Lame as a Duck

I’ve always wondered what the expression “lame as a duck” meant. Turns out it’s a political term that refers to a politician who no longer wields any political power as they are about to be voted out or have come to the end of their term. Nonetheless, I will still use it to refer to my horse, who is currently lame as a duck. Not that she’s lost her power… she’s plenty willing, just unable.

Probably a year after I got her I noticed that she had a small limp that appeared to be in the right hind leg. It was a really wet and cold February that year and I figured maybe it was just some stiffness from standing in a cold, muddy pasture. After the summer came, the limp would come and go and it was so subtle that unless you were really looking for it, you couldn’t see it. When I noticed it I would rub her down in liniment and it would go away for awhile. By the next winter we had moved to a new barn and she was to be stalled at night and the pasture was on high ground so it wasn’t going to get very muddy. I thought that would solve the problem, but it didn’t. By the following spring it was noticing enough and happening often enough for me to call the vet out.

When the vet showed up, I lunged Secret at a trot for almost ten minutes before she could see what limp I was talking about. She did a few flexions and determined that Secret, indeed, had a limp, but the cause was unclear. She suggested putting front shoes on. So a week later the farrier was out. Secret was a perfect angel for her first shoeing (and hot shoes at that!).

The limp seemed to get a little better, so I kept the shoes coming. By the fourth shoeing she had started misbehaving whenever the nails were driven. It was about this time that we again moved to yet a new barn. About two weeks after moving, just in time for Secret to be due for shoes again, my farrier had a stroke. A week later Tom Biewlawski, a fabulous farrier and an equally wonderful person, passed away… I know Secret and I both miss him and I’m sure he will always be fondly remembered by us and many other people and their horses.

Secret and I have since been through a string of farriers, with questionable results. So, I finally had the vet out again last week. This time we did more lunging and more flexions. She came to the conclusion that it was the right front foot that was the problem. Now, Secret WAS actually lame in the right front that day. Both the barn manager and myself stressed to the vet that she had always been lame on the BACK. But there was no arguing with what was before us. We did a nerve block on the front right foot and within minutes she was trotting around well. So, the suggestion was to put corrective “natural balance” shoes on the front to relieve any heel pain that she might have. That was Tuesday, on Friday the new farrier she had recommended came and put the shoes on. I should mention that she had also left me a sedative to use when the farrier comes because Secret has actually started rearing during the nailing on of the shoes. The sedative worked… she was so stoned the cross ties were holding her upright… the farrier was very happy.

The following Tuesday evening I went out to ride and… OMG she was lamer than ever! In the FRONT! She was actually doing the whole head-bob thing (ie. REALLY LAME) and could not turn to the right at all. I was devastated. I was frustrated. It’s gotten to the point that I feel like everything that I do just makes her worse! Would it have been better if I’d left her barefoot? Is she ever going to be sound again? How much money am I willing to spend to make her better? What if I can’t make her better? What will I do then? All of these questions ran through my mind in about 4 seconds. Then I pushed them aside because I had my board exam to study for and didn’t have time to dwell on it until afterwards. Nonetheless, I called the vet the next morning and she wanted to give the shoes at least a week before making a judgment on them.

My board exam was yesterday, so I went out today to check on her (this past Friday was a week… so it’s been 9 days of the shoes). I started by free lunging her in our new round pen (SO excited about that!). She looked better! I think there is still a little limp in the right front, but the head-bobbing is gone. BUT, I think the right hind looks off again. My trainer used the term, “dead lame in the back”. UGH UGH UGH! So, then I threw the bareback pad on to see if she would look worse with weight on her back. After trotting a few laps the back leg seemed to warm up and not look so stiff. So, I’m thinking that she’s better?? My trainer recommended calling the vet and letting her know exactly what we’re seeing and letting her make the call. So, the journey continues. I hope this duck can learn to fly again…