Didn't get far with vetting today- footsore

LauraBR

LauraBR

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Vet picked up some lameness on the trot up, on closer inspection she was footsore.

She has small delicate TB feet and was due to be shod which the vet thought could explain it- or the hard ground, or any number of simple things.

BUT her forefeet were slightly different sizes- could just be the way she is or could be the result of an underlying problem.

Vet recommended she be shod, checked over 2 weeks to see if she improves and if she does re vet her then.

Gutted
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She was even lovelier than I remembered...
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Anyone had a similar experience...? Happy ending stories or indeed warnings?!
 
Hi Laura

I'm so sorry.

Have to admit, having been down the "navicular scare" road briefly with Patches (as you were with Fal if I remember correctly) the odd size/shape front feet would really concern me. Flatter footed Tb's are more prone to navicular syndrome (so the vet told me) and to general heel pain.

I'd be quite wary if I was you. Was she lame on a straight line or did you see her on a circle too? When Patches had her navicular scare she wasn't lame in a straight line, just on a circle and she put her feet down toe first. Classic navicular gait.

Thankfully, as you know, it all turned out to be her feet out of balance and something and nothing, but had she been like that when vetted, much as I know how perfect she's been for me, I'd have walked away.
 
The vet wasn't overly worried about the feet from a conformational perspective as she felt a lot could be done with good farriery, the concern was that the feet had become slightly different because of an underlying reason causing the foot soreness found and affecting her way of going
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Im sorry its not working out for you Lzt, but in my book odd or small feet are a big no no. Ive never known a horse with them not have problems. They do say no foot, no horse. The feet take so much stress its insanity to start with a problem.
 
having had two horses with different (obviously) sized front feet i would suggest looking into them more closely, one of ours i swear had one leg from another horse, as it seemed to be longer as well as having a much bigger foot!! both of them struggled with hard ground and one was repeatedly getting foot abcesses & was often footsore from rough ground, so i'd vertainly investigate more closely

good luck what ever you decide,
 
Spring was vetted (not by me but another purchaser) and failed on being footsore, but she was without shoes at the time. The vet recommended she be shod and she would be ok, but the other buyers pulled out (lucky for me!) and I went to see her after she had been shod and she was perfectly sound. It wasn't an issue for me as there was a genuine reason for her to be footy, however a shod horse in work (TB feet or not) shouldn't be footsore IMO. If you want to compete and she can't work on hard ground/nearing being shod then that would ring warning bells with me. Are her feet in a good state? If not then have her re-shod and re-vetted if she is sound then, then you know its a matter of keeping her very regularly shod by a good farrier. If her feet look good and she is footy, then I would stay away.
 
I'm really sorry about this mare Lzt, but different feet are such a big no-no for me too. Like Vicijp, I've never known a horse with odd feet not have problems. I had a mare with odd feet 3 years ago, and the vet wasnt too worried about it, but she went lame a week after I got her, and slowly turned into a cripple. The vet could find nothing wrong with her and it could have only have been the feet as the differences in each foot made one leg longer than the other. My mare was put down in the end.
 
Not looking hopeful then...
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Going to get my farrier to have a look at her for me this week. The difference in feet is lateral and only slight (vet had to really point it out to me knelt on the floor), I really want to know what the farrier thinks before I consider giving up on her as she is such a cracking girl.

Preparing myself for the worst... he won't hold back on what he thinks and at least then I'll know for sure I haven't made a big mistake.
 
What a bummer- am so sorry!! Maybe if it really really is ever so slight it may be ok. Has she thrown a lot of shoes off recently? That can make the tiniest differences in feet size which would be OK. My mare with the odd feet was very noticeable- it was one upright foot, and one flat foot.
 
Oh no- if you do get her re-vetted I thoroughly recommend getting x-rays of the front feet- just get angles of the navicular bones if you dont want to spend too much money. Will be well worth it in the longterm, trust me!!
 
Yes, was considering that- thanks Boss.

