Click Noise when horse walks

[ErinC]

OK, this is a new topic!

can someone tell me why a horse has a click noise coming from someplace in a leg?

Not sure what leg, or from what area of the leg, but I have a friend thats horse had a click noise ( just started about a week ago ) she is a coming 5 yr old filly.

what could this be?????

anyone have this happen?

[Blameitonbrio]

I will be interested to know that too. Spanky's leg did that...so do my knees!

[halfmoonfino]

My rhuematologist (doctor who specializes in joints and joint related illnesses) says that this is nothing to be concerned about. She explained that this is nitrogen "bubbles" in the joint making popping sounds when a person (or horse) walks. Someone also told me once that with horses, poor condition or lack of exercise can cause this. My horse also gets stall stiff, so sometimes when I'm walking him around in winter after he's been stalled (against his iron will) his joints will pop a bit. Over the summer after he'd not been ridden much for two months, he was very creaky. So I slowly moved him back into work and put him on Yucca just to be safe. So far he's been pop-free!

If your horse appears lame, tender, or stubborn while the noises occurr, you might want to get the vet to do some flexion tests or check for beginning arthritis.

You might try MSM or Yucca as an experiment to see if there's an improvement in the following weeks if you wish. Or you might try giving your horse longer workouts with plenty of stretch time at the walk.In general, however, I would say these noises are unrelated to joint health and are not worth freaking out over.

[ErinC]

this mare has turn out all day , so she is not stall stiff.
and she gets work. not lots of it, but she moves around and plays.

I had already thought of that.

:-?

she is NOT lame, or sore , just the POP noise! :roll:

[Heidi]

My Appy gelding would pop, but usually only in the winter. As he got older he would occasionally pop in the warmer months, too. I attributed it to lack of movement. For him, it was a combination of age/weather. I'm sure the same is true for your friend's mare. She may run/play but I bet she isn't moving around as much as she would during more temperate weather.
If she is in a dry lot she will move around much less than when in a pasture and walking/grazing.
Heidi

[Boyd R]

I've seen two that done this. They were told to take them off sweet feed. to high of sugars. within a couple of months the snapping noises were gone.

[Terri]

She is in a dry lot, (is there grass anywhere about now?) and not on sweet feed. She eats a very small amount of 14% pellets, but mostly hay and soaked beet pulp. Her owner has not been riding her lately because of the clicking. She is not yet 5 and the owner thinks it might have to do with a final growth spurt. Prior to this she has been riden from zero to as much as 3 X in a week, depending on her owners schedule.

[Terry Wallace]

Some click in the hips, some in the stifles, and some in the hocks....it is *usually* nothing to be concerned about. I have observed it mostly on out-of-shape horses that don't get a lot of exercise. Grain was not involved on any of the "clickers" I have known...they didn't get any grain.
BUT...they were all out of shape, and only exercised by walking around a pen.
I would concern myself over it, only if they didn't stop clicking while being put on a conditioning type routine.

[DebbieS]

My ankles 'click' when I go down the stairs :oops: I visit the gym almost daily. I guess I'm getting old :roll:

[PasoPerson38]

Are you positive it is coming from the leg and not the hoof?! Horses will often "clip" themselves. Where the rear hoof hits the front just enough to make a clicking sound. Try putting bell boots on and see if you hear it anymore...If you don't then it is her walkin on herself. If you think that she is cliping herself just put the bell boots on whenever you ride to prevent her from scraping herself. If that is not it then :confused
Hope I could help! :bsmile

[appyday]

vence does it when in the field gaiting...all 4 legs..and not a lame step..does not worry me..he does not do it when I ride..he is NOT on sweet feed.

[TrueStepPaso]

Erin...

My mare used to click in her fetlock joint before she foundered and was in shoes...since she's been barefoot, not a sound! Same with one of my clients...I pulled the shoes, trimmed, went away a month later (and some swelling around her coronet). NOT blaming it on shoes, just the angles and restrictions.

[Terri]

No shoes, barefoot. Always has been. Haven't heard the clicking lately but her owner has been using her more.