Hot hoof - any ideas?

[mrdarcy]

One of my horses is having what seems to be a randomly reoccurring hot hoof. Every so often his near fore hoof will be much hotter than his off fore hoof, not after exercise but after standing in his stable overnight. The heat radiates up the front of his pastern and front of his cannon bone but there is no associated swelling round the coronet or pastern areas. He's not lame and the area above the hoof or the soul of the hoof itself is not tender. I haven't used hoof testers however so this is just from finger pressure. After exercise the heat disappears and most days isn't present at all even after being in his box overnight.

He had a 'niggle' with the same leg about three months ago when inflammation appeared much further up, just below the knee on the inside. I box rested him and after a week got the tendons/ligaments scanned from knee to fetlock joint - all tendons and ligaments were fine and the vet gave him the all clear to restart work. The inflammation slowly went away but I've been taking it very slowly and he isn't in hard work by any means (an hours hack at walk and trot/40 minutes lunging 5 days a week).

Heat in the hoof would normally point me towards an abscess but he isn't lame and it comes and goes so i don't think an abscess is the cause. He's on very little hard feed and gets turned out for a couple of hours each day. He was shod a fortnight ago - hadn't noticed hot hoof syndrome prior to that so that's why I haven't asked my farrier about this - and the farrier did notice that the near fore hoof was a little out of balance and not wearing the shoe evenly. He rebalanced the foot but it's since then I've noticed this hot hoof syndrome.

I'm also waiting for a new saddle to arrive as I wasn't convinced about the fit of my existing one plus I tend to sit to the right as I'm a bit crooked. Could any stiffness/pain in his back be the cause of these problems?

Any ideas gratefully received?

 

[flowerlady]

I think I'd get the farrier back first especially as prior to the re-shoe you hadn't noticed anything.

 

[Dressagebabe]

Heat in the hoof can be caused by nail bind, it is caused by the farrier nailing a little too high. There can be degree's of nail bind and if only it has been put in very slightly too high you would get heat without lameness or the horse moves slightly short in front. I would ask the farrier to remove the shoe and re seat it just to make sure. Hope this is of some help to you.

 

[pootler]

My shoeless horse had a hot left fore hoof the other day after standing in for a few hours. I carried on and worked him, he was sound and worked normally. I checked them when I got off and they were then all the same temperature.

All I would say is that as there are no obvious symptoms you need to carry on as usual until you get one. Not massively helpful I'm afraid.

The only other thing is that my boy has been suffering from a little bit of thrush in that particular fore, it could be that his hoof is reacting to that somehow. Have you noticed any thrush yourself?

 

[Marchtime]

Unless the hoof iz really hot rather than just noticeably warmer than the other one I wouldn't worry. Unless your horse is lame or there is swelling there is little a vet or farrier can or will do. The fact that it is also intermitent (sp?) suggests that it probably isn't serious.
I know my boy often has random warm feet. Have spoken to the vet about it before and he said not to worry unless there are other symptoms. Try not to worry.

 

[tillyd]

my mare was in initially diagnosed with check ligament strain (very very slight heat and swelling up leg) until scans were clear. Six months later (with some heat in foot and coronet band) turned out she had inflamed coffin joints, and beginnings of arthritis.
I should think its very unlikely that's what your chap has, esp if only in one foot, and don't want to worry you unduly, but just throwing it into the pot so to speak. Shoeing and the concussion of the hammer on foot aggravated my mare and made it worse for few days after. Is your chap sound if lunged on hard ground?
Sorry, don't mean to worry you - is much more likely to be bit footsore from farrier etc.