Just spoken to owner, she is as gutted as me and thinks getting farrier to have a look is a good idea. Spoke to farriers wife who thinks he'll be able to pop in over the next week or so.

Will see what he says, he really is an excellent farrier and I trust his opinion.
 
The grey tb i sold in march had the same problem in his vetting!!
The vet wanted to see him again after 2 shoeings - his lameness showed up lunging on concrete.
I really wasn't concerned about him passing another vetting so told the potential purchaser that i would readvertise him straightaway.
Well, she took the risk and bought him. When he was shod the next week the farrier found lots of pus in his foot!!
Needless to say he hasn't had a days lameness before or since!! (And he is still kept at our yard).
All i can say is if they are prepared to wait, hang fire, and see her again in a few weeks.

Good luck, i hope all goes well.
 
sm prepares to duck
my mare had odd feet when I bought her, with good shoeing they are now much better and they do not cause her any probs. I think tbs can be footsore this time of year even with shoes, rambos horse is footsore because the ground is so hard
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and tbs are such wimps -mine is a total drama queen with the slightest twinge)
see what your farrier says before you decide.
But I do agree it is not a good start, and buying with a problem is not a good idea
sorry I have prob been no help at all
 
Really sorry to here that, my coloured mare passed a 5* vetting with odd shape feet and 4months down the line she went lame, anyway to cut a long story short in the smaller foot she has torn her deep digital flexor and it has stuck itself to the navicular bone resulting in her being unridable, so now im affaid odd shaped feet are a big no-no

Good luck in whatever you choose

Hx
 
we bought a gelding with odd feet, one slightly flatter and the other more boxy...not picked up by equine vet..............and we didn't notice.

A few months later he had an episode of lameness..diagnosed as bruising....and a few months after that he went lame and was eventually diagnosed as bilateral lameness due to coffin joint pain and navicular by Cambride vet school - they have a video of him as it was so classic when nerve blocked.

As he did not respond to treatment and became an unhappy horse he was put down..... I would not knowingly buy a horse with odd feet ...and have since asked vets at vetting to test for lameness on a hardish surface on the lunge.

Hope you find your dream horse ..but this may be a nightmare

Ali
 
Oh Izt I am sorry to hear that. *hugs* but much better to find a problem now then to get a few months down the line and line yourself up for yet more expense and heartache. There is the right one for you out there somewhere!
 
I would not take any notice of a horse with odd size feet, no horse who human is perfect or cemetrical for that matter. Why do all these people think that it is such a problem? My horses feet are different sizes and he has never had a days lameness. I know of many advanced dressage horses like this with no problems also. I would be interested in hearing your views. many thanks
 
Bugger. Well, I would trust your farrier's advice - hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Such a shame that it couldn't have gone smoothly for you.
 
I seriously would not be concerned about that honestly but to put your mind at reat do have a word with your vet and farrier. I do wish you the best of luck, I really do.
 
Not with odd sized feet but when I went to buy Bomber the vet wouldn't pass him as he thought his tendon was enlarged. We got is scanned, waited 4 weeks then scanned it again and he passed him. If you really think she is suitable you havn't got anything to lose by waiting - even if you decide in the end that she isn't right.

Its a pain in the arse isn't it
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I don't think it would bother me. I know of one horse with odd feet, he events very well and they never bother him.

Is she turned out a lot? If she stands with one leg forward, and one under her more, the she's bound to have a flatter foot, because it's loaded with her weight more of the time. Sorry, not very well explained!
 
William has odd feet like that, us humans are not perfect so why do vets expect horses to be?
The ground is very hard at the moment, so fingers crossed when shod all may be fine!!
Good luck, sounds like you have really fallen for her and you deserve some happiness after the last 12 months..
Jo xx
 
To be honest, if everyone here asked their farrier if their horses feet were symmetrical, I'd lay a wager that at least 80% of our horses have asymmetrical feet. This is really not unusual at all.

For both of these issues, bite the bullet and have the front feet x-rayed/scanned - then you'll know if there is anything to worry about. Good luck; hope it all goes well in the end.
 
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