TAZ
This is Taz, a 7 yr. old AQHA gelding we foaled from my mare. Last fall after irrigation was over we were out in the field picking up hand lines when we heard a very horrific squeal. Looking around we saw Taz standing with his left front leg up and unable to put any weight on it. When we went over to him he was soaked in sweat, very much in pain. I’ve never heard such a cry from a horse and all the other horses had called out to him. He was able to 3 legged hop out to the gate where a vet checked him out. He thought he could hear some grinding in his shoulder and probably would have to be put down. One other option he gave us was he’d help us load him and we could go to the Idaho Equine hospital where they had large horse x-rays equipment to check his leg. After loading him, which was a miracle and in great pain but a trouper, we took him to the hospital. There they kept him overnight and did a complete set of x-rays from hoof to shoulder and couldn’t find a break. They said that he had damage to his radial nerve in that shoulder. After doing some research we find this is more common than we thought. They gave him something for pain relief and put a hard splint on the back side of his leg and wrapped it with instructions to change it every few days. He may or may not recover fully from this and we were told it could take 3 mos. to 3 yrs. to mend. After about 5 weeks we gave him short breaks without the brace for an hour then few hrs. to walk in his 12 X 12 stall. He could put weight on it but it took time for him to be able to lift his shoulder and swing the leg forward.
He’s since been moved to a larger pen, about 24 X 12 and walks pretty good but still unstable on uneven ground.
We’re hoping for the best this year and keep a watch on him on this camera.
Update:  Taz has suffered possible muscular or pelvic injury and has a hard time staying up.  Idaho equine hospital has us keeping him on bute and making sure he stays quite to heal.  Hoping for the best.