Hi group!

I thought I'd share my dilemma with you.  I have a friend, who's fairly new at "horses" and she told me that her horse was acting really strange.  She owns a 4 year old QH that she uses for barrel competitions.  She's recently been dealing with her horse being lame.  She told me that she took her horse to a local barrel racing competition and noticed that her horse was limping at a jog, but when she cantered her horse, she didn't seem lame so she decided to run her horse.  She felt that if she didn't jog the horse and only cantered her then she would be o.k. 

Well, after I picked my jaw up off the floor, I explained that a horse typically won't look lame at a canter, but that if a horse is favoring a leg at a jog, then the horse is definitely hurting somewhere.  I suggested that she stop running her horse until the lameness clears up at a jog.  This conversation occurred about 2 weeks ago and yesterday she told me, again, that she decided to run her horse because she wasn't lame at the canter.  She’s completely disregarded my advice and it sounds like the horse is severely lame.  She told me her horse ran the fastest time ever over this past weekend…and I’m thinking, just think what your horse could do if she were sound.  Any suggestions for me?  Natalee   

You already told her something she clearly disregarded. Its true that a horse can look sound at a canter/gallop but its the trot that is the test.

I'd wish her well and say nothing more. She isn't listening anyway.

You've done all you can do. I feel for the poor horse.

Hopefully the horse won't fall over on her during the pattern. This is a real possibility not to mention permanent damage. And without seeing where the lameness is occuring it could be as simple as a stone bruise to more serious as a pulled tendon/legament to laminitis.

Can you go and look at the horse with her to point out where the lameness is occuring? Then from there you could recommend a solution, treatment option and determine whether a vet needs to be engaged.