What can i do if my horse is limping>?

Doc Awesome

.357 shell to the base of its skull. Easier than watching it suffer from an infection.

Judy and the Beast

All horse owners should call the vet if they notice their horse suddenly limping. Proper diagnosis of the problem leads to immediate and best treatment options. Some limping is due to something like a strain or a soreness somewhere. But other forms of limping can be from life threatening conditions (founder/laminitis, vasculitis, infection of the hoof from a foreign body etc....). A horse limping just milling around the lot is a serious lameness. It's best not to wait.

PR

Take the horse off work. Put in a smaller turn-out, and away from other horses. Call the vet for an exam. The legs of a horse are its main structure, so if there is a problem with the legs, it is imperative it be taken care of; and since there are so many different things that can affect the legs, you need professional advice. Until the vet office is open, you can look up: Horse limping; horse off while walking. Also, examine the hoof to be sure there is no injury, abscess, or other issue that might originate from the hoof, rather than the leg. Thoroughly clean the hoof with hoof pick and brush to get a very good look. Puncture wounds can sometimes cause issues.

Kat Heart

Wow, people really go from zero to sixty. If it's limping then it could be anything. 75% of the time it's just an abscess or a pulled muscle. If there is no swelling then I would just try to pinpoint where exactly hurts the horse (i.e. push on muscles and hoof to see if anything is tender). If there is swelling and heat and you don't know how to care for it then the vet would be a good idea. I would put the horse in a small paddock or stall and let it rest for three or four days. If it's not looking better by the second or third day, then I would schedule a vet check for the fourth day. If it looks like an abscess then you can get your farrier to look at it (My farrier does a better job then my vet when they need to be drained, but not all farriers do abscesses). If there isn't anything horribly wrong then I always give the horses a chance to feel better before I call in an air lift to the closet equine hospital. Their bodies are tougher than ours, and just like ours, sometimes relaxing and rest does better than x-rays and pills. But it sounds like 85% of these people would amputate their leg when they twist their ankle... you know, cause it might get infected and go to their brains.

Anonymous

What limp is it? Usually when horses are lame they favor one foot and usually rest just heals it - they’ll stop favoring that foot when they’re okay. Ask your vet if it doesn’t go away - and if it’s serious think about your options. Terribly sorry, no matter if it’s lame or what - it’s always emotional to see your horse go through things of this sort.

Anonymous

Rest the horse, call the vet. Check the hooves for stones, cute or visible bruises, Run your hands over the t neons and joints to see if ther we wny lumps or bumps, if there is any heat or swelling, let the vet know what you find. The vet may need to do an X-ray if he doesn’t find anything, he will also do a lameness rest to make sure which leg and hat part of the leg it is unless it’s an obvious injury. If nothings seen they will then use a hood tester and check do w stone bruise or abcess in the hoof, if one is found he will need to,open it to relieve the presecure and let the infection out before it makes its own hole. Good luck, hope it’s something simple, your guy will have to rest until he heals up, your vet will let you know how long.

Snezzy

Ask your veterinarian. A hands-on examination can frequently reveal a lot. If it's a hoof abscess (they are quite common) the vet can prescribe effective and simple treatment. While waiting for the vet you can take the horse's vital signs: Temperature, pulse and respiration rates, capillary refill time, obvious injury. Tell the vet what you observed. Ask the vet questions, because this is a good opportunity to learn more about horses and their care.

Bill

You can shoot it. Isn't that sort of required? Source(s): every western movie I've ever seen showing a horse and a broken leg.

Anonymous

Ask a vet to perform an x-ray, if it's a broken leg you are better off putting it down and selling the meat