Old mare struggling to pick up hind feet

[spotty_pony]

As title.

My 29 year old is struggling to balance on three legs to have one of her feet picked out. She picks it up, but picks it up too high and then oulls it forward, looses her balance and puts it back down. I would say she has arthritis but she is living out 24/7 now and I have seen no improvement since the weather has warmed up. I also trialled her on Danilon (have continued to give her one a day under vets advice) to help with stiffness but this doesn't seem to touch the problem with the back legs at all. She runs around outside and they appear to move fine - farrier thinks it could be mechanical arthritis in a larger joint higher up. My other thought is it's neurological. Vet doesn't seem too concerned about it when I mentioned it when she had her teeth done. Just wondering if anybody has any experience of this? I have told myself she will have the summer (as long as she appears happy in herself) and then I will be making the horrible decision- for the second time this year - before the winter I think.
Any advice appreciated.

a recently photo of my lovely old girl below...

 

[paddy555]

she is so sweet.
can't help with what the problem is but if I have one like this who has trouble with the hinds then rather than pick the foot up in the normal way I kneel down beside the hind foot and raise the foot so just the toe is resting on the ground or just a bit higher if they can cope. You have to teach them as their instinct is to raise it higher. You can rest the foot on your kneeling thigh. If you teach them to keep it very low they soon learn and their balance is a lot easier.
I trim any like this with the hind foot resting on a block of wood. Not so nice for my back but a lot easier for the horse. Sometimes I sit on a milk crate so I am very low and rest the foot in my lap. That makes it very steady for the horse, easier on my back and very easy to pick the feet out
Perhaps something along these lines would be easier for her

 

[AmyMay]

I would agree with your farrier. And paddy555’s suggestion.

 

[spotty_pony]

I would agree with your farrier. And paddy555’s suggestion.

have you any experience with mechanical laminitis? I have never heard of it before! Assume it is more advanced arthritis as opposed to it just being a joint?

 

[spotty_pony]

she is so sweet.
can't help with what the problem is but if I have one like this who has trouble with the hinds then rather than pick the foot up in the normal way I kneel down beside the hind foot and raise the foot so just the toe is resting on the ground or just a bit higher if they can cope. You have to teach them as their instinct is to raise it higher. You can rest the foot on your kneeling thigh. If you teach them to keep it very low they soon learn and their balance is a lot easier.
I trim any like this with the hind foot resting on a block of wood. Not so nice for my back but a lot easier for the horse. Sometimes I sit on a milk crate so I am very low and rest the foot in my lap. That makes it very steady for the horse, easier on my back and very easy to pick the feet out
Perhaps something along these lines would be easier for her

thank you, I will give that a try!

 

[AmyMay]

have you any experience with mechanical laminitis? I have never heard of it before! Assume it is more advanced arthritis as opposed to it just being a joint?

You didn’t mention laminitis.

 

[spotty_pony]

Sorry predictive text - arthritis!

 

[AmyMay]

Ah, right. Yes, I’ve had horses with arthritis, and obviously at the age your mare is then of course you’d expect some. Being out and Danilon will help, as will sympathetic handling with regards handling legs etc.

 

[Caol Ila]

What is "mechanical arthritis?" As far as I understand it, osteoarthritis is the wearing down of the joint cartilage until bone grates against bone, which causes pain, inflammation, and stiffness. It's all mechanical, kinda. The other type of common arthritis (outwith weird stuff like septic arthritis) is rheumatoid arthritis, and I don't think you find that in horses. It's an autoimmune disease. Most horse stuff you'll encounter will be osteoarthritis.

When my old horse is sore, she yanks her hind foot up and forwards when you try to lift it, and then loses her balance. She's been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in her pastern and hock joints. I've had her on Danilon (and everything else). I don't think Danilon controls all pain -- it might just make the horse a wee bit more comfortable when mooching around -- and if it's a severe flare up, then Danilon won't help them as much as you'd like. It's like you popping ibuprofen. Doesn't do sh1t for severe pain and inflammation. Ultimately more movement, like turn-out, and warm weather can slow the progress of the disease, but they won't stop it. Believe me, I did everything I could to try stopping it, but if I'd achieved that, I would be the richest woman in the world, with a sound horse.

I too will have to make that horrible decision for my 28-year old. Sooner than I would like.

 

[ester]

We do toe resting on the ground too.

 

[tda]

You could be speaking about my old pony, she's only 24 but the last time the farrier came we had to prop her up in the corner of the stable because she could not stand on three legs. Seems to have developed more over the last 6 months.
Vet says arthritis. Working out now how to keep her living out, but Not in mud

 

[Tracking_up]

I've always understood 'mechanic arthritis' to be mechanical lameness, when the arthritic joints in the hock have fused fully, so that mechanically lame, but not pain-lameness, if you see what I mean?

My yard had to teach a horse to stand/lean against the wall when this became an issue. Also the 'propping toe' on the ground for picking out purposes.

 

[Birker2020]

As title.

My 29 year old is struggling to balance on three legs to have one of her feet picked out. She picks it up, but picks it up too high and then oulls it forward, looses her balance and puts it back down. I would say she has arthritis but she is living out 24/7 now and I have seen no improvement since the weather has warmed up. I also trialled her on Danilon (have continued to give her one a day under vets advice) to help with stiffness but this doesn't seem to touch the problem with the back legs at all. She runs around outside and they appear to move fine - farrier thinks it could be mechanical arthritis in a larger joint higher up. My other thought is it's neurological. Vet doesn't seem too concerned about it when I mentioned it when she had her teeth done. Just wondering if anybody has any experience of this? I have told myself she will have the summer (as long as she appears happy in herself) and then I will be making the horrible decision- for the second time this year - before the winter I think.
Any advice appreciated.

a recently photo of my lovely old girl below...

My horse does this when you pick out her back feet, she brings her leg forwards and then pushes out backwards, it's in no way a kick, but I think it locks a little and she stretches it out, like how our joints click and we stretch them out. She has spavin but has had full lasting treatment in the form of chemical arthrodesis. Classic example when you go from sitting to standing and your knees click, same thing.

 

[huskydamage]

My horse does this when you pick out her back feet, she brings her leg forwards and then pushes out backwards, it's in no way a kick, but I think it locks a little and she stretches it out, like how our joints click and we stretch them out. She has spavin but has had full lasting treatment in the form of chemical arthrodesis. Classic example when you go from sitting to standing and your knees click, same thing.

Mine does exactly the same and you can hear it crack. She has hock arthritus. Once she's done this once she can lift them up again no problem.