Lameness? What would you do in my shoes

[Jim bob]

So If you were me, what would you all do ? Beware this is a Long thread!

Back in 2013, I had had my horse around 3 months. When there was a little show coming up at our stables. We entered the clear round jumping, during the warm up my boy launched over a very small jump and it ended up with me landed infront of him and him standing on me. So majors it was for me My boy had galloped around another field, on very hard ground with poor feet. He went back into his stable and I believe in the next few days managed to twist his shoe, the shoe was pulled off but he was lame, so my vet said 2 weeks box rest. After the first 2 weeks there was another 2 weeks box rest. Nerve block was done which proved nothing , he was still lame. Then exercise was given ( 3 times a week for 10 mins for a week ) No improvement. It was off to the vets. He had flexion tests and trotted on hard and soft surfaces my vet concluded that whatever it was had gone. However since we never found out what cause it as first my insurance cancelled all his legs. Then just his fores, which is how it still stands.

Through 2013 he went ok and appeared ok, apart from the odd bruise ( typical tb feet!) In 2014 he went lame in June, turned out he had a corn, then he had a bruise, then he went lame for a few days then came back sound, then a few months after he would go lame then I gave it a good few days and he would come back sound. In 2015 he had a deep abcess which took forever to go earlier on this year! Then he had a bruise ( my horse is currently on a yard where gravel surrounds it!) The bruise took around a week or so to go. This moved us up to May. I took him to a small show jumping class and 2 days later his leg was huge vet came down and told me it was a skin condition and that he was probably sore due to his legs hurting him, the condition produces a lot of scabs. Its now August I have trotted him up and he still isn't right behind on his left hind. Not sure if its due to his condition or not. He came in the following day, after I had trotted him up. Nodding his head, turns out he has a lovely deep cut on his fore that isn't helping matters.

So would you wait until his legs clear up? Incase that was causing the lameness , or would you see about getting him xray. It appears we go roughly 3 months before something happens and he goes lame.

Vet is due out either weds or Friday this week.

Bearing in mind I am on a livery yard and don't have him at home!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Is the skin condition photosensitivity? My horse has had this and it did make him lame as it became infected. Antibiotics were needed.

Would you be willing to take photos of his hooves including sole shots and post them here? If you are, then get the camera down low, practically on the ground when you take the photos of the hooves while he is standing. The 'typical TB feet' comment makes me wonder how healthy and well balanced his hooves are (TB's really aren't condemned to have utterly crappy hooves). Plus even an unshod horse should be able to walk over gravel. So photos would be really helpful.

 

[Theocat]

Hm, it seems as though, although there are a lot of episodes of lameness, each is discrete and has a clear explanation. It doesn't actually sound as though there's much unexplained lameness. I'd be looking at improving the feet and sorting out the skin condition, but I'm not sure what an X-ray would be looking for, unless I've miserere your post?

 

[Jim bob]

Is the skin condition photosensitivity? My horse has had this and it did make him lame as it became infected. Antibiotics were needed.

Would you be willing to take photos of his hooves including sole shots and post them here? If you are, then get the camera down low, practically on the ground when you take the photos of the hooves while he is standing. The 'typical TB feet' comment makes me wonder how healthy and well balanced his hooves are (TB's really aren't condemned to have utterly crappy hooves). Plus even an unshod horse should be able to walk over gravel. So photos would be really helpful.

Its LV is the short name for it He is been treated with oral steroids. We have already done all rots leading up to the steroids. Yeah I would be quite happy taking photos of his feet and soles. My horse is due to be shod next Monday

 

[Jim bob]

Hm, it seems as though, although there are a lot of episodes of lameness, each is discrete and has a clear explanation. It doesn't actually sound as though there's much unexplained lameness. I'd be looking at improving the feet and sorting out the skin condition, but I'm not sure what an X-ray would be looking for, unless I've miserere your post?

There has been a few times were he has gone lame and it has solved itself but I didn't know what caused it. I have had him on various supplements since I bought him. I am currently treating the condition. When we trotted I aren't sure if things looked worse due to my horse lost a lot of muscle from behind. But even before the cut he doesn't seem right on his fores unless he is compensating.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Yes, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, that's the one. It's utterly awful.

Photos before and after farrier would be really interesting.

 

[Michen]

Jim Bob...

I had both the skin problem and the foot issue with Torres as you know. All I can advice is that you wait until the ground softens, take his shoes off and send him on grass retirement livery for six months and then start again as it doesn't sound like there's much in the bank for expensive diagnostics without insurance. I wish I'd done that the moment I had issues with my boy although his feet were truly shocking.

Masses of luck xxx

 

[eggs]

One of my horses sounds similar to yours. He would intermittently go lame, box rest, come sound, work for a bit and go lame again. Although a wb he does have a big dose of TB in him and more TB than WB hooves.

Lots of lameness workups, nerve blocks and x-rays were inconclusive. He is a horse that doesn't 'do' pain and whilst not hopping lame would be 'not right'. I eventually realised that the lameness would always manifest itself when he was in one particular field and I put it down to the fact that it had lots of stones just below the surface that were bruising him. He has now been in that field now for nearly three years and has not been lame since.

 

[ester]

His feet don't really sound like they are doing their job, I too would consider taking shoes off if that is a possibility for you.

