Lemony Acres Horse Center

06/15/2026

Astrid playing nurse maid over baby Lunaflora.

06/06/2026

Luna and Astrid. Astrid is not her mom, even though she matches coat color.

06/06/2026

Luna zoomies, watch the rollback.

06/03/2026

Getting Onyx back in shape

05/29/2026

Celebrating horsemanship and riding achievements with USPC badges and fun gifts. Plus an ice cream sundae bar to make for a sweet ending. Looking forward to the fall achievements and award ceremony.

05/28/2026

Astrid update – Keep her in your thoughts and prayers

Astrid has been struggling on and off with lameness in her left front leg. She is not sound. When a horse is said to be sound, it is not exhibiting any lameness or other physical discomfort.

On Tuesday, May 26, Dr. Zander from Piedmont Equine visited the farm and performed a comprehensive exam to try to pinpoint the cause of the lameness.

The exam lasted 2 hours and included nerve blocking of 4 separate locations in the leg and x-rays.

Astrid was never sound after all of the testing and was injected with OSPHOS. She will be off for 4 weeks with a reevaluation at that time. It can take up to 2 months for the drug to be fully effective.

How to identify lameness
• MOST OBVIOUS
o horse’s head will bob up and down at the trot
o horse does not reach as far with one leg during movement
• LESS OBVIOUS
o Reluctance to put weight on one leg
o Standing only on 3 legs
o Feeling inconsistent gaits while riding, especially at the trot

Lameness Exam – The vet performs a variety of tests to locate the source of pain.
Tests include:
• visual exam of the horses gaits at the walk and trot
• hoof testing to determine if there is pain the the foot
• nerve blocking
• x-rays, bone scans, MRI, CAT Scans

What is nerve blocking?
Nerve blocking is used on the horse's legs to identify the source of pain. Local anesthesia is used to numb a region to determine if it is a source of pain. The blocks start at the lowest part of the leg and work up the leg progressively until the area of pain is located when the horse becomes sound.

How a block works
1. The nerve or joint capsule is injected with a local anesthetic.
2. The horse is then trotted to determine if there is any improvement in the horse's gait.
3. If the gait improves and the horse moves soundly, then the source of pain has been located.
4. If the gait does not improve then subsequent blocks are performed moving up the leg until the location is determined.
When the source of pain is blocked from being painful, the horse will be sound.

Blocks can be performed perineurally (around the nerve) or into synovial structures (joints, bursae and tendon sheaths). Typically, the vet starts low on the limb and work upwards.

05/28/2026

Horsemanship on a rainy day. Learning about morning chores and feeding.

05/22/2026

05/15/2026

Lazy days ... 2 weeks old and growing like a w**d

05/11/2026

Latest baby picture - thanks Sabine!