My horse is lame should I call the vet?

Lameness is one of the most common reasons for calling out the vet and accounts for the majority of all casualties at racecourses and competitions. So what should you do if your horse goes suddenly lame? Although there are no hard and fast rules you should be guided by the degree of lameness and pain rather than the amount of swelling. Aside from the lame leg, indications of pain including sweating, refusal to eat, restlessness and depression all mean that a horse must be seen by a vet.

A horse that is unwilling to put any weight on a leg should be seen by a vet urgently, while a horse with a filled leg but no lameness is unlikely to require urgent veterinary attention. A significant wound that seems to be associated with lameness warrants a visit by your vet as the wound may be concealing damage to deeper structures or act as a route for infection.

It is safe to wait and see without calling for veterinary attention under certain circumstances, such as mild lameness for no apparent reason. The welfare of your horse is not compromised if they are relaxed, eating and settled even though they are mildly lame. In general a swollen limb in the absence of lameness may benefit from gentle walking in hand, cold hosing and firm stable bandaging.

A horse with a mild lameness that resolves after a few days rest may return to gentle work with this increasing gradually back to normal. If at any point a lameness re-occurs or starts to worsen, veterinary attention should be sought to determine the cause and an appropriate treatment plan started. A lame horse should never be worked until the cause of lameness has been determined.

If you are unsure whether your horse requires veterinary attention a phone call to your vet is the simplest way to decide. He or she is likely to request a history and description of the lameness (duration of lameness, which leg, how it happened, location of any heat, pain or swelling, etc.) before discussing with you if they think veterinary attention is required.

Though every horse owner’s nightmare is finding their horse hopping lame in the field, the most common cause is something in the foot. This can be an abscess or a foreign body such as a nail or a stone. A nail in the foot is not always taken as seriously as it should be. Most wounds to the foot are usually superficial and respond well to First Aid treatment, but a deep nail can cripple a horse. Remember “No Foot, No Horse”. If a horse cannot put its leg to the floor, always think of the foot before assuming something worse. All equine vets have been summoned urgently to a horse with a broken leg to find a horse with pus in the foot. Vets always hope that it is this way round and not a suspected foot abscess that is actually a serious fracture. Though it may seem unlikely to be able to confuse the two it does happen.

If your horse is extremely lame it is important to avoid unnecessary movement of the injured leg to avoid exacerbating the injury. Keep your horse as still and calm as possible whilst help is sought. Try not to panic, even though the situation is likely to be very stressful, as this will help in making level headed decisions. Treating a wound, supporting a leg injury, good nursing and the correct management as soon as something goes wrong can all speed a successful recovery.

If your horse does have a fracture it is well recognised that if the injury is well managed immediately after the initial injury the chances of a recovery can be improved. The same is true for tendon injuries. Remember that First Aid is the first thing done, this includes doing nothing. Firstly do no harm, this is one of the lynch pins of veterinary medicine. Secondly minimise any painful stimuli to your horse. Well thought out First Aid care makes the job of the vet attending an emergency call much easier.

With a suspected fracture or severe tendon injury your vet may apply a large support dressing, known as a Robert-Jones bandage, to aid weight bearing on the affected limb. This enables the horse to be traveled to a suitable location for further evaluation and treatment whilst minimising any further trauma to the limb. There are now several commercial splints available for vets to use, such as the Kimsey Leg saver splint.

Points to remember

• If in doubt about calling out your vet it is better to err on the side of caution. Your vet is only a phone call away.
• First Aid is the first thing that is done to any injury; good first aid can improve the chances of a successful recovery.
• Avoid any unnecessary movement of an injured limb to minimise any further damage.
• Keep your horse as settled and quiet as possible.
• Stay calm.

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