Foot soreness

AdorableAlice

AdorableAlice

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My horse has just spent the last 9 months on barn rest. We have now commenced walking out. He is unshod and has been living on a bed of deep, firm wood chip and shavings. His feet are in good shape. He is 17.2 m/w and weighs 700kg and has been kept on soaked good quality hay, a moist bowl of bran, broad spectrum multi vit and a handful of pony nuts. He has not lost any muscle tone and looks in very good order, he is 18 yrs old.

The initial 5 minute walks were done on smooth concrete in an enclosed area with no sign of footiness this was done for 5 days and no sedation was used.

We are now into week 2 and the walks (once a day only) have progressed to 10 minutes and have to be done along the lane. To ensure we keep a hold of the horse we are using ACP. On day one the horse was slightly footy coming out of the box (all 4 feet) but strode out nicely, (the route we take is smooth tarmac), day 2 he was very footy for around 30 yards, reluctant to walk and rocked back onto his heels and was unbalanced (4 acp), once going he was fine.

This morning I downed the dose to 3 acp, led him out and he looked totally laminatic, rocked back, distressed and unbalanced. After a few minutes he wanted to walk and we set off with a slight footiness that had disappeared at the end of the 10 minutes.

My vet is coming in the morning to takes bloods and have a good look at him.

Can I ask if any of you on the forum has ever experienced this type of reaction when using ACP. There is no reason he would have laminitis, his diet has been kept totally forage based and the small bucket feed he has is to carry the Vetplus Calmex he has to keep him settled, but he is showing signs of laminitis, this evening all four feet are warm,but there is no pounding pulse and he is standing comfortably over all 4 limbs on his bed.

Having nursed him through a severe injury for months and having just had a really encouraging scan I am now really worried about him.

Many thanks for any thoughts or experience you can share.
 
None at all, he has been kept on dry bedding throughout the 9 months, the barn has an earth floor with 6" of shale on top of the earth and then 2" of wood chip which packs down to give a firm dry bed with a few inches of loose shaving on top.

The heat has gone from his feet this morning. Vet and farrier due later.
 
Hmmm... I experienced something similar with my boy, however I didn't use sedation at any point and his circumstances were slightly different. He had his shoes pulled due to questions over his front leg soundness - he would get mystery swellings in his legs on and off with no definate pattern to it and no idea on cause. He wasn't footy as such but after standing in his stable over night he would be 'laminitic' looking in the am when trying to lead him out his box. As he walked to the field he would become better and after a day out he would come in from his turn out fine. He was ok in the stable, it was only when being asked to walk about after standing in overnight. His feet would be warm and the veins on his legs would be very prominant.

I was told that this was due to his feet adjusting to having no shoes, basically the foot had a greater blood flow but the frog wasnt able to cope yet. It goes when they start walking as the stimulation on the frog/sole helps get everything moving.

Could it be that, after standing in for a long while, his feet are now trying to adjust to the stimulation of the walking as it's introduced? FWIW my boy now copes really well and has had no further issues, he is, however in work and I'm walking him over different surfaces to help condition his feet.

Whatever it is I hope you get an answer soon - good luck!
 
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