Body Language Videos

Is this Warmblood really lame?!?

I take care of a Norwegian Warmblood (closely related to your Standardbred) who’s been diagnosed as permanently, irreparably lame. He used to have a strange problem (I asked several questions about it on here) where he’d limp infrequently; one way around the racetrack but not the other way around. Then once about half a year ago, after a race, he came off the track on three legs. He was diagnosed with, I think it was arthritis; in any case the vet said he’d never run another race and could POSSIBLY become a good trail horse if given time to heal.

Now after six months confined to his 2 x 2,5 metre stall, his owner has started letting him out into the pasture because being inside just makes him so unhappy; and he’s been showing real signs of improvement.

Here’s a picture of him:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14686&id=737691254&ref=mf#!/photo.php?pid=5049872&id=737691254

His leg isn’t swollen any more, nor is it warmer than the other one. The vet is coming this week to re-evaluate.

What do you guys think?! Does he look lame at all in the video or has he gotten better? I can’t see ANY signs of limping, neither by the leg or by other body language.

Please give me construcive comments. =)

Here’s the video (he’s the darker one with the cool blaze, not the brown one).

I just uploaded the video and it’s still being processed; that’s why the video may still be grainy (it’s in HD quality)
Julie:
He’s a "Norsk Varmblodstraver" (= "Norwegian Warmblooded Trotter"). His parents and grandparents have been bred for generations to be racehorses. So yes, he is a racehorse, but I don’t like it, either. I think he’d do way better as a dressage horse or jumper or just a laid-back trail horse.

The confining to stall was on vet’s orders. I’m not sure it was arthritis he had and I can’t find the message with the diagnosis. The reason he was confined to his stall was he initially had a pasture of 2×2 metres because it was vital he not move much. According to the vet, one wrong move could ruin his foot forever. But he kept breaking out of the small pasture and running around like crazy, so they had to put him inside. In any case, now he’s outside again and so much happier. You can tell he’s an active horse =)
I forgot to say, we walk him once or twice a day for 15 – 30 minutes! (we increase the time week by week.) So he gets his controlled exercise. Lately we’ve taken to lunging him in the pasture now that the snow is gone.

I don’t know why everyone else is saying this horse looks sound. I can definitely see the off steps in the trot. They are mild, but they are there. He’s not dead lame, but he’s not sound.
As far as the diagnosis, if it was arthritis, I would imagine that is a leftover problem from some other problem? For example, if a horse has a problem in their joint caused by injury or infection, this can cause some of the joint to deteriorate and then when the main problem heals, you are left with arthritis. My question would be, what has the vet recommended for this? Is the horse on any oral joint supplements? Has the vet suggested to inject the joint with a lubricant? That is typically how most people treat arthritis in their horse’s joints, however without knowing what specifically caused the arthritis in the first place, this may not be the best plan of action for this horse. I would definitely ask the vet what all you can do in terms of helping it heal. In any case, as mild as the lameness appears to be, and with the only known diagnosis being arthritis, that does not scream "irreparably lame" to me…. Unless there is quite a bit more to the story, there are hundreds of horses with arthritis who get oral and injectable supplements and are competitive show horses.
BTW- he is a CUTIE!! I hope you guys can get him sound.

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