Didn't get far with vetting today- footsore

LauraBR

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 December 2004
Messages
14,187
Location
Leicestershire
Visit site
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
frown.gif
She was even lovelier than I remembered...
frown.gif


Anyone had a similar experience...? Happy ending stories or indeed warnings?!
 

Patches

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 February 2005
Messages
10,028
Visit site
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.
 

LauraBR

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 December 2004
Messages
14,187
Location
Leicestershire
Visit site
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
frown.gif
.
 

vicijp

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 July 2005
Messages
3,306
Location
Herefordshire
www.vicijpricehorses.co.uk
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.
 

racingdemon

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 September 2003
Messages
1,754
Location
Shropshire
www.facebook.com
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,
 

Lucy_Ally

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 June 2004
Messages
2,494
Location
Surrey
Visit site
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.
 

seabiscuit

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 July 2005
Messages
6,228
Visit site
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.
 

LauraBR

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 December 2004
Messages
14,187
Location
Leicestershire
Visit site
Not looking hopeful then...
frown.gif


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.
 

seabiscuit

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 July 2005
Messages
6,228
Visit site
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.
 

Bossanova

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 November 2004
Messages
10,284
Visit site
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!!
 

LauraBR

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 December 2004
Messages
14,187
Location
Leicestershire
Visit site
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.
 

Ash the arab

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 November 2004
Messages
457
Location
Northampton
Visit site
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.
 

siennamiller

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 July 2005
Messages
2,417
Location
west sussex
Visit site
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
frown.gif
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
 

seaofdreams

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 August 2005
Messages
1,084
Location
Berkshire
Visit site
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
 

aliacc

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 September 2004
Messages
121
Location
milton keynes
Visit site
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
 

Ginn

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 November 2005
Messages
4,002
Visit site
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!
 

Caritas

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 October 2004
Messages
604
Visit site
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
 

ruscara

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 October 2005
Messages
8,298
Location
hampshire
Visit site
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.
 

Caritas

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 October 2004
Messages
604
Visit site
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.
 

parsley

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 August 2005
Messages
2,524
Visit site
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
frown.gif
 

meandmyself

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 February 2006
Messages
13,161
Visit site
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!
 

barkinghorse

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 October 2003
Messages
494
Location
Greater Manchester
Visit site
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
 

Tia

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 January 2004
Messages
26,100
Visit site
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.
 
Top