 

[Jim bob]

Michen. I have pmed you.
Eggs I moved yard in.. November and the yard is surrounded by gravel event vet has said that may not be helping and a livery from a previously yard said that's worse the concrete. He has thin soles and is a big wippy tb.
I was seriously considering taking him bf this winter yet I back out as I have no support and I don't really know what a good barefoot is etc. So its like huge for me as I can't really rely on anyone and I am a worrier! My farrier said if he was doing no work then I can take him bf but as soon as he starts doing work he will need shoes.

 

[kirstie]

Read the Rockley farm blog. Your horse most likely doesn't need shoes to work. That would be my first port of call.

 

[ester]

I think a lot of people would disagree with your farrier, at least up until a point and if it turns out he does need shoes then at least you will have better feet to put them on. Nothing wrong with boots and they are often better for thin soles - protection and stimulation all in one .

 

[Jim bob]

Kirstie: I have read rockly alot. Thanks it's just going through with that final.. hurdle as you like as I have no idea what I am doing. In regards to no one I really know has done barefoot rehab.

Ester: the only thing I worry about with boots is first of all which boots and in the winter our fields are very boggy do it would be hard going from very soft ground to hard stony tracks . Would you continue to use my farrier. He does do barefoot aswell... With horses that can cope.

I never would have thought my boy can cope having always been very foot sore when losing a shoe the only reason I know there might be hope is when he had his abcess earlier this year he threw his other fore shoe. So had no shoes on his fronts. He was sore.on
The gravel but trotted up sound on the road.

 

[Jim bob]

Tried to upload the photos on my profile but it says there too big. Photobucket is taking a long to load

 

[Michen]

That is a GREAT sign if he could trot up sound on road so quickly. Honestly, T couldn't even stand on a deep shavings bed without being buted. You are already further along in the battle than I ever even got to. Whip the shoes off, boot him if needed. You may have to boot him to get to field and then re boot to get to stable, I did this for a while and it wasn't fun at 5am in the pitch black.

I preferred old macs to cavallo as they had more give for his collapsed heels. I had a pair that were a bit big so I could really pad them out. Pads are your friend!

Kirstie: I have read rockly alot. Thanks it's just going through with that final.. hurdle as you like as I have no idea what I am doing. In regards to no one I really know has done barefoot rehab.

Ester: the only thing I worry about with boots is first of all which boots and in the winter our fields are very boggy do it would be hard going from very soft ground to hard stony tracks . Would you continue to use my farrier. He does do barefoot aswell... With horses that can cope.

I never would have thought my boy can cope having always been very foot sore when losing a shoe the only reason I know there might be hope is when he had his abcess earlier this year he threw his other fore shoe. So had no shoes on his fronts. He was sore.on
The gravel but trotted up sound on the road.

 

[ester]

Well if he is sound on the road now then it sounds like he would cope with 10 mins road walking to start (That's how we started). Re the gravel/field Michen has said it already and simple enough with the right boots, boot for the trip to the field.

Does your farrier have any working bare tbs on his books? Or just natives? I would be wary of using someone who is going to start out assuming it isn't going to be possible tbh.

 

[Jim bob]

Michen. He pulled the shoe. Was very sore on the gravel but yeah it was about... 2 weeks after that he trotted up sound on the road. I had to do a double take and get someone else to confirm he was sound! The only issue with he rebooting is our field is think mud.past fetlocks and it's not always me who brings him in atleast jot in the winter.
Ester: at the moment he isn't sound or atleast doesn't appear it. But unsure as to weather his skin condition is making him sore. Vets due down Friday. I aren't sure if he has any barefoot tbs on his books he always told me not to listen to barefoot trimmers and ... its my horses breed.

 

[ester]

see I don't agree with plumping all trimmers together either! Re. the booting too/from field I think it perhaps depends how far he has to travel as well. Essentially I think taking most horses, including TBs, barefoot is doable but for some it is just a bit too complicated to manage in their current settings and/or sometimes it has to be put on the back burner as a would like to but need to wait for better conditions.

 

[Jim bob]

I would say our field is ...100 to 200 yards away. It takes around... 30 seconds walk if that. But it is stony gravel

 

[ester]

Is it gravel that moves though? bear in mind that rockley keep theirs on gravel or is that nasty chunky stuff with a hard base?

 

[Jim bob]

Not sure... Its the large stones that you can kick or throw. So I would say nasty chunky stuff ( some small some large stones) with hard base.

 

[Michen]

I had the same problem. I literally put boots on him whilst we both hopped around in deep mud, with the horse desperate to come in out of the rain and me falling in my arse several times. It wasn't fun. On the days where someone else was bringing him in I left him booted for turnout as well as obviously wouldn't expect anyone else to do this.

Not an easy situation to be in and whilst I'm a huge barefoot fan now I wouldn't choose to go through all the management hassle again unless I had to.

Get some x Rays as a starting point xx

Michen. He pulled the shoe. Was very sore on the gravel but yeah it was about... 2 weeks after that he trotted up sound on the road. I had to do a double take and get someone else to confirm he was sound! The only issue with he rebooting is our field is think mud.past fetlocks and it's not always me who brings him in atleast jot in the winter.
Ester: at the moment he isn't sound or atleast doesn't appear it. But unsure as to weather his skin condition is making him sore. Vets due down Friday. I aren't sure if he has any barefoot tbs on his books he always told me not to listen to barefoot trimmers and ... its my horses breed.

 

[Jim bob]

I am thinking of just wanting his legs to clear up first. Did the boots stay on in the bad mud?