footsore?

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Christmas_Kate

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Maybe better in the vet section, but thought I might get a wider range of experiences here.


The little monster has been sound for a number of weeks now. He's been lunged in the field and has been 100%. Waled, trotted and cantered both reins, still 100%. Walked out on hard ground, trotted on hard ground, still fine.

Except when we get on stony ground, the slightest stones and he's hopping lame again. Ridden, he's even worse, but again, only on stony ground, only on the near fore.

He's been barefoot for his whole life. And never ever had a problem.
Vet said he had the most fantastic feet he'd seen in a while. Both experienced yo and vet say in their opinion he's been trimmed short and needs shoeing for a while until his walls even up to make the frog less prominant.

Now, this just doesnt sit right with me. He has tiny little feet, and I think shoeing him would ruin them. ATM he's on rest as he was walked across gravel yesterday and is sore again.

what would you do? I cannot get Boa boots small enough for him.
Would you shoe temporarily so he could be ridden out, or leave him to rest?
 
dont shoe him whatever you do - try and buy him some boots. youll have to start from the beginning again if you get him shod.Have you tried the old macs, old mac g2's or similar? start reconditioning his feet to cope with the stonier ground.
cant remember the name of the boots my friend had but will contact her and let you know. What size are his feet?
 
Hi - if he is foot sore then I have been told plenty of roadwork will aid the hardening of the sole because of the concussion the hoof experiences on tarmac.
My Haribo (anglo) is in his second month barefoot and is still footy on stony surfaces. However he is also on field rest atm so his feet are taking longer to harden up because he is not getting any real excercise.
I prefer to keep horses without shoes if possible, for may reason which I will not go into now. But suffice to say Im not a hippy NH person, just think if they can do without shoes with a little patience then why not
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If he has such good feet like you say, why would one set of shoes, to let them grow a touch and relieve his soreness, ruin them?
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If he has such good feet like you say, why would one set of shoes, to let them grow a touch and relieve his soreness, ruin them?
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because the're so small. Surely driving clenches through the wall of the hoof causes some damage? and with him having tiny feet the damage would be more so as the clenches would be closer together.
 
How sore is he? My daughters pony hobbles over stoney ground without shoes on but is fine again once she on normal ground. Does he stay lame for a while after? Has he been checked out for an abcess or bruised soles? Can you avoid the stoney ground? If not I would look into putting some front shoes on. I can't see it doing any harm and will mean you don't have to keep dealing with this lameness.. What does your farrier think?
 
he was checked for abcess and bruising. When this forst happened Farrier said it looked like borderline lami, as his pulses etc were fine, just lame inermittently on the one foot. We weren't sure if he may have pulled something, so he went on box rest then on a strict diet, and back out to rest.

ATM the access to his field is a gravel driveway. yesterday he hobbled over it, and when turned out was galloping etc totally fine. But ridden, he only has to stand on one stone to start limping, and doesnt come sound again quite so quickly.
 
My horse was lame for a week with a laceration on his sole. It was very painful, and most likely caused by a sharp stone.

Could the same have happened to your pony - has the farrier had a look for you??
 
he first went lame weeks ago and at the time I had both the vet and farrier out.
He only needs his feet seeing to every couple or three months (typical shettie) and this happened a fortnight after a trim.
 
No I definitely wouldn't have him shod if he was mine. The diagnosis of previous unsoundness has never really been established therefore I wouldn't allow any further trauma occur to the feet right now.

This really does sound like in and out of laminitis to me Katy. I think the next thing I would do if I was you would be to ask the vet to come out with a mobile x-ray machine and just for peace of mind, have him x-ray the front feet - if for nothing else, to rule out laminitis once and for all.
 
He's had pincers on his feet and nothing. He was lamer on box rest (getting nothing but a handful of old hay 3 or 4 times a day) than he was out at grass in his piggy paddock. I'm just confused as vet says he's definatley been trimmed short near the heel of that hoof, but farrier said that wasnt so.

If xrays came back clear would you get a 3rd opinion? I trust both my vet and farrier, but getting conflicting opinions
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If I walked on gravel with no shoes on, it would make my feet sore !!
Personally I would ride him where it doesnt make him lame and if he does hobble on stones then wait until he is ok again and keep going.
As for the conflicting advice, a farrier is hardly going to knock his own work is he?? ( the same as anyone!).
Thats what i'd do anyway
If it carrys on then I would look into it further.
 
That was my thoughts ThomasTank. I think I might give him a week and see how he goes. My instincts say it's not anything serious, but if it does indeed turn out to be him being just footsore I really don't want to whack shoes on him.

Shoes would be the ideal solution (if it is just being footsore) but he only comes into contact with stony ground now coming in and out of the field and when we're crossing roads or there is no verge. And it's those times , when we come into contact with small stones, that he starts going lame on that one foot.
 
If that is the case then I personally wouldnt worry at all.
Lots of ponies get foot sore from time to time.
I always let our unshod pony walk on softer ground if there is an option and let her go slowly on stones. They soon speed up on softer ground !!!
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