Barefooter help please?

[nic85]

Morning all, I have a 21 year old 10.2hh Shetland who had his feet trimmed on December the 9th and he has been footsore since. He has been turned out everyday on poor grazing with a bit of hay and is in at night ( On livery yard) with a double netted eliminet (extremely small holes) he doesn't get any hard feed but a little Hi Fi lite in a snack ball.

His path way to his field is hard and stony and his field is not far off the same, he is usually sore after a trim according to his owner ( hes on loan) but this time my son rode him in the school (nice soft surface) on Sunday and he was fine in walk but lame in trot so he is now on box rest with having his front feet tubbed once a day with Epsom salts. His feet are a little warm but no digital pulse and he doesn't have Cushings.
I will add when we got him in August his feet were very overgrown, he had one trim and was fine, he goes every 16 weeks (my horse is every 8 and he does every other visit) and he is ridden on a variety of surfaces including a little road work, Im not sure if my farrier took too much toe off this time maybe but there really wasn't that much that came off! I have noticed his frogs are bit rubbish too, small and dry, is there anything I can do to help his feet?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[cptrayes]

First, no horse should routinely be sure after a trim. It just isn't right, so don't accept that as a reason from his owner.

How do you know that he doesn't have Cushings? Has he been tested or are people guessing from lack of symptoms? Lots of people are getting a positive test result after having sensitive soles as the only symptom.

I would still suspect a touch of laminitus, because the weather is stupidly warm and the grass is growing. I think you are doing the right thing to keep him off the grass until you are sure what's going on. Is his hay soaked? One of my horses is telling me that this year's crop is a lot more potent than last year.

 

[Andalucian]

It sounds like you have a laminitis pony on your hands. The trim sounds incorrect if he was ok before but not afterwards, but he was probably on the verge of laminitis anyway, a trim will tip them over the edge if it doesn't recognise the laminitis situation.

Box rest, bute and veterinary advice (vet first) is the correct way forward. The mild winter has caused a lot of winter laminitis this year.

 

[nic85]

First, no horse should routinely be sure after a trim. It just isn't right, so don't accept that as a reason from his owner.

How do you know that he doesn't have Cushings? Has he been tested or are people guessing from lack of symptoms? Lots of people are getting a positive test result after having sensitive soles as the only symptom.

I would still suspect a touch of laminitus, because the weather is stupidly warm and the grass is growing. I think you are doing the right thing to keep him off the grass until you are sure what's going on. Is his hay soaked? One of my horses is telling me that this year's crop is a lot more potent than last year.

He is on last years hay, not soaked but can soak. Thanks for replying.

It sounds like you have a laminitis pony on your hands. The trim sounds incorrect if he was ok before but not afterwards, but he was probably on the verge of laminitis anyway, a trim will tip them over the edge if it doesn't recognise the laminitis situation.

Box rest, bute and veterinary advice (vet first) is the correct way forward. The mild winter has caused a lot of winter laminitis this year.

He was ok on the road and in the school but the path to his field is stony and he would tend to sort of stumble a bit when he stood on a stone.

Regarding Cushings, as far as I know he doesn't have it, I will speak to owners and see if they are ok with me having him tested but that wont be until the new year now :S So for now I will treat him as a laminitic and Ill speak to my farrier. Thanks for the replies

 

[ridefast]

Give him a salt lick, salt can make a difference. /it sounds like the trim is what's done it. Generally if a horse is barefoot it doesn't really need a trim like a shod horse, as in literally trimming the hoof away, but just a rasp round to stop any flare developing. Sounds like time is what this pony needs, aswell as low calorie diet. Is hi fi made with alfa? Some equines can't tolerate alfa very well. And do you have any magnesium oxide you can give him? Mine get it in a small feed of fast fibre

 

[canteron]

I would suspect low level cushings. I wouldn't bother with blood tests personally ..... If you know anyone with a cushings horse just get a couple of tablets off them and feeda quarter of a tablet for a week. You will probably know within a day or so whether it is working.

There is a whole argument on how closely linked blood tests and cushings really are and as far as I know a short trial of Prascend isn't likely to be a problem if the horse hasn't got cushings, but at his age and those symptoms I would say it is the most likely culprit.

Phoenix's horse forum is a great resource if you want more info!