Anyone else's horse lame on frozen ground this morning?

Supertrooper

Supertrooper

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Pony lives out 24/7. With all the wet conditions we've had the field is very rutted now and this morning was frozen solid. First really really hard frost we've had.

Thought the boy didn't look quite right when I walked over with his hay and noticed he was resting back left leg, he then held it up. Cue minor panic from me, grabbed his head collar and walked him across better part of the field and he was weight bearing but tentative. Also he was quiet, normally he's a right cocky whatsit.

Called vet as my initial thought was laminitis but as she said very unusual to get in one foot, especially a back one. He'd been bombing round the field on Friday bucking and rearing and he's got bone spavins so she thinks most likely he's pulled something or flared his spavins up.

Said she'll come out tomorrow but to call back if he wasn't putting leg down, by the time I left field he was standing on it pretty normally and yard owners checked him pm and said he was fine so fingers crossed he will be ok.

I remember my friends horse doing this on frozen ground though.
 
My daughters pony was slightly lame in front this evening (nothing like as serious as yours, still fully weight-bearing). They both came charging about like lunatics on the frozen solid ground this morning when I bought them their hay, so I suspect he has tweaked something.
 
I have a pony who does the same on frosty ground. He's had laminitis in the past so I think he may have thinner soles and is maybe just more sensitive. Also, he's unshod. I have to say, there have been days where I can feel the hard ruts through my wellies so I can't blame him for being reluctant to walk on those bits!

Are there any flatter bits of the field where he seems more sound? I think the weather is supposed to warm up in a couple of days so hopefully, when the ground thaws, you might see a difference.
 
Lisa2manyponies said:
my first thoughts with any sudden acute lameness is always abscess ????????
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me too, although he could have just as easily bruised his soles, the ground has been so wet, it will soften his feet, then if he stood on a hard frozen bit, or a stone it could have hurt his soles! my horse had 4 bruised feet last week! gave him a few days off and he was back to normal! luckily a farrier was at the yard the morning after I thought he didn't look right!

I would check to see if you can find his digital pulse in that leg! he will have one if it is an abscess or if its lami! then get a farrier to test his hooves! he will tell you if its an abscess or if you need the vet to investigate for lami!
 
One of my old girls went acutely lame one hard frosty day. She had arthritis and it must have set something off.
Sadly she never came right after that, but I'm not meaning to come across as doom and gloom....just that hard, unlevel ground is very good at bringing out any issues which might be fine on softer going.
 
Kezzabell2 said:
me too, although he could have just as easily bruised his soles, the ground has been so wet, it will soften his feet, then if he stood on a hard frozen bit, or a stone it could have hurt his soles! my horse had 4 bruised feet last week! gave him a few days off and he was back to normal! luckily a farrier was at the yard the morning after I thought he didn't look right!

I would check to see if you can find his digital pulse in that leg! he will have one if it is an abscess or if its lami! then get a farrier to test his hooves! he will tell you if its an abscess or if you need the vet to investigate for lami!
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No pulses thank god. I hope he's just tweaked something xx
 
You try walking across frozen, possibly rutted ground in bare feet! ;)

Unless he is prone to laminitis etc, I would simply suspect a bit of bruising, shod or not, not a great deal you can do about it, unless you put pads on :(

My horses always look pottery when the ground is frozen, they get bruised feet easily, all horses do to some extent or the other, totally normal (ask your farrier. I am willing to bet that next time the farrier comes he will mention bruising) once the snow comes they are much happier with some covering on the ground.
 
Enfys said:
You try walking across frozen, possibly rutted ground in bare feet! ;)

Unless he is prone to laminitis etc, I would simply suspect a bit of bruising, shod or not, not a great deal you can do about it, unless you put pads on :(

My horses always look pottery when the ground is frozen, they get bruised feet easily, all horses do to some extent or the other, totally normal (ask your farrier. I am willing to bet that next time the farrier comes he will mention bruising) once the snow comes they are much happier with some covering on the ground.
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I'd count it like stony ground & maybe pony is a bit footsore, like walking on rocks.
 
A couple of years ago a friends pony was favouring one leg when the ground was frozen, the pony had arthritis and was better out than in and it was assumed she was just stiff from the cold, turned out it was an abscess probably from a bruise.
 
LD&S said:
A couple of years ago a friends pony was favouring one leg when the ground was frozen, the pony had arthritis and was better out than in and it was assumed she was just stiff from the cold, turned out it was an abscess probably from a bruise.
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Yes, we find that abcesses are not uncommon after bruising .
 
Good chance it's an abscess or a bruise. Both cause intense pain. I would poultice it.

My newer horse who is still transitioning to being a rock cruncher felt distinctly pottery yesterday. Frozen rutted ground is very unforgiving and unpleasant to walk on. This winter being so mild means the fields are pretty poached so when it does freeze its horrible.
 
We have two on our yard who are transitioning to barefoot (one all round and one just behind). It was my turn to turn out this morning and they were both reluctant to go over the frozen rutted ground. A bit of gentle persuasion with a few treats and once they were on more even ground they were ok.
 
Enfys said:
You try walking across frozen, possibly rutted ground in bare feet! ;)

Unless he is prone to laminitis etc, I would simply suspect a bit of bruising, shod or not, not a great deal you can do about it, unless you put pads on :(

My horses always look pottery when the ground is frozen, they get bruised feet easily, all horses do to some extent or the other, totally normal (ask your farrier. I am willing to bet that next time the farrier comes he will mention bruising) once the snow comes they are much happier with some covering on the ground.
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As above. My horses are always pottery on frozen lumpy ground too.
 
Our 3 rams all looked lame as cats this morning when I went to give them their nuts. The frozen ruts were making it very difficult to walk over. Yet as soon as they got onto the hardcore they all looked fine. Frozen ground is horrible for them to walk over.
 
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