[jacksydneyellen]

Hi
I have a standardbred mare who used to race. I got her last year after she went lame and I was told that she had swollen suspensories. She had had four months rest at the time and there was no evidence of this. However it has now been a year since she raced so I asked the vet to come and check her legs with his portable ultrasound (as suggested by someone on here) as she is still lame after a years rest and he came and decided that he didn't think that it was her suspensories and that the lameness was in her foot. He suggested freezing her leg to try to establish where the lameness is exactly.
However the farrier came out a few days later and he doesn't think that it is in her foot. After being trotted up a down a couple of times, she seemed to get heat in the back of her leg just below the elbow although this was not spotted by the vet.
If she is getting some heat in her leg between the knee and the elbow (I will check her again) what could it be? If she is still lame after a years rest, is it likely that she will remain lame or do you know of any treatment for injuries in that area which would help? I know that it is all a bit vague but we do not have any good horse vets around here and when it isn't something blatantly obvious, it is usually easier to try to get some ideas before you can decide what to do next.
Thanks again

[3WishesDun]

Without x-rays of the hoof and leg joints it would be very hard to speculate. From there I would have the vet block different areas...

[Just_me]

Did you get her leg x-rayed?if you want her to heal you have to know what excacly is causing the problem.
Is her leg swollen?
how are her feet trimmed?
Her symtoms can be anything:broken leg that didn`t heal properly,ligament injury,navicular etc.
It is definatly not a good thing that she is lame for 1 year now with no progress what so ever.but if you know what is causing her lameness there might be treatment(surgery,magnetic therapy,special shoeing etc.).

[jacksydneyellen]

I don't think that I was clear in my last thread. What I am trying to ask is whether anyone has had any experience of any injuries in the area between the elbow and knee at the back of the leg which is where her heat seems to be.
I think that I did say that I have had the vet out (much good it did) and that I would get him out again but I am just trying to get as much info as I can before I do so I can ask that right questions. I feel as though I am going round in circles with the vet and the farrier disagreeing with each other so I was really looking for as much information about the area in question and related injuries as I could.

[3WishesDun]

Honestly the only way you will know if you are heading in the right direction is to have xrays done of the joints and hoof. Without that any thoughts on the cause of the swelling is just a guessing game. You have to know the source of the problem to know the steps to correct it.

[3WishesDun]

It is her rear leg correct? When you say knee and elbow...are you talking about the hock, the stifle....?

[jacksydneyellen]

Originally Posted by 3WishesDun

It is her rear leg correct? When you say knee and elbow...are you talking about the hock, the stifle....?

No sorry I forgot to say, it is her front off side leg.

[Ryle]

I would consider having another vet examine this horse. I am not familiar with anyone "freezing" the leg to determine what area a lameness is in.

Take your horse in to a vet clinic or hospital for a good lameness exam (this would including checking the horse out at a trot on hard ground or asphalt, examining the foot with hoof testers and performing flexion tests to help determine what area of the leg you are dealing with. Then depending on those findings, local blocks of different areas of the leg can be performed by injecting a local anesthetic to help pinpoint the area of pain if needed. X-rays can also be taken and developed immediately once you determine where the lameness stems from to help diagnose the cause of the lameness. Ultrasound on it's own can miss many conditions in a leg.

[jacksydneyellen]

Originally Posted by Ryle

I would consider having another vet examine this horse. I am not familiar with anyone "freezing" the leg to determine what area a lameness is in.

....
Then depending on those findings, local blocks of different areas of the leg can be performed by injecting a local anesthetic to help pinpoint the area of pain if needed.

Hi, I think there maybe a bit of a language barrier here. Where I come from 'freezing the leg to determine where the lameness is' is exactly what you have described in your reply. So it looks as though you agree with my vet overall. Thanks for your reply although I am having problems finding a good horse vet to do the lameness exam. I think from your reply though it would be safe to get my vets to do local blocks to find the right area.

[Ryle]

Ok, I was hoping it might be something like different terminology.
Yes, performing local blocks is a good way to help determine the area that the lameness originates from. We do it when the horse's lameness is very mild and we get "mixed" or very mild responses to the other tests in a lameness exam.