Heel pain (horse) and lameness- anyone had experience with this?

MandyMoo

MandyMoo

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 February 2008
Messages
4,589
Location
Nottinghamshire
Visit site
Hi all,

I mentioned at the end of August in a post that Bugsy had been on and off lame (but really only 1/10th lame, if that, he was never ''lame'' as such..just ''off'') for a week or so, and so my mum got the vet out to take a look. The vet nerve blocked him and found that the pain was in his heel, and after doing x rays to check all the bones - they were all fine, no signs of things like navicular - she decided to prescribe some bute to reduce any pain/inflammation in the heel, and for him to have some bar shoes put on to releive the pressure on the heel. Bugsy does have quite 'boxy' front feet, so this seemed a good idea to us.

Well, a week on the bar shoes and bute and Bugsy seemed sound - but was obviously still on bute - so mum was told to continue to ride him gently to see if the bar shoes helped alleviate the pressure and the bute would bring down any inflammation. It seemed to be working, and we took him off the bute for a few days and he remained sound...however he then went lame again a few weeks ago, and so it was time to call the vet again. She decided to give Bugsy some steroid injections directly into the heel, again to reduce inflammation etc, and (again) it seemed to work for about two weeks...so mum continued to work him normally (the vet told her to continue to ride him) and he seemed fine after the injections and without any bute. However he then went lame a couple of weekends ago at the end of a dressage test............back to square one.

Vet was called out again, and Bugsy was given yet another course of steroids directly into his heel and the vet gave my mum some competition legal pain killers for Bugsy, and he has so far stayed sound...but we are just waiting for him to go lame again....... and if we are honest, we don't like just pumping pain killers and anti inflammatories in to him if we (nor the vet) knows what exactly is causing him the discomfort....

Has anyone had any experiences with something similar? Bar shoes/heel inflammation/steroid injections?

Are the steroid injections maybe something Bugsy will just have to be maintained with every couple of weeks? Doesn't seem a nice prospect.....

Any ideas/info would be great thanks - if anyone has had similar experiences :smile3: I've never had a horse/been around one that has had these sorts of problems so am pretty clueless...and I am trying to stay away from Google as that just tells you everyone is dying with any symptoms haha!
 
Because I was thinking to myself...that yes she has checked the bones in the hoof involved with the navicular bone. But she never checked any of the deep flexors or ligaments involved with the navicular. Surely he could have a small tear or something in one of these, which would definitely cause the inflammation and pain - and would give the navicular type symptoms as its in the area...?

Wouldn't it be more useful for her to do an MRI or Ultrasound instead of simply pumping anti-inflammatory steroids and pain killers in to him to remove the symptoms, without knowing what has caused them...?

I am no vet..so can't really question a qualified vet's actions..and she is a VERY good vet, no doubt about it - but just seems strange to me she hasn't checked the soft tissue, and has only checked the bones..???? Thoughts???
 
Without wishing to be alarmist - my mare initially x-rayed clear but on further investigation and MRI had significant damage to the DDFT as well as some pitting of the navicular bone. My vet said that the pitting of the bone in itself was not necessarily a problem as it's likely you would see that on a lot of sound horses but obviously the damage to the DDFT was a huge issue.

My mare was 5/10 lame though so much worse than yours. If you are struggling to get him sound then I would ask for a referral to a good hospital where they deal with a lot of referrals and see lots of lame horses one after another. I think they tend to develop a better eye and feel that way - purely through practice as much as anything.

Good luck :-)
 
Having recently gone through a similar scenario, horse just slightly off, blocked sound to heel area, xrays clear, rest, light exercise gradually returning to normal work advised, then reassessed mine was sound at the reassessment and still is so initial diagnosis of deep bruising was hopefully correct. If he had not come sound within the 5 weeks between we were going for MRI as the next step, this was recommended so we would get a proper diagnosis/ prognosis rather than just guessing, ultrasound will not show anything within the hoof so MRI is the best option for this type of problem.
I would not be happy with steroids being injected without knowing what is going on, unless MRI was out of the question due to financial restraints, then I would probably turn away and see what happened without further treatment.
 
