'Footie' v Low grade Laminitis

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Salcey

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This may seem like a daft question but if a horse is barefoot and footie on gravel can it always be assumed the horse has LGL or is it just sensitive to grass. In my mind it is the same thing but want to check what others think.

Thanks
 
Footie can be LGL which can be caused by sensitivity to grass. Can also be brought on by anything which disturbs hind gut.

But horses can be footie from thrush too.
 
Salcey said:
Hadn't thought of thrush, what other things would affect the hind gut?
Click to expand...

Anecdotally - I've come across several horses footy post antibiotics, similar numbers from wormers. A few which appear to be related to nitrogen fertilizer, but these have all had other issues too. Haylage can be problematic. I know lots of people apparently feed without issue, but it can lower the pH - again this is something my own vet pointed out.

Steroids, even below the offical lami risk level do appear to have negative impacts on foot soundness (for all the ones I've worked with), although I don't believe this is related to hind gut.
 
And those with thin/flat soles early on in transition ( like mine) - he was also footy post hooning round the hard field half the night :rolleyes: but as fine next day not LGL
 
My mare was footy on stony ground when barefoot. She got laminitis after 2 years and the xrays showed her soles had worn very thin. I would never go barefoot again with any other horse and especially not one with thin soles. In my experience if your horse has thin soles and is footy it is only a matter of time before you get a full blown attack of laminitis.
 
Just to be clear, Laminitis isn't caused by barefoot it is caused by metabolic or toxic upset and diet not suitable for that individual.
http://www.bi-learn.co.uk/categories/equine

Thin soles are often related to chronic laminitis or dietary deficiency or imbalance as long as not pared away when trimmed.
 
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Lucy priory - that's very interesting. One of our newbie's came with a very bloated gut, vet/osteo saw him only found issues relating to digestive system. Vet/osteo treated him naturally with green clay & a change of diet.. Big improvement! Since the changes have been made he's been a lot better, before he saw the vet I thought that sometimes he looked a little footy but his feet seem to be changing. He was wormed the weekend (yard worming programme) & he was a little uncomfortable on the right rein & a little footy on the turn, looked like he was placing his front inside foot a little last night.
 
This is interesting...

My horse has been barefoot for minimum of 2 years (came to me barefoot and that is the time I have had him) I then started to notice he was a little less comfortable than he had been over winter - could possibly be harder ground but also the introduction of spring grass. Would this then be caused by LGL?

Incidentally I am almost certain his recent bout of footiness which turned into full blown lameness is an abscess in his left fore and nothing to do with the ground but prior to this I had started to think he was a little shorter in his action than normal
 
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