Dizzleton
Well-Known Member
A little while ago (on the 4th April) my 21 yo BWP gelding became lame and very footie after a normal shoeing on the 3rd Apr.
Quite a long story, but I'll try and keep it simple!
On the 3rd April my farrier came out to shoe my horse. Nothing out the ordinary apart from his shoes had been done 8 weeks instead of 6. He was a little longer in the toe but fully sound and happy. We had a massive snowstorm around 22 - 25 March where the snow was about 8'' deep in his field. He was turned out for around 7 hours a day in it as he hates being stabled when his friends are out. I did put gallons of vaseline on his soles, but I did notice balling in his feet.
Anyway, the farrier hot shod him as normal and took his toes back. He was fine and I turned him back out.
The next day he came in not hopping lame, but sore and footie on both front feet. I called the farrier immediately and he explained that he had to take his toe back a little extra due to the extra growth. I was happy with the answer and kept an eye on him. The days went by and he was a little but not much better; he had heat in both hooves and was still tender, so I called the farrier back to access him. We took his soles back with a hoof knife to find he had two massive bright red bruises around his toe and towards his frog on each hoof. I gave him some bute to help the pain and put him back to bed. He was on bute for around 4 days.
I kept a close eye on him for any changes and seen that his right hoof was a lot sounder than his left for a week or so then it would change back to left sounder right sore. I soaked them in epsom salts and poulticed him incase of an abscess - I didn't find an abscess in either hoof.
I reseted him well and he came sound again so I started to ride on soft ground. He was going very well and came completely sound. I only walked and trotted him for the first few weeks and had the occasional slow canter.
I did notice on stony or pebbly surfaces that he is sore still so I got the farrier to put a leather pad on his left hoof to protect him.
Bring it up to two weeks ago and he's sore on his front left again. He's completely sound in walk on soft/hard surfaces then what I'd call 'uneven' trotting on hard surfaces. He has his ears pricked and extends out but it just doesn't look right, like he kind of sways his legs out like he's uncomfortable and has the smallest bobbing of his head too. There is no heat or swelling in either hooves. He is fine to turn in a circle to the right but kind of lumpy to the left.
I've booked in to get him x-rayed this friday. But my farrier is adamant that it's a deep seated bruise that is still healing but I'm about 60% sure it's the remnant of the very severe bruise and about 40% concerned about a pedal or coffin fracture.
Thanks for reading.
What do you guys think??
Quite a long story, but I'll try and keep it simple!
On the 3rd April my farrier came out to shoe my horse. Nothing out the ordinary apart from his shoes had been done 8 weeks instead of 6. He was a little longer in the toe but fully sound and happy. We had a massive snowstorm around 22 - 25 March where the snow was about 8'' deep in his field. He was turned out for around 7 hours a day in it as he hates being stabled when his friends are out. I did put gallons of vaseline on his soles, but I did notice balling in his feet.
Anyway, the farrier hot shod him as normal and took his toes back. He was fine and I turned him back out.
The next day he came in not hopping lame, but sore and footie on both front feet. I called the farrier immediately and he explained that he had to take his toe back a little extra due to the extra growth. I was happy with the answer and kept an eye on him. The days went by and he was a little but not much better; he had heat in both hooves and was still tender, so I called the farrier back to access him. We took his soles back with a hoof knife to find he had two massive bright red bruises around his toe and towards his frog on each hoof. I gave him some bute to help the pain and put him back to bed. He was on bute for around 4 days.
I kept a close eye on him for any changes and seen that his right hoof was a lot sounder than his left for a week or so then it would change back to left sounder right sore. I soaked them in epsom salts and poulticed him incase of an abscess - I didn't find an abscess in either hoof.
I reseted him well and he came sound again so I started to ride on soft ground. He was going very well and came completely sound. I only walked and trotted him for the first few weeks and had the occasional slow canter.
I did notice on stony or pebbly surfaces that he is sore still so I got the farrier to put a leather pad on his left hoof to protect him.
Bring it up to two weeks ago and he's sore on his front left again. He's completely sound in walk on soft/hard surfaces then what I'd call 'uneven' trotting on hard surfaces. He has his ears pricked and extends out but it just doesn't look right, like he kind of sways his legs out like he's uncomfortable and has the smallest bobbing of his head too. There is no heat or swelling in either hooves. He is fine to turn in a circle to the right but kind of lumpy to the left.
I've booked in to get him x-rayed this friday. But my farrier is adamant that it's a deep seated bruise that is still healing but I'm about 60% sure it's the remnant of the very severe bruise and about 40% concerned about a pedal or coffin fracture.
Thanks for reading.
What do you guys think??
LoL!) but something to think about.
But his health comes first