I recently purchased a quarter horse for my ten year old daughter, who has been riding since the age of three. The

Expert's Assistant chat

Customer: I recently purchased a quarter horse for my ten year old daughter, who has been riding since the age of three. The intent was to get a horse she could move up on and grow with as she gets older and has expressed desire to compete in western competitions. Frost is a seven year old quarter horse who previously lived out west and was a cattle horse. She was sold at auction this October to a horse broker in our area. When we went to look at her, we noticed an old barbed wire injury to her back leg, but the broker (who also produced videos) had her out trail riding on rocky terrain, working in the round pen, and arena and the horse supposedly showed no signs of favoring that leg. We brought her home and after a seven hour trailer ride, WTC for approx. an hour... she was perfectly fine. Last week we had her shoes removed as she will no longer be living in a rocky area and the farrier didn't see any reason she needed them. Our trainer worked her pretty good that afternoon and she immediately went lame on that back leg with the old injury. The vet came out and looked at the leg the next day and said basically it is what it is. There is a lot of scar tissue build up on the back leg and she won't get worse, but won't get better either. Within two days, she was back to normal, so we waited a week and did some light riding, and trotting on her and she was fine. Now, today, we worked her again and she went lame in the same leg. I'm having the vet come out to do x-rays this week to see if we can get to the bottom of the issue, but I'm wondering if there is anything I can do to strengthen her leg or natural supplements that may improve tissue damage. I don't know if I mentioned that this is the sweetest, most bombproof horse I have ever seen. She's smart, willing and very talented. I hate to see her not able to be the show horse she could have been, but if I can just have a solid trail horse that can only walk...I'm okay with that too. Our trainer has suggested that if the issue continues we donate her to an equine therapy program for handicapped children since her personality is so laid back and sweet, but I must say I'm already quite attached!

Answered by Dr. Campbell in 16 mins 10 years ago

Dr. Campbell

6+ years of experience

98 satisfied customers

Specialities include: Horse Veterinary, Large Animal Veterinary, Small Animal Veterinary

Dr. Campbell, Expert

horsevets :

Hi my name isXXXXX and I will try to help you with your question today. In instances like this, it is always important to rule out issues other than the obvious. It is very easy to get pulled in one direction or another because of scars and swellings. If it were me that was to see your mare, I would want to come out on a day that she is lame so that I could perform a proper lameness exam with diagnostic nerve blocks to rule out something other than the obvious. It would be all too easy to come out and shoot radiographs of the old injury only to have missed another issue all together.

horsevets :

Even though the terrain is different, depending on the injury your mare may benefit from a certain type of shoe for added support. But I certainly cannot say for sure since I can't evaluate the injury.