Thin soles and wet weather

spotty_pony2

spotty_pony2

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I’ve posted about this before I’ve discovered but it was nearly three years ago. Fast forward to now and same horse (now 27) seems to be having the same issue. He has pads in his shoes in front and has been having them for at least the past two years and they have helped massively but from what I can gather they are a temporary fix. He’s go exactly the same symptoms although it could also possibly be an abscess but I’d expect him to get more lame in the next 24/48 hours if so and there is no heat at all but there is perhaps an area of the sole that is slightly sensitive when I apply pressure. I really don’t think it’s laminitis but again I’m monitoring him, he is perfect weight and I’m managing food intake. I will of course be talking to my farrier and getting him to look. But he is fine on the soft ground and in the field, fine walking in a straight line on the road, a little off on a turn but not drastically, but slightly lame in trot and tentative over stones. I’m wondering about having shoes off at this point and using hoof boots instead but realistically I cant see his soles hardening up until th ground dries up. I’ve fenced off the worst of the wet area in his field today but staying in isn’t an option either as he is arthritic and gets stiff. He is fine in himself except for this. He is my pride and joy and everything he needs he gets so please be kind.

I’m just wondering if any others are having solo issues with the ground as it is. Although of course it’s been perfectly conditions for an abscess being mild and wet but *touch wood* he’s never had one in his life ever!
 
Hoof Armor is fanstastic stuff for this - I apply a thin coat every couple of weeks in the winter.

Mark Johnson did sugest that a thin layer of superglue would work to protect from the constant wet, and is much cheaper, but I've not tried it. It wouldn't be as abrasion resistant, IMO.
 
Yes. My 23 year old has had a strange pulse in one front leg all week. Farrier hoof tested around pedal bone and no reaction but did say there was a bit of heat. He started slightly pointing it last night but still could weight bare albeit had it more further forward than the other hoof. I poulticed him last night and he was like a new horse this morning. Poultice stinks and has a slight wet grey bit but other than that nothing obvious. He's standing square, pawing with said hoof and walking out. He's never had hoof abscesses in his life except when he had laminitis 8 years ago. He was negative for Cushings last year but will be tested again in April. Either that it's been because the fields are so wet and muddy at the moment.
 
paddy555 said:
tested for PPID and negative on both a test and on clinical symptoms?
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Yes he is actually well below the range and that was at the time of year when the range is usually quite high too! He’s always had slight issues but he lives out more in the winter than he used to now he is older as he’s happier out because of his arthritis so I wonder if it may have been an more of an issue when he was younger but because he was stabled a lot in the winter it never became as obvious as it is now. He’s absolutely fine in the field he just doesn’t like the stones on the track to the yard. He's not in a lot of work now anyway but likes his little hacks out so I just want to do what I can.

Problem is I can’t apply anything to the underneath of the hooves at the moment because of the pads. We did try applying products before we went to the pads - Farrier recommended a very good iodine based product from Italy that I had to pay import taxes on! I know they have helped previously - he has the plastic ones but he did do a while have the leather ones which tbh I think would be more breathable anyway the plastic. 🤔 But at this point I’m wondering if he’s better without any so I can try and treat the hoof again. My Farrier is very pro barefoot so I know if he thinks he can manage without he’d agree with me.
 
holeymoley said:
Yes. My 23 year old has had a strange pulse in one front leg all week. Farrier hoof tested around pedal bone and no reaction but did say there was a bit of heat. He started slightly pointing it last night but still could weight bare albeit had it more further forward than the other hoof. I poulticed him last night and he was like a new horse this morning. Poultice stinks and has a slight wet grey bit but other than that nothing obvious. He's standing square, pawing with said hoof and walking out. He's never had hoof abscesses in his life except when he had laminitis 8 years ago. He was negative for Cushings last year but will be tested again in April. Either that it's been because the fields are so wet and muddy at the moment.
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Interesting! So did it not actually burst? Was he also tentative on the soft ground as well as the hard?
 
Another vote for Keratex hoof hardener. Recomended to me by my vet for my thin soled now 25