Ideas please, horse has everyone stumped!

islandspirit

islandspirit

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I'm based in the south west so exercise and turnout are a bit haphazard at the mo to say the least. Hacked on Sunday, horse was enthusiastic to say the least and completely sound. Managed a days turnout Monday, and Tuesday was horrific so no turnout or exercise. Still no turnout on Wednesday but weather good enough to lunge lightly. Horse is bilaterally lame in front at trot but sound in walk. A good 4 tenths on each rein. Had a couple of days box rest on vets advice but still as bad today so vet came out and lameness disappeared when both front feet were blocked. There is no heat, no swelling, no pulse and he is non reactive to hoof testers. Has anyone got any ideas for sudden lameness in both front feet other than laminitis? Or could you have laminitis without heat and pulse? Vet coming back next week to X-ray but hoping someone may have experienced something similar and could offer some ideas so I at least feel I'm being useful in some way:) drinking Sauvignon blanc and happy to share it:).
 
sidebone ??.Our pony had this and was on and off quite lame in front. She used to shove her bed in a heap and stand on it .Clever pony !!!! as once x rayed they put special jacked up shoes on her and she was instantly sound .
 
Negative to hoof testers and would be rare to get an abscess in both front feet at the same time. Forgot to add previously, doesn't point, doesn't make mounds in the stable to ease pain, isn't shifting his weight back and has no previous history of front limb lameness. I'm so worried:(
 
Abscess - my vet said they don't always test positive to hoof testers in the event of an abscess. What with the weather, it wouldn't surprise me tbh.
 
We think it more likely he's done something to himself but we have no idea what. He is possibly the most accident prone horse I know. At first we thought he had been cast as his muscles are tight in his back along the whole right side but then blocks indicated foot pain so that theory went out the window.
 
The trouble with an abscess theory is that he is lame in both front feet. Is it possible for 2 abscesses to appear at exactly the same time? Plus, our fields are so wet that we have had limited to no turnout for about a month.
 
I hope you find out the problem, sometimes though a situation can bring a lameness to light, mine went lame after XC schooling, I thought he had done something but he had impar ligament strain, no foot lameness before that day! They are puzzling!
 
Abscess, mine went the same on off lameness farrier and vet hoof tested and checked pulse and no heat, took ages to burst and when it did it was massive!! it was so deep!! had us all baffelled at the start, been sound for 2 years since!! xx
 
I had one that managed to do her medial collateral ligaments in both front feet. DDFT also possible. Had to MRI to get to the bottom of it as only way to see ligaments and tendons in the back of the foot. She did it in the field. Hope for you that it isn't this.
 
Thrush? This can be quite hard to detect. In "barefoot" circles there is a story of a horse going to be PTS because it was lame and no-one could find the reason, and then it turned out to be thrush, which was cured and horse quite OK.

I have heard of abscesses in both hind feet too, so not impossible.
 
My navicular horse came on like this, was sound one day having never been lame, took him to a show and lunged him as he was fresh and thought he looked slightly off on both front feet, two days later was very lame.
ETA.. The lack of turn out/ exercise would really show up a navicular horse as lack of movement makes out worse.
 
charlie76 said:
My navicular horse came on like this, was sound one day having never been lame, took him to a show and lunged him as he was fresh and thought he looked slightly off on both front feet, two days later was very lame.
ETA.. The lack of turn out/ exercise would really show up a navicular horse as lack of movement makes out worse.
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navicular, ringbone, sidebone could all show up like this
 
Without seeing the horse, this could be totally wrong, but I've had one of mine have an abscess in one front hoof, who looked horribly lame in both fronts because he was compensating so much with the other.
 
Thank you guys for all your suggestions. Looks like it could be many and various things. Seems like I am just going to have to hang on in there till Tuesday for the X-rays. Ill update you all with the findings, if anything shows up.
 
islandspirit, i think you should not worry untill the x ray return allhorses go lame at some point and many return sound,fingers crossed for you and keep us posted how it goes xx
 
Hi Amo :-) turned out he had a bone spur at the bottom of the Pastern about a cm above the coronet band dead centre front on the right fore and the left foot has one developing in exactly the same place. He's had wedge shoes put on, which I hate, to open the joint slightly and has had them injected. I'm crossing everything that he will come sound, we will just have to wait and see. I start walking in him out on Sunday:-)
 
amymay said:
Abcess?
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My thought too and not all horses react to hoof testers. I would poultice affected feet for several days and have the farrier look at them when they have had a good soak.

Often when feet are really over a period of time an abscess will show up and then go when the feet have become dry. Like us hoof(nail) becomes soft when immersed in water for some time and then harden up when dry.

Poultice with a wet poultice will allow the abscess to develop and work its way out.

Last winter my filly had them in all four feet at the same time. She didn't move for several days until they blew out.
 
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