Everyone’s favorite internet game

Is my horse lame and if so, how bad, and if bad, where exactly is the problem?

Let me spoil it for you a bit: yes, my horse is lame. He came out on Sunday last (11/10) with a hitch in his right hind. It was most evident in the walk, but did not seem to be causing him a great deal of pain or other problems. Mostly it looked like a mechanical hitch: he just wasn’t using his leg as thoroughly or as through as he might.

On the longe, he was sassy and pissy and freely offered a canter when I asked him to move out. In the trot, he just shortened and quickened his hind legs rather than take an obviously off step. (I mean…feature or bug?)

We gave him two days of bute and then I went out again the following Saturday to longe him again and here’s what I got.

(Ummmm, the thumbnails are upside down for some reason but I promise, the video is right side up.)

So…still a touch off. You can see it most evidently in the walk tracking right.

My feeling: he’s tweaked something up high, like stifle or SI. Possibly he did it rolling or in turnout. It is getting better, and I am so stupid busy right now he can certainly afford some time to laze about and heal.

The plan is to check him again on Friday morning and at that time make a decision whether to add him to the lameness vet’s list for Monday.

In the meantime…it’s snowing and cold and I have enough Etsy orders to keep me working far into the night, every night, which is great because yay people like me, they really like me! and also it means I can set aside some money for the vet visit if it happens. But also: tired.