slight lameness in trot on one rein only on lunge

[Idratherbemuckingout]

Hi, can anyone help me.
My 14.2 17 year old welsh section D x anglo arab (home bred) just returned home after two years on loan with holes in the tips of his front right hoof. They are not sore. On the advice of my podiatrist (he is shoeless) I am syringing them with water, spraying them with antiseptic then stuffing the holes with cotton wool and sudocreme.
I was walking him in the school only, due to his feet, and after a couple of weeks of this I put him on the lunge and discovered that on the right rein only, he was a little lame, only in trot. Quite a head nod going on, not effecting his forward going ness at all.
I asked the podiatrist and she said he has slight heat in the coronet band of the foot with holes.
There is NO sign of lameness on the left rein, even in trot.
I am beginning to think it is not the foot, but maybe higher up.
Not really sure.
When I ride him (and I have forty years experience of horse owning) he feels quite sound. Both reins in walk.
I know I would feel if he was not.
I am a very sensitive rider.
Any ideas?

 

[maggiesmum]

Whats he like on hard ground? Trotted up in a straight line on hard and soft ground? lame on a circle on soft ground can be part of the symptoms for soft tissue injuries so i'd be thinking about talking to the vet.

 

[Idratherbemuckingout]

Hi Maggie's mum.
Ridden (in walk) in a straight line and on circles on both reins, he is quite sound. Even tight circles in walk.
Trotted up he does not appear lame in a straight line.
My podiatrist thinks his toes, as he has the holes, but the slight heat has virtually gone.
She said to keep on riding him.
We had some new horses arrive and when they were put out in their field, he pranced around his like an arab, tail up, no lameness at all! Both reins, in trot and canter! Their owner (who I had told he was lame) asked if I'd been drinking when I thought he was lame!
I did think maybe shoulder, as it is a circle.
Can't help but think that if it was truly in his foot, he would be lame in trot on BOTH reins and ridden, but there is absolutely NO sign of it ridden (in walk only as I am not trotting him for several reasons).
Can you post pics on here?

 

[Tnavas]

Sounds like he may have an abscess that has been brewing for a long time and is likely to come out at the coronary band.

The holes may be the remains of seedy toe - syringe the holes out with copper sulphate solution and then plug with cottonwool dipped in Stockholm Tar.

 

[Idratherbemuckingout]

Hi,
as he has been seen by the podiatrist I am assuming there is no abscess as yet. I did ask her about this, and whether he should have antibiotics, but she said no, there is probably small infection, but little else so far.
I am cleaning it out every day, so stockholm tar would not allow me to do this, and on her recommendation using sudocreme, which she says will help to heal it.
The problem is that he was out on loan and developed these holes (you are correct, they are seedy toe) last year, and although the person who had him on loan was told how to treat them, it was not done properly.
I was told over the winter that the holes had gone, but they had not and are really quite deep, although give him no apparent pain.
So I had him back.
Supposedly his feet "had not grown" which I find hard to believe! This was given as the reason for the holes still being present.
Not very likely!
Especially as he is shoeless and has been for a number of years now.
He goes well on gravelly drive, on grass, on the road, on concrete etc, showing no inclination to move off hard surfaces.
I do have another pony that had mechanical laminitis due to french blacksmithing and then vet care, not overeating, and he DOES try to move onto the grass off gravelly bits of the road although he can be ridden on the road easily. The first pony shows no signs of any preference at all.
I am at a bit of a loss really!
I am loathe to call a french vet (forgot to say I live in France) as they are pretty useless for the most part (sorry any of you good french vets out there for my generalisation but they ARE useless where I live and I wouldn't trust any of them as far as I could throw them).
So I am following the treatment of the podiatrist.
I just think it can't be in the foot as it is so one sided.