pigged out on stolen apples

F

Fatonfreshair

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 March 2013
Messages
55
Location
East Midlands
Visit site
Our 'characterful' gelding broke down some fencing and helped himself to half the contents of an apple tree midweek - he had clearly eaten as many apples as he could reach because there is a line of apples half way up the tree and above, but none below. I was worried he would colic having eaten so many and kept checking him but he was fine. However, he seems to instead have come down with mild footiness and discomfort - not full blown lami but he was uncomfortable when ridden and is now on box rest and soaked hay for a few days. He is not hopping from foot to foot and is very bright in himself. Digital pulse is faintly present (now I know how to find it!) and his hooves are warmer than normal (although unhelpfully the same temperature as his field companion's hooves but she does have attacks of lami type episodes from time to time - she is on a roped off starvation paddock most of the time).

Is this an overdose of sugar? I cannot imagine a previously very sound pony with very strong hooves would suddenly come down with something normally as he has been on the same well eaten paddock with his field mate all summer. I am guessing he did not get off scott free from his scrumping exploits?

Is there anything else I should be doing for him? He does not look so uncomfortable that he needs pain killers (but then who am I to know) - he is standing on both front hooves without shifting from one to the other.

He is unshod and the farrier has always said he had great strong hooves and no signs of any previous lami episodes. We have owned him for just over a year and he is 9.

Blooming ponies! :eek:
 
I'd be very fastidious about making sure he has no excess hoof wall growth at all for the next month or two until you can see the event line as the hoof grows down. That will give you an idea of how seriously weakened the laminae have been.

So if you don't know how to do it already, I'd have a word with the farrier (or any friends who trim their own) and ask them to show you how to round off the edges of his hoof wall to reduce any stresses on the hoof wall, and so that you can have him walking more on the sole and less on the wall until you know how weakened the laminae have been.

Hope he's ok.

Sarah
 
Yep, sugar OD - naughty pony! I'd treat as laminitis until footiness subsides.

I wouldn't go mad on trimming his feet though. If the laminae have been weakened (and they have) then they'll stretch. There's nothing you can do to stop that imo, and forcing the horse to suddenly take more weight on the sole than he's used to may very well increase his discomfort.
 
Fortunately perhaps he had the farrier to him a few weeks ago so his hooves are quite trim and the farrier did round off the toes slightly as they had chipped prior to him coming out. I will keep a close eye on him and his feet and treat him as the thieving little mischief maker that he is - and treat him as a laminitic.

He has been lying down in the stable but he does like a lie down anyway so it is difficult to tell whether he is keeping off his feet or just being lazy!

We have only lived here for 18 months and the beautiful apple trees in the corner of one of the paddocks look lovely but who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to plant apples near a pony/horse paddock???? It is akin to leaving me in Cadbury's world overnight! We will double the cordon and try to repair the electric fence........again!
 
You could always see how readily he offers to lift a foot for you (to pick out). That might give you an indication of whether he is more uncomfy than usual shifting his weight onto the supporting foot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top