Pony with one foot slightly ahead of the other when standing

[Kezza]

I am ever so worried about my precious boy. He’s 20 years old and very fit and healthy, however, a couple of weeks ago he was in his stable and he seemed bent over at the knee slightly i.e. his front leg was not completely straight whilst he was standing. I nudged him over and he did it again, I nudged him again and he straightened it.

I have kept an eye on that leg ever since and I am sure he is standing with that one out slightly ahead of the other, about 5 or 6 inches when he’s at rest being groomed etc. He is keeping his foot flat on the ground and does not shift his weight about and his hind legs are not tucked under him or anything, they are positioned as normal as is the other front leg, he is also resting his hinds as normal.

No heat, no swelling and no lameness, he is as mental and highly strung as ever...

Now a couple of weeks ago he had a piece of twig buried in his frog (he has very fleshy frogs and always has had) which I pulled out and then treated with iodine spray. His foot doesn’t smell as though there was any infection but I continued to clean and spray his feet for a few days, they appear fine now.

I have called my farrier and he is has suggested keeping an eye on it for a week and if it gets worse then he’ll come out. He’s due to shoe him soon anyway. I am terrified it could be the onset of navicular but my farrier says he would be showing signs of lameness.

Has anyone else had their horse do this? Could it just be the frog or something far more serious?

 

[samp]

It would be very unlilkely to get navicular at the grand age of 20. If maybe more likely a laminitic thing as laminits can be bought on by trauma and you said that you pulled a twig out of his hoof? Does he had bounding digital pulses?

 

[Kezza]

nope so don't think it's laminitis. it's just the one foot too. Could be a coincidence that it's the one I pulled the twig from as well? Could it be a shoeing problem? i.e. angle of foot?

 

[miamibear]

It could be anything int he foot really!!

My old horse did this and he had a broken backwards hoof pastern axis, needed special shoeing but came back as sound as a pound

What are the shape of his feet like, is he on a joint supplement?

My horse was only very very slightly lame and it was on a tight circle rather than in a straight line

 

[Kezza]

he has lovely feet, always has had. Had same farrier for 7 years and has had current one for 2 years. He is shod all round and is a very well bred section C i.e. excellent confirmation. He has been on cortaflex and linseed oil plus veredus magnetic boots at night for 2 years.

 

[miamibear]

I would be tempted to say its something to do with this twig then, have you thought about poulticing the foot for a few days, there may be something in the frog still or it may be infected a little.

My horse had low heels and that was why the bones were misaligned, doesnt sound like it could be this from how well he is looked after

 

[Kezza]

wouldn't he be lame though?? It's been about 2 weeks since I pulled it out...

 

[miamibear]

Maybe not if its in the frog and he has soft frogs, they are able to contract a bit so it wouldnt be as painful as if it was gravel.

Worth a try you have nothing to loose!

Im no vet though, just what i would probably do. Dont panic im sure there is a perfectly innocent explination for it.

 

[Kezza]

that's a great place to start and I do hope that's all it is. I hadn't really thought about that and jumped to the worst possible cause as I am such a worrier! I have called my farrier and asked him to come down tomorrow, hopefully he can pinch the frog to see if there's any pain there. I hope that's all it is, he is such an active boy who loves his work, it would be very upsetting for us both if he could not get out and about. I shall update you Monday!

 

[miamibear]

Hoof testers would be a good starting point, if its in the frog will probably be due to the twig.

Poulticing wont do any harm.

Let us know how you get on

xx

 

[mrussell]

Is it by any chance the diagonal pair to a rested hindleg?

Our old gal always did this and it turned out to be a wearing suspensory ligament that did eventually go.... but then she was also slightly off under saddle long before it went (which we were told was arthritis). There was no heat or swelling with it even after it went....

 

[monstermunch]

My boy pointed one foot out in front of the other for a few days in the summer. I could see him doing it at rest in the field. Of course the worst did cross my mind, but he had no lameness, heat etc. He is absolutely fine. He just found it comfortable to rest like that for a few days. Like humans, horses favour certain comfortable positions which does make us owners paranoid. Don't worry too much. If it continues it may be worth getting a vet out to put your mind at ease.

 

[mandy4727]

My pony got navicular at the age of 21. She went completely against everything you ever read about it. She was a 13.2 pony aged 21 who had never done a lot of jumping. The books all say usually horses rather than ponies, aged between 7 and 14 and more often than not jumpers - this is from vet book which may be rather out of date. So she didn't "read" the typical cases. Although mine was lame in both fronts and after nerveblocks and xrays the vets found lesions on her navicular bone.

 

[Oaksflight]

Mine was standing like this in the summer, but he was also lame. Took us a month and half to figure out what was wrong with him, one morning he'd be dog lame, I'd get the vet out and then he'd only be 3/10's lame and so not enough to do nerve blockings or get a good idea where it was coming from, got physio out eventually, lightly hacked him for a week, physio came out again and his back was as soft as anything. The vet, physio nor I are entirely sure what was wrong with him, think he's just pulled his shoulder or something. To be honest though, it could be anything, could just be that he is a bit sore on that foot. Wouldn't start worrying too much yet though.

 

[Chex]

Chex does that, its either because his frogs are a bit rubbish just now, or its his arthritis, just not sure which!