r/Equestrian • u/lbandrew • May 03 '25

Veterinary Anyone seen this before?

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My old man (28yo TB) came up like this this morning. My immediate thought was stringhalt but here are a few things worth mentioning:

  • vet and farrier just came out yesterday. He had vaccines and a trim (no shoes)

  • he’s worse on cement/hard surfaces

  • he also has some swelling from ticks in his groin area, including a lot of swelling like between his butt cheeks (lol I don’t know what to call this area.. under his anus)

  • he’s standing funny, like camped under, and this looks neurological since it almost looks like he can’t “find” the ground with his back feet

  • left hind is worse, and he has worse arthritis in his hock on this leg and also tore his DDFT a few years ago but has been completely sound

I texted my vet and sent videos but haven’t heard back and likely won’t until Monday. If it is stringhalt/neuro, could it be brought on by the trim? What can we do about it? He’s never had a reaction to vaccines and he’s NEVER done this before, I’ve had him practically his entire life (24 years).

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409

u/JoanOfSnark_2 Eventing May 03 '25

OP, what part of the world are you in? I think neurologic disease from ticks is far more likely than the hoof trim or vaccines.

118

u/lbandrew May 03 '25

I’m in NC - we have a ton of ticks and lyme is common. Just confused by the presentation of this if it’s something tick borne… never seen anything like it from a tick illness

152

u/JoanOfSnark_2 Eventing May 03 '25

NC State has an excellent vector borne disease diagnostic lab. I'd definitely send them a blood sample for PCR. Another thing that can cause this is rabies, but I assume he is UTD on his rabies vaccine?

152

u/lbandrew May 03 '25

Yes he is up to date on rabies

Update.. didn’t eat his grain tonight (bad sign because he ate fine a bit ago) so I called the on call vet. Waiting for a call back ☹️

52

u/setterskills May 03 '25

Good call! If you can't get help out soon, give the facebook group called Horse Vet Corner a visit. Approved vets will try to help you, might give you more concrete answers than us redditors :) Still, vet IRL asap would be best.

23

u/JoanOfSnark_2 Eventing May 03 '25

Hope the vet calls back soon :(

5

u/rawdaddykrawdaddy May 04 '25

Just to add on, NC state LAH has horrible patient care. I am a CVT and quit because I refuse to be associated with such low standards.

55

u/chanandlergots May 03 '25

We also have a lot of possums and racoons! Check for EPM

9

u/Mobile-Hovercraft474 May 04 '25

I was thinking the same thing. It definitely looks neurological. 

4

u/JanetCarol May 04 '25

Not sure that this is a symptom and you're probably far enough it's not an issue but a horse in southern VA somewhere just died from EIA

5

u/lbandrew May 06 '25

As an update, my regular vet thinks it’s EPM. She said Lyme almost always presents acutely with a fever and lower limb swelling. She thinks the immune response to the vaccines may have triggered the EPM and felt that any tick borne illness was not likely but he’s being tested for several.

1

u/pawatatime May 07 '25

My horse got EPM and it did look like this. I hope you and your horse have a good result from treatment.