EXTREMELY FOOTY BAREFOOT COB

[ApacheWarrior1]

My 8 year old cob is extremely footy on any type of ground other than grass - gravel and grit have him hopping, tarmac is better (but not much of that about) and he basically is trying all the time to squeeze onto any blade of grass he sees in order to avoid the pain...white hooves, but they appear hard. White line separation allowing some grit in I think. Farrier had no useful advice whatsoever other than to move yards.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Laminitis?

Vet check time, I think.

 

[windand rain]

Laminitis is my thought too and the various checks for ems,cushings and being grossly overweight Cob and footiness in the same sentence screams too fat and certainly close if not already suffering from lgl or full blown chronic laminitis

 

[ycbm]

Farrier had no useful advice whatsoever other than to move yards.

If this is to get the horse off too much grass then the farrier is right.
.

 

[Zuzzie]

Time for a vet visit. Your cob is in pain and needs some help - he sounds extremely uncomfortable. How long has he been like this? White line problems could lead to an abscess which is what happened to my horse when I turned him away having taken his front shoes off. You really need to have a conversation with your vet because, god forbid, if its laminitis you are going to be kicking yourself for not getting help sooner.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Get him off the grass for a week feeding soaked hay then see if his still footy, if he looks better on his feet chances are it's the start of laminitis so I would get him off it now before you have full blown laminitis.

White line disease or separation of the white line is a symptom of laminitis.

 

[paddy555]

Get him off the grass for a week feeding soaked hay then see if his still footy, if he looks better on his feet chances are it's the start of laminitis so I would get him off it now before you have full blown laminitis.

White line disease or separation of the white line is a symptom of laminitis.

this.. Then the question is why and how you are going to keep him which is going to have to be off grass for quite a while until you get it sorted and the reason as to why.

Get him tested for EMS and even at only 8 yo I would test for Cushings. I would wonder about accuracy of ACTH test both at this time of the year and in a relatively young horse and TRH test straight away. More expensive but you need an answer asap so that you know where you are going and what you are going to have to plan to deal with.

I guess you are riding him barefoot and if so you are going to need 4 boots for riding him. If he is fat then exercise is going to be vital to your solution. I am not sure if this horse has laminitis or if he is fine otherwise just footy on hard surfaces and you have the indications of lgl before the real thing.
If you think he really has laminitis then I think you need the vet. You say the farrier has no useful advice but I am not sure if he is simply seeing a footy horse or if he believes you have laminitis in which case I would have expected him to suggest the vet.

Once you get past this glitch and find out what you are dealing with will it be possible to put him on a track to avoid having to change yards? or find a track livery.

 

[splashgirl45]

how does everyone know he is fat, am i being really thick because i didnt read that or do you know this from another thread?

i would also get the vet to check him out, white feet can be very strong, i had a piebald with white feet and her feet were brilliant and she hacked happily over all terrain..

 

[Tiddlypom]

OP doesn't mention his weight.

But add footy, cob and the weather we are currently having which is encoraging rapid grass growth all together, then laminitis is a prime suspect.

 

[scats]

Low grade laminitis, possibly?

 

[Zuzzie]

I would agree with Paddy555. I had a 3/4 thoroughbred/welsh cob. He could live off next to nothing. Typical fatty with short legs! He loved his grass and never lifted his head off the floor when out. He was a Cushings horse who the vet never bothered to test as he displayed all the classic signs (thick curly coat all year round etc). I swear Pergolide now called Prascend kept him laminitis free and returned him to looking and fit and young. This was over 30 odd years ago before we know what we know now. So I would recommend a check for Cushings as well as all the other helpful suggestions that have been made.

 

[NOISYGIRL2]

They don't have to be fat to get laminitis, mine was one of the fittest on the yard, arab x cob when he got it over 18 years ago. Managed him for it until 1st PPID test was borderline April 2015 then Oct 2015 was diagnosed and medicated. Prascend or Pergolide paste would help control the laminits by having the PPID under control.

1st I would call the vet if he needs pain relief needs it asap, did you farrier not test for laminitis? If not I would want to know either way as I said for pain relief.

Apparently vets now think that 90% of laminitis cases are from undiagnosed/uncontrolled PPID so i've have him tested, you/your vet can get a free test done for you. As others have mentioned could be EMS so if not PPID test for that.

