My mare is hopping around in pain and..........

[JadeWisc]

.......I have left 5 messages for my farrier and after 24 hours there is STILL no return call!

Yesterday I notice that my mare is walking odd. She was favoring her front leg and hoping out on it as she walked. I immediately picked her out and checked her hoof and all I could attribute it to was a big chip taken out of the side area of her hoof. Normally a chip would not worry me but it looked to me like it could be causing a pressure point on her sole/bars area. I am certain it is a hoof related issue by the looks of things and have tried frantically to get him here and no return call.
My aunt is looking up her farriers number for me at the moment and I may have to have him over instead just to have it looked at asap. I would not want to hop around sore so neither will she.
So fingers crossed this gets resolved for Misty please.


Does anyone have any experience with a chip causing lameness? How was it resolved? Do you think she will need front shoes put on until it grows out? All of my horses/ponies are barefoot.

 

[AutumnRose]

If she's suddenly very lame on one legit's most likely to be pus in the foot, when something gets inside and causes infection.

If theres a chip something could easily have got in that was, often its through a tiny puncture hole in the foot which you can't even see.

If you can't get a farrier i'd call your vet. it's normallyfixed very quickly and easily but can be extremely painful. Good luck

 

[JadeWisc]

I had not considered that because I could see no visible signs of any infection or swelling anywhere for that matter. Thank you for the advice and I will consider this

 

[AutumnRose]

My elderly pony had it recently with no heat or swelling so it is possible so something to think about. Hope you get to the bottom of it soon

 

[JadeWisc]

Thank you

so do I

 

[Chestnuttymare]

sounds like an abscess to me too. very very painful. poultice it in the meantime til you can get vet or farrier. if there is an obvious hole then it will drain from there. put pultice on, then vet wrap, then wrap it in babys nappy, then seal it all with gaffa tape. you will def need the vet, you will need to get danilon. that is if it is an abscess, obviously i'm not a vet or farrier.
hope it is better soon.

 

[kerilli]

i'd have her in, on a very deep bed, if you haven't already, and do as above. best of luck.

 

[JadeWisc]

Do you all really think it is an abcess from what I have said? I really truthfully am not thinking along these lines and honestly feel it is a bruised sole area from stepping on a rock (hence the chip)


Now you all have me wondering. I really truly doubt that is it but I suppose it is better to be safe than sorry

I will call my vet right now and see what they say. Aunt still has not called me back with alternate farriers number but will shorlty I imagine

 

[moneypit1]

Can you remove the shoe and poultice whilst in on a deep bed? Good vibes to you anyway. ++++ xx

 

[TableDancer]

Poulticing will help draw the bruising out even if it is just a bruise so you can't go wrong with this

You don't get any swelling with pus in the foot (unless it's really bad and goes up the leg) because the hoof can't swell - that's one of the reasons its so painful and they are so lame. Soometimes heat if its near the outside wall, but sometimes you can't really feel anything except a raised digital pulse. With all the wet weather and mud around, it's just the conditions for something to have worked its way in, especially if she has a chip in the wall. Good luck - either way, hopefully it isn't anything too serious

 

[JadeWisc]

I am in Wisconsin and she has been in a very dry area recently. No mud or wet conditions here and I currently have her in a stall piled with thick bedding and she is resting it.
Vet has been spoken with and is aware and thinks I should have my farrier out first by what I describe. He also told me our next course if farrier has concerns of an abcess and how we would treat it.

Spoke with my aunts farrier who will not be able to come to my area until TUESDAY! so needeless to say he is out. I called my farrier another three times so I guess I am off now to find another number from someone else.

I will also be trying a poultice so thank you for that idea. Even though vet did not advise to do this I see no harm in it really.

Thanks again and I will keep you all posted when I get a farrier here which I hope will be tonight!

 

[joeanne]

from what you describe i am with the others on this and would say it was an abcess.
we had one on our yard a couple of weeks back, sound at lunchtime when i rode her, so lame she couldn't bear weight on it by 5pm.
vet came and dug it out, hot tubbed three times a day and polticed. bute was given, and sedalin (which was as much use as a chocolate tea-pot!)

 

[Chestnuttymare]

have you got any bute or danilon to help with the pain. when my mare had one she grunted in pain with every step. she is a real wimp though. it doesn't matter if you have wet conditions or not, it can be caused with just a little bit of dirt getting in. poor thing.