Matafleur said:
Without wishing to be alarmist - my mare initially x-rayed clear but on further investigation and MRI had significant damage to the DDFT as well as some pitting of the navicular bone. My vet said that the pitting of the bone in itself was not necessarily a problem as it's likely you would see that on a lot of sound horses but obviously the damage to the DDFT was a huge issue.

My mare was 5/10 lame though so much worse than yours. If you are struggling to get him sound then I would ask for a referral to a good hospital where they deal with a lot of referrals and see lots of lame horses one after another. I think they tend to develop a better eye and feel that way - purely through practice as much as anything.

Good luck :-)
Click to expand...

Yes, those were my thoughts...yes the vet has checked the bones via x ray - but she has not yet done an MRI or Ultrasound to check all the soft tissue in the area, especially all the ligaments involved directly with the navicular bone.........Bugsy is insured so I guess we could ask our vet to perform some more tests to get more of a specific idea of what is actually wrong, because at the moment it is guesswork.

Thank you Matafleur :smile3:
 
be positive said:
Having recently gone through a similar scenario, horse just slightly off, blocked sound to heel area, xrays clear, rest, light exercise gradually returning to normal work advised, then reassessed mine was sound at the reassessment and still is so initial diagnosis of deep bruising was hopefully correct. If he had not come sound within the 5 weeks between we were going for MRI as the next step, this was recommended so we would get a proper diagnosis/ prognosis rather than just guessing, ultrasound will not show anything within the hoof so MRI is the best option for this type of problem.
I would not be happy with steroids being injected without knowing what is going on, unless MRI was out of the question due to financial restraints, then I would probably turn away and see what happened without further treatment.
Click to expand...

Thankyou be positive - I will discuss with my mum and our vet....see if MRI is a possible next step..... I agree with you, I don't particularly like him just having the injections and pain killers without knowing the actual cause.....
 
Competition legal painkillers? I'm intrigued as wasn't aware of any.

Have been going through this problem all summer with my eventer. Had MRI after he went lame for 3rd time but no soft tissue damage. Finally come sound with natural balance shoes so put it all down to bruising from poor foot balance.
 
Do you know exactly where your vet blocked to? You may be able to have a more precise block done to give an idea of whether MRI would be useful. Mine had a very deep block done at the vet hospital which they then xrayed to check it was blocking the correct area. This actually revealed bilateral lameness which is very typical in palmer foot pain cases and the vet was expecting to to see it. I was very happy with my original vet's approach but she was fairly quick to advise referral once we had exhausted other avenues.
 
Would it be worth looking into his feet? If he has heel pain, he prob isn't landing heel first so loading up the tendons etc more.
Barefoot for a while perhaps?
 
As above, without wishing to alarm, mine had a similar history to yours, on and off lame for a while, and only 1-2 tenths at worst. MRI showed tear if ddft in foot, x-rays had been clear. Would definitely advise not working him until you know what's wrong, you don't want to make matters worse. Mine has since made a full recovery and is out competing again.
 
star said:
Competition legal painkillers? I'm intrigued as wasn't aware of any.
Click to expand...
If I am honest I don't know which ones they are....I wasn't present when the vet visited, but my mum just told me the vet prescribed some that were legal...?! I didn't think there were any either...will inquire..

Matafleur said:
Do you know exactly where your vet blocked to? You may be able to have a more precise block done to give an idea of whether MRI would be useful. Mine had a very deep block done at the vet hospital which they then xrayed to check it was blocking the correct area. This actually revealed bilateral lameness which is very typical in palmer foot pain cases and the vet was expecting to to see it. I was very happy with my original vet's approach but she was fairly quick to advise referral once we had exhausted other avenues.
Click to expand...
Hmmm....good point - I will get my mum to ask the vet.... I am clueless with these things!!! I am really no hoof/foot/vet expert...unfortunately!

