have never really had trouble with my feet. I was trying to think about this earlier but kept coming back to the sand on a beach and how I would feel walking in that compared to on a road. I thought the sand would cause more varied pressure due to it not being a flat surface 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 The workings of a derranged mind me thinks


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## dieseldog (20 September 2007)

Hard ground is more uncomfortable.  Your farrier found a corn in her foot, I would go with that and stop panicing!






Until the corn is sorted out anyway if she is lame for any other reason you won't be able to tell as it will hide it.


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## _jetset_ (20 September 2007)

Thanks... I think I have lost my mind over the past few months with abscesses and now a corn. She is slightly pigeon toed and the corn is on the outside of her foot. I have looked and found she turns it in more on the hard when she is lame (normally not visible really) but not on the soft surface.


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## amandaco2 (20 September 2007)

usually foot lameness shows up worse on hard ground and less on softer ground


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## Tempi (21 September 2007)

[ QUOTE ]
Hard ground is more uncomfortable.  Your farrier found a corn in her foot, I would go with that and stop panicing!






Until the corn is sorted out anyway if she is lame for any other reason you won't be able to tell as it will hide it. 

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree!!


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