Would acupuncture work on a lame horse?

Acupuncture can help with certain lameness issues. The effects can very from horses to horse depending on how good the acupuncturist is and what the issue is. So it is hard to give a time span. As far as how much...? That depends on the treatment. Acupuncture alone is probably going to cost you a few hundred. If they use an electronic charge (that is really effective) that's going to cost a little more. If they combine it with Equine Massage, add a few more bucks. You have to find one in your area and ask about prices. That can also be an issue - finding an equine acupuncturist. Does it work as good as pain meds? Probably not for you're describing. Founder and pedal bone injuries are not typically things fixed by acupuncture. Acupuncture tends to be more effective on soft tissue injuries like pulled/torn muscles or sore areas from lack of circulation. Again, if you find an acupuncturist in your area, they should be able to describe what ailments they can help with.

Acupuncture stimulates immune function and is therefore never advisable in any diseases where enhanced immune system activity is damaging, such as is the case in all autoimmune disorders. Since the mechanisms involved in laminitis are still being researched and revealed, and all immune factors involved are not yet fully understood, acupuncture would not be advisable as it could actually worsen the condition.

It depends on the reason they are lame. Here are some possible causes for a horse being lame. Sometimes assessment of the problem can be challenging if there is no clear reason for the change / drop in performance and associated lameness. Knowing the history of the horse can greatly assist in the diagnosis of the problem. The horses training schedule, length of time taken to reach levels of fitness and types of exercises will help to determine what types of strains and stresses muscles etc, have been put under. Lameness in Horses - http://www.horse-stall.net/horse-health/lameness-in-horses.htm LAMINITIS There are many causes of Laminitis. Grazing on lush green spring grass for instance can cause Laminitis. Getting into the feed room and gorging on too much feed, or eating lawn clippings, may also be a cause for this illness in your horse. Laminitis - http://www.horse-stall.net/horse-health/laminitis.htm NAVICULAR How can you tell if your horse may have navicular syndrome? One is he may not want to change leads. He may lose his suppleness or perhaps have a stiff and jerky gait. As this gets worse the may show lameness where you may see short stride in one or both front legs. The horse will purposely try to step on his toe portion of the foot because the pain will be in the back of the foot. Thus, you will see his toe is worn more than any other part of the foot. Navicular - http://www.horse-stall.net/horse-health/common-causes-of-lameness.htm

Acupuncture may or may not be useful, however, what you are describing is an acute pain emergency. You would not want to wait and see or try a new technique. You want to be sure to give your horse something that will definitely help him so I would give him the pain meds. This is nothing to mess around with. If you want to utilize acupuncture, do so on a regular maintenance basis, not when you have an acute medical emergency. There is no way to make predictions about success of treatment or length of relief, etc. If it were my horse, I would take no chances, I would give what I know to work immediately and utilize natural methods as they were meant to be used, conservatively, just my opinion.