ALO said:
As above, without wishing to alarm, mine had a similar history to yours, on and off lame for a while, and only 1-2 tenths at worst. MRI showed tear if ddft in foot, x-rays had been clear. Would definitely advise not working him until you know what's wrong, you don't want to make matters worse. Mine has since made a full recovery and is out competing again.
Click to expand...

Prince33Sp4rkle said:
can we see foot pics please :)

would you consider barefoot to address foot balance/trim issues as i would guess these are not helping (and long term the bar shoes will make it worse IMO).
Click to expand...

Thanks guys, brilliant in put as per on HHO :smile3: some really good advice/things to look at and ask my vet. I also agree to all you have said re: not working him, getting more info, and maybe taking off the shoes...will discuss with my mum and the vet.. was just useful to ask on here for people with similar experiences :)

PrincessSparkle - I will try to at the weekend, but I usually ride Socks/Monty at sompletely different times to my mum riding Bugsy as we both lead busy lives, so I don't regularly see Bugsy in his stable when I bring mine in for work as he is still out (ours live out and just get fetched in for feed/exercise). If i manage to I shall post :) he does have very boxy feet, always has had..! Small feet for a 16.2hh
 
nikkimariet said:
This piques my interest!
Click to expand...

and mine.

the boxy feet may or may not be an issue, CS has quite boxy feet but they are not small in relation to his height/build, just prone to being heel high.
The frogs are good and healthy, digital cushion healthy and concavity good.

however when the feet are contracted enough to look small upon a quick glance, there are normally issues that need addressing.
 
I'd also say shoes off. My TB here in HK had regular 'niggles' in his off-fore which the vet said were due to stone bruises...interesting, as I've never known a stone bruise to need 3 weeks off and a slow return to exercise with the lameness lessening after a few minutes on the lunge (that 'bruise' and vet visit happened when I was on holiday). Having had a navicular horse make a full recovery through going barefoot, I took his shoes off at the end of the season and he hasn't been lame since.

He's a very flat-footed TB but he's transitioned well - I started a mineral supplement and reduced starch in his diet a few weeks before taking off the shoes - and he's moving better than ever. My PRE with navicular has small, boxy feet and almost a club foot when shod but he's also doing incredibly well without shoes.
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
however when the feet are contracted enough to look small upon a quick glance, there are normally issues that need addressing.
Click to expand...
I also wondered if 'boxy' actually meant 'contracted'.

Could you take a photo from the back when you do your photos of his hooves? Like this

barefoot-heel.jpg


as well as front, side and sole shots. :)
 
Star - asked my mum today, the ''competition legal pain killers'' are apparently a new one that is based on aspirin...so apparently one does exist!!

As for photos...apologies they're not very good;

Front view:
20131016_141634_zps7c412987.jpg


Slant view:
20131016_141641_zps9e77aa6b.jpg


Near Fore (lame foot):
20131016_141647_zps4ca07189.jpg


Off Fore (not lame):
20131016_141700_zpsc007a5b3.jpg


Hind view (not very good.....apologies...I was rushed today...and excuse the dirtyness......I literally was rushed off my feet today trying to ride socks, so just quickly took a couple photos of Bugsy's feet quickly....)
20131016_141744_zps89f43136.jpg

(left foot is the lame one in this photo, right one is sound)
 
I'm still intrigued - aspirin is still a banned substance. It must be something herbal but odd for a vet to be dishing it out? Sorry to keep on about it but as vet these things interest me!

Anyway, I wouldn't be happy to keep riding him on painkillers without knowing what the underlying problem is. If he does have damage to his DDFT/impar lig etc within his foot he needs rest not work. Not a fan of bar shoes either - they cover up the underlying problem rather than fixing it. Ended up seeing the remedial farrier at Liphook with mine - expensive but he has done a fab job and horse is going brilliantly now.
 
star said:
I'm still intrigued - aspirin is still a banned substance. It must be something herbal but odd for a vet to be dishing it out? Sorry to keep on about it but as vet these things interest me!

Anyway, I wouldn't be happy to keep riding him on painkillers without knowing what the underlying problem is. If he does have damage to his DDFT/impar lig etc within his foot he needs rest not work. Not a fan of bar shoes either - they cover up the underlying problem rather than fixing it. Ended up seeing the remedial farrier at Liphook with mine - expensive but he has done a fab job and horse is going brilliantly now.
Click to expand...

