lameness question.....

["Betsy See" <beecsee@hotmail.com>]

I have a question for all of you.....
History:  8 y.o. 3/4 Arab mare, last year she developed a lameness in her RF 
leg (would say a grade 2+). (before this she never had a lame day in her 
life, I raised her) Vet came out, did a nerve block in her heel region, and 
she went about 80% sound.  X-rayed, didn't find anything.  So, to make that 
story short, vet couldn't find a specific problem. Around that same time my 
weanling colt got an abcess in a front leg.  Later found out that both of my 
neighbor's horses developed abcess's.  So, we kind of determined that my 
mare had probably developed a deep abcess that never surfaced.  (Keep in 
mind, I have no idea if this has anything to do with my upcoming question, 
but I thought I would throw it out anyways).  A month after that she got cut 
really bad on that same foot (I'll never board again at a place with 
barbed-wire....bad judgment on my part), the cut went from the medial side 
of her coronary band up and around the palmar aspect of her pastern (just 
above her heel region) to the lateral side of her coronary band (didn't 
touch the coronary band on that side).  So, she had a nice 4 month vacation, 
and I started riding her again about 3 months ago, and she has been doing 
fine BUT yesterday she pulled up lame on that foot again. (Again grade 2+) 
SOOOO does this lameness correlate with the first lameness she had, or with 
the cut, or niether?? (She has A LOT of scar tissue).  Could it be the scar 
tissue causing the problem, and if it is what can I do about it?  I would 
think that the four months off and these last three months of very light 
work (walking/trotting <8mph, usually only 6-11 miles) would have been 
plenty of time to recooperate, but maybe I'm wrong?  The other thing is 
sometimes when I'm watching her out on pasture I'll swear that she is a 
little off, but then when I bring her in she'll look fine, so I think that 
maybe I'm being paranoid, but maybe I'm not.... The only other thing that I 
can think of is she's starting to get navicular?  I don't know why, because 
she doesn't have the "typical" little feet/big body of a navicular horse, 
and she's pretty laid back in her shoulder/pasterns.  Could injury cause 
navicular?  The only reason I think it could be navicular is because it is 
her heal area that is sensitive, and she's moving with a shorter stride in 
front.
Any info regarding this "story" would be greatly appreciated!!!
Thanks!
*Betsy
Majah (I'm thinking another vacation would be just fine :-) )
Babe
Angie
Hakim

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