# Help... Only lame on left rein circle



## jaynedoc (26 April 2009)

Hi 

I thought I might ask if anyone has any ideas or has come across this before.
I have a 15 year old cob 15hh.

She appears to be lame only on a left rein circle. I don't generally do any schooling as we are just a happy hack but as it was poor weather one day I decided to do a spot of schooling and picked this up.

She does not circle as is her normal behaviour  instead leads with her shoulder.

Had vet out to look, they admitted that she is sound in a straight line both in trot and walk and no problems on right rein either.

There is no obvious sign of lameness no injury, swelling or heat at all.

Vet wants to do nerve block but I don't want to do this yet as taking her in to hospital is a big deal (she dosen't box or stable well)

She trots round the field of her own accord, is very impatient and paws at the ground with her supposedly lame leg, Infact she appears to be in no pain what so ever other than  obvious  nodding on left rein circle.

This has been going on for about 3 weeks now. anyone come across this before?

oh and she has been on bute for the last 10 days....no change.


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## UKa (26 April 2009)

Can you get vet to agree for you to have a physio look at the horse first of all (chiropractor or similar) ?  There may be ways to help that are not that invasive first?


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## Marchtime (26 April 2009)

I have to say if it was mine I'd be taking it for nerve blocks. When mine first went lame it was only 1/10th lame on a circle, most people wouldn't have noticed. However he turned out to have soft tissue damage and a good recovery is very much linked to early diagnosis. I'm not saying that is what is wrong with your boy, I doubt it if he's not getting worse but I'd want to know what I was dealing with, three weeks is a long time.
Additionally it's worth noting that my boy constantly pawed the ground with his injured foot and the vets actually picked up that this was probably a sign of discomfort as he didn't normally do this.
What dose of bute is she on? Have you tried box resting or keeping her in a very small paddock so she cannot run about?


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## annret (26 April 2009)

Had this problem last summer - my mare was 2/10ths lame on right rein in trot on lunge in a small circle on a soft surface, less lame on a harder surface.
Gave 10 days box rest with a course of danilon.

She was still 1/10ths lame after the box rest, but by then not lame enough to nerve block so I was advised to ride on it to try and break it down but the provisional diagnosis was shoulder muscle damage.

She never broke down, stayed the same barely barely visible but as her rider I knew she still wasn't right &amp; vet said it might be nerve damage (sweeney shoulder) - vets always give worst case scenarios, don't they - so we gave her additional rest and restricted T/O &amp; a selenium supplement for a few more weeks and she came sound as a pound a few days into this and has stayed sound.

That's my experience, and yours may be very different, but I would really think you should follow your vet's advice as, as Marchtime says, three weeks is a long time and the longer the problem persists the worse the prognosis normally.


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## Booboos (26 April 2009)

I would look into it further. Most causes of lameness are in the foot, so it's worth starting there, although I would also consider muscle problems further up and possibly back problems if the foot checks out OK. 

Why does she have to go into hospital for nerve blocks? Your vet should be able to do them at your place.


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## abbie29 (26 April 2009)

My boy had this on a right rein circle - my mctimoney chiropracter sorted it and he's been perfectly sound for over 18 months now.


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## Dubsie (26 April 2009)

Daughters pony had this sort of lameness very slightly but on right rein circle, only in trot and sometimes tried to canter on wrong leg when on the right rein.  In fact it was so hard to spot we had to keep trying her to demonstrate it.  We suspected was perhaps a shoulder muscle, probably from rolling judging by the numbers of angel marks of hair on the grass.  She'd recently had her saddle checked, so I don't think it was that but the farrier was due and she had new shoes - so it could have been a feet issue.  However she was fine after 1 week's field rest with  no riding and then gently being brought back into work. She's very fit and sound now.
Hope yours is well soon.


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## dieseldog (26 April 2009)

That is quite normal for a horse only to be lame on a circle - it means that your horse is lame.  You need to either not ride her until she is sound - including on a circle, or you need to get the vet to do nerve blocks and find out what is wrong with her.

Vets normally nerve block at your yard so you shouldn't need to go to a vet hospital.


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## kinglouis (26 April 2009)

I had the same problem starting 5 months ago, sound on the hard and in straightlines but on left rein circle was lame.  Had nerve blocks &amp; it was found to be behing the knee.  X-rays and scans didn't show much but where the high suspensory joined the bone it was smooth looking on right leg and more jagged on the left leg...diagnosis was that he had moved some of the high suspensory from the bone:-(  He's had 4 months in the box with Shockwave and Adaquan injections, that improved the lameness loads but not 100% so I gave Tildron a go.  Its been a month from the last Tildron and he seems to be sound, gradually building up the work on hard surfaces to build up the ligament and just have everything crossed that he is sound on a circle!!!

I'd definitely do nerve blocks...can't they do them on your yard?  At least you'll know where the problem is and then the treatments available.

Fingers crossed its nothing major...its been the worst 5 months...wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.


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## china (26 April 2009)

if i were in your possition, i would get a mctimmoney chiropractor out to have a look, if they discuss with the vet they feel they know what is causing it and can treat it then go with that, but if chiropractor cannot find a cause then go with neve blocks, your better off acting on it early then leaving it any longer.


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