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[RC] horse's gate is slightly shorter on right side - Margaret

Title: Message
I have never been on an endurance ride w/my Arab, but he is well conditioned for at least a 25/30 ride to start.
 
My problem is that at a trot my horse's gate is about 2 inches shorter on the right side than on the left.  This can only be seen on a circle.  It is not detected when observing him from the front or back at a trot (per the vet at Davis).  I don't believe he has always been like this.  I think it happened 6 months ago during a trail ride where he started to lose his right back shoe about 4 miles out.  It took a while to come off, and after that he was clearly off (as if it had caused him to step wrong, because his feet are tough and he has never had a problem going barefoot even after having shoes on).  Immediately after, I gave him two weeks of stall rest and he no longer was off except for his stride was shorter on the right side.  Since, I have tried more time off, and riding while on 2 g of bute per day for 1 week - per the local vet with no change in his condition.  I took him to Davis and they said he is a 2 minus on their lameness scale so they couldn't block him.  So, we tried injecting his hocks (just to try since they couldn't think of anything else to do w/in reason).  The injections did not help.  I am at a loss of what else to try.  Like I said, the only indication that he is off is on the circle by looking at his stride at a slower trot where his right back foot lands about 2 inches short of where his left back foot lands.  This is the same either way he is circling (left or right).
 
He does not appear to be in any pain (as the bute experiment showed) and he does not get any better/worse the more I exercise/ride him.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  As well, since I have never taken him on a ride and have only been on one limited distance ride myself, would he be pulled from a ride for this mild "lameness"?  This has been terribly frustrating since he is such a great athlete, so I appreciate any/all help/comments!
 
Thank you!
 
Margaret