Hoof rings?

Lillybob

Lillybob

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I've noticed these developing on my mare and I'm not sure why. She is unshod and currently barely ridden but she gets her trims. She is slightly overdue for one at the moment but she's never had these bumpy lines on her hooves before. Is there anything else that could be causing them or do I just need to get her trimmed more often?


This is just a picture I got from google but she has the same thing but not as badly as this picture. I haven't got a phone to take any pics right now
http://allcreatures.homestead.com/pumpkin_10_jan_2009_b4_going_to_omaha_015.JPG
 
They are event lines, change of routine, feed or an "event" such as stress or injury can all cause them, as long as they are on all feet and can be accounted for such as changing from being in at night to out 24/7 they are nothing to be concerned about, although if they were as bad as the photo I would be very concerned that something metabolic was going on.
 
Well that's a bit odd because nothing comes to mind in terms of events :/ She's out 24/7 and has always kept weight so I only really feed when ridden or she gets a small token feed sometimes when she comes in for a groom and some fuss. No change in diet or living conditions that I can think of? Not sure if I should be worried or not. She doesn't seem any different in herself. When I noticed them I put them down to her hooves being a little overgrown but now i'm wondering if I should be more worried!
 
If you put a pic up of her feet, we'd be able to judge the time lines - like trees lol! The difference could well be down to the seasonal changes ie winter/spring and the changes of nutrition in the grass
 
Personally I'd be worried if they look like that photo. Is she sound, how is she on hard surfaces rocks etc? The photo you've used is of a laminitic hence really not what you want your ponies hooves to look like. Trimming more regularly won't effect the lines but worth management if she's fat or footie.
 
They will happen if the grass fluctuates, which will happen if the weather is variable, and where on the uk isn't it?

If they happen a lot, I'd check for Cushings and EMS.
 
Okay well I should have a new phone in a week or two so i'll try and get some as soon as I can! Thanks everyone :)
 
ycbm said:
They will happen if the grass fluctuates, which will happen if the weather is variable, and where on the uk isn't it?

If they happen a lot, I'd check for Cushings and EMS.
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We're in the midlands (Leicester) and recently had a heatwave, and the last 2 days we've had rain! So if they can be caused by weather fluctuations then that sounds more likely.
 
Amicus said:
Personally I'd be worried if they look like that photo. Is she sound, how is she on hard surfaces rocks etc? The photo you've used is of a laminitic hence really not what you want your ponies hooves to look like. Trimming more regularly won't effect the lines but worth management if she's fat or footie.
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She is sound in her field and just walking/trotting about but on rocks, she's always sensative. She has been ever since she was a baby, she just had sore soles but as she's barely ridden she isn't shod atm. She's never been lame for longer than the duration of a stone that got stuck! She's a bit chunky at the moment but I've also put that down to the fact that she has a lot of grass to go at atm (the larger groups have been split up) and she's not being ridden.
 
Those are 'serious event ' lines you need to get a vet to advise you .
I fear the horse has been having laminitic episodes .
 
Bonkers2 said:
The feet take months to grow, two dry days and two wet days do not produce those hoof rings, I think you need veterinary advice, sorry.
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Yes they do, very shallow close together ones if you look closely. As can one stress event if the horse is sensitive.
 
The picture isn't of her horse goldenstar, it's a google pic. She says hers are not as bad, thankfully.

Goldenstar said:
Those are 'serious event ' lines you need to get a vet to advise you .
I fear the horse has been having laminitic episodes .
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Have you wormed her recently? Mine always get an event line with worming, changing field, daytime to night time grazing, addition or subtraction of a supplement. My youngster used to get a huge event line when he was trimmed! he still gets one, but it isn't so proncounced now, and I put it down to a stress reaction.
 
Okay so I went to see her today and really looked at them. They go down about 1/3 of the way down her hoof and are not very deep. There are about 4 lines on each of her 4 hooves (they all go down the same amount) and I checked some other horses at the yard and quite a few of them have a similar pattern! I think i'm going to put this down to the grass which has been growing extremely quickly and possibly the weather changes? Seeing it in a few of them in the same pattern has put my mind at ease a little. I also checked her feet for heat and an obvious DP and neither were there so I don't think she's lammy.
I'll keep an eye on them and try and get some pics when I can anyway.
Thank you all for your help! If they any worse I'll call the vet out.
 
If the rings are wider at the back of the foot than they are at the front then they are signs of laminitis and you need to get her off that grass.
 
Event lines aren't always due to laminitis:

TLeftforeoutside28Aug2013a.jpg
 
A mare I had years ago damaged her foot on a fence, taking half her heel bulb off. She had lost a fair bit of blood before being found. She was stitched up, and treated. She grew 4 really deep 'bands' down all 4 feet, from where her feet had suffered a massive insult.
 
If the others on the yard are the same that could point to something environmental, could you send photos to your vet?
 
If most of the other horses in the same field also have rings it points to the grass and often indicates the horse has had some laminitis episodes in the last year, another symptom is being footy on rough ground both would worry me and I would get her off the grass having my mare go down with laminitis in may I would not be taking the chance, do you know how to check her digital pulse ?
 
Pinkvboots said:
If most of the other horses in the same field also have rings it points to the grass and often indicates the horse has had some laminitis episodes in the last year, another symptom is being footy on rough ground both would worry me and I would get her off the grass having my mare go down with laminitis in may I would not be taking the chance, do you know how to check her digital pulse ?
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I know how to check her DP and I tried to check it today and it was extremely hard to find which is a good sign. I also took her for a bareback hack around the block she walked across very stoney bridle path with no problems. She stood on a big sharp looking stone at one point and limped for a stride but other than that I would says he seems sound on the stones! I was going off the fact that she's usually been sore on stones but I haven't ridden her regularely for a while. She had shoes put on when I was riding a lot and she was sore but today she wasn't sore at all! No DP, no lameness and no excessive weight gain. Without there being any symptoms i'm not 100% sure if I should call the vet just because the rings are present
 
Regandal said:
A mare I had years ago damaged her foot on a fence, taking half her heel bulb off. She had lost a fair bit of blood before being found. She was stitched up, and treated. She grew 4 really deep 'bands' down all 4 feet, from where her feet had suffered a massive insult.
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That's such a shame :( My girl hasn't had any injuries that I can recall so I don't think it would be that. She's had a mild case of thrush but that was fairly recent and this bands would indicate something that wasn't this recent.
 
Mine get them from being wormed, my big lad is currently sporting rather deep ones which correlate exactly with when he was last wormed. If you're worming every 3 months then chances are that's what they'll be from assuming you've ruled out metabolic issues.
 
I know she isn't the biggest fan of the vet and she was vaccinated a few months ago which seems like a similar position of where the 1 deep ring seems to be
 
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