Hmm...no idea then...my mum couldn't remember the name of it, I'll have a look and PM you if/when I find out what he has been given...

Yes, I am (and so is mum) going to have a chat with the vet and see what the next plan is...possibly MRI, and then shoes off.......
 
I am absolutely stunned. Your horse is INSURED yet your vet pumped in some steroids, more than once, and told you to continue to work him, without getting an MRI to find out what the problem actually was.

I think your vet needs reporting, to be quite honest.
 
Your horse is toe out on his lame foot. I suspect that he is a horse who needs an asymmetric foot to cope with his conformation, and that his problem results from being shod symmetrically.

If he was mine I'd get his shoes off and see what shape feet he wants to build for himself.
 
Your horse does not have boxy hooves - he has contracted heels and the bar shoes are not going to help at all. :( I have no doubts that the contracted heels and heel pain are related.

If he was mine, I'd try to get my vet to refer him to Rockley farm for a barefoot rehab.
 
Oh...ok, well now I feel a bit stupid - but frankly I am not knowledgeable on either farriery or hooves or anything on the complex side of veterinary care...

So everyone's input is very useful in educating me!

So shoes off is what you'd all recommend? This contracted heel thing is interesting.........I will now spend my evening researching this as I haven't come across it before..
 
Took my horse barefoot 6mths ago after being shod for 10yrs. The farriery work on him over the last 12-18mths was not great and his heels had contracted and started to under run like your neds and when shoes came off foot balance was shocking, uneven heel heights from side to side, long toes, no heel to balance on and was landing toe first which was causing soreness as massive concussion, also he was shod too small and his frog had started to shrink from not enough circulation - am more than a little convinced that why he kept looking not quite right poor soul - must have been like wearing badly fitting shoes for a human!! His feet are looking fab again although it is taking ages to get a proper heel to grow back. The very brief look at your photos would shout shoes off to me, he looks like he has flare from being shod to tight, but I am a long way from being good at this hence why I trusted a farrier for so long. If you decide to take shoes off, make sure your neds diet is sugar free and get a decent podiatrist trimmer (uknhcp or DAEP) rather than natural balance stuff or farriers pasture trim - have a look at this website www.epauk.org/ and www.equinepodiatry.net/ this will provide valuable info. Good luck - I was utterley shocked by the state of my horses feet once I started to understand the whole barefoot thing - I would now be loathe to put shoes back on and if you can get them working on sand, fields and tarmac (slowly to start with) you'll be amazed how strong the feet become - mine is positively rock crunching now and because he has always had a simple diet hasn't really struggle during the transition at all. Fingers crossed for you
 
MM - have either of your vet or farrier mentioned his heels and the state they are in? If not, they have both let you down. In your first post you mentioned heel pain and I thought 'I wonder if his heels are contracted?' Looking at other people's posts, they also thought the same thing.

Good luck with your research, The Rockley Farm blogspot is well worth reading.
 
Last edited:
BethH - I am the same, as I don't know much about farriery I have simply trusted my farriers for years....but apparently shouldn't have been if what all you guys say is correct.....now I am researching it all more, it is making more and more sense, and I will definitely be taking a different route.....

Faracat - neither of them have ever mentioned him having contracted heels..............which really disappoints me actually....Thanks for all your info/help! I will try and take the correct next steps now and get into research mode!
 
Well done to you MM, it is a brave thing to post on here sometimes, but if you look in vet and hoofcare section there are so so many people like us - you are def not alone with this - knowledge is power on this one, I wish you the very best of luck and hope your ned feels better soon, he's a lucky horse to have a family that asks questions!
 
MandyMoo said:
Oh...ok, well now I feel a bit stupid
Click to expand...

Don't feel stupid - it shows how much you care to go against the 'professionals' and ask for help xoxo

Re: the pics. The heels are quite frankly, terrifying. High, very contracted and under run. Get those shoes off pronto.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top