Good luck

 

[NOISYGIRL2]

this.. Then the question is why and how you are going to keep him which is going to have to be off grass for quite a while until you get it sorted and the reason as to why.

Get him tested for EMS and even at only 8 yo I would test for Cushings. I would wonder about accuracy of ACTH test both at this time of the year and in a relatively young horse and TRH test straight away. More expensive but you need an answer asap so that you know where you are going and what you are going to have to plan to deal with.

I guess you are riding him barefoot and if so you are going to need 4 boots for riding him. If he is fat then exercise is going to be vital to your solution. I am not sure if this horse has laminitis or if he is fine otherwise just footy on hard surfaces and you have the indications of lgl before the real thing.
If you think he really has laminitis then I think you need the vet. You say the farrier has no useful advice but I am not sure if he is simply seeing a footy horse or if he believes you have laminitis in which case I would have expected him to suggest the vet.

Once you get past this glitch and find out what you are dealing with will it be possible to put him on a track to avoid having to change yards? or find a track livery.

Good advice, they can test ACTH all year round, but as you say the TRH is more accurate

 

[ycbm]

Apparently vets now think that 90% of laminitis cases are from undiagnosed/uncontrolled PPID

That's really difficult to believe, is it possible that you mean EMS?
.

 

[NOISYGIRL2]

That's really difficult to believe, is it possible that you mean EMS?
.

No plenty of info regarding it if you Google ?

 

[Tiddlypom]

That's really difficult to believe, is it possible that you mean EMS?
.

This. PPID is part of it but not the only culprit.

https://www.thelaminitissite.org/laminitis-faq

Endocrinopathic Laminitis (EL) is thought to make up by far the majority (~90%) of laminitis cases. This is laminitis caused by Equine Metabolic Sydrome (EMS) with or without PPID, plus corticosteroid-induced laminitis

 

[brighteyes]

Low grade laminitis, possibly?

Sub-clinical would be my guess. Off the grass immediately and get a vet to test for EMS and PPID

 

[ycbm]

This. PPID is part of it but not the only culprit.

https://www.thelaminitissite.org/laminitis-faq

Endocrinopathic Laminitis (EL) is thought to make up by far the majority (~90%) of laminitis cases. This is laminitis caused by Equine Metabolic Sydrome (EMS) with or without PPID, plus corticosteroid-induced laminitis

That's what I thought.

It explains why one fat horse can be laminitis free while another fat horse goes down with it, but fat is still a huge red light for laminitis risk.
.

 

[ester]

Sub-clinical would be my guess. Off the grass immediately and get a vet to test for EMS and PPID

I wouldn't call it subclinical if the horse is as footy as described.

 

[brighteyes]

I wouldn't call it subclinical if the horse is as footy as described.

That's exactly what sub-clinical means. Immediate precursor to full-blown attack - footy on hard/stony ground, amongst other things.

 

[ycbm]

I wouldn't call it subclinical if the horse is as footy as described.

No neither would I. If one front foot was nerve blocked, I think the horse would probably show up lame.
.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Sub clinical laminitis is where there is as yet no lameness, but changes are already happening within the foot.

This cob is described as footy, and footiness is lameness, so if it is laminitis it has progressed beyond the sub clinical phase.

 

[ester]

That's exactly what sub-clinical means. Immediate precursor to full-blown attack - footy on hard/stony ground, amongst other things.

No it's not, as ycbm/TP have kindly put for me.

 

[ycbm]

Sub clinical to me is that your previously rock crunching horse begins to notice stones that they didn't notice last week. Not a horse desperate to avoid walking on all surfaces but smooth tarmac and grass.
.

 

[brighteyes]

Hoof rings? Bounding digital pulse? Rocking? Can't turn?

 

[Casey76]

Treat as for acute laminitis:

Get him off grass completely, soak all hay for at least an hour, preferably 6-12 hours. Weigh the hay so he is getting 2% body weight (if he doesn’t need to lose weight; or 1.5% of current weight or 2% of ideal weight (whichever is greater), if he does need to lose weight.

If you have a hard standing or other grass free area he can be turned out it, you can use boots with appropriate padding. Free/unstructured movement is encouraged, but not forced movement or exercise.

Definitely recommend testing for EMS, as this will have an impact on future management, and if he’s positive, he’s at risk of further episodes or increasingly severe episodes until his insulin levels are under control.