Tender Hoof - advice please?

[kit279]

Wondering if anyone can help me out. I have a 9 year old 16.1h grey Thoroughbred who is nicely put together but his left fore is a club foot - it's always been like that and the farrier seems to think that he just has one leg a little shorter than the rest! He's always been sound on it but 2 weeks ago turned up a tiny bit lame at the walk. You have to look hard to see it but he's nice and forward normally so I felt there was something not quite right. It doesn't get any worse with work and I'd say he was at most 1/10th lame.

My dad's a vet and we had a look at him. He wasn't lame trotting up on a hard surface but showed up with a positive flexion test on that leg. The thing is that the hoof on that leg is showing up a bit pink in colour and he's a little tender when I pick the foot out around the right side of the frog but I can tap the hoof no problems. I wondered if he had an abscess coming but it's been 2 weeks now and while he's no worse, he's no better either. The hoof isn't hot at all and I haven't found any puncture wounds.


I'm happy to get the whole veterinary show (Xrays, nerve blocks etc) on the road if need be but my experience is to wait and see if it's not an emergency.

Any thoughts? Anyone else had anything like this?

 

[no_no_nanette]

Yes, my mare (who is a real wuss about her feet anyway) had an abscess which went completely unnoticed (bad, bad mum!

but she is a brood mare out in the field) - because she didn't seem any more tender than usual on her feet, until the farrier noticed a hole that had just opened up behind the hoof wall, where the abscess had burst!

Our little cob also bruised his sole a couple of years ago, and sounds as though the symptoms very similar - also a pink tinge in one area of his sole ... could this be it, perhaps? And lucky you, having a vet for a dad!

 

[Lordy100]

I have horse with club foot, contracted tendon as a foal, and have struggled to try and keep him sound for the last 16 years, I got him when he was 6 weeks old! The best stuff I have found is Equine America Hoof Power Plus, helps with hoof quality and growth. I've got to the point now when he goes lame, normally summer months, I take his shoes off and give him a couple of months off. Not ideal I know if you want to compete but it means his hooves get a chance to grow and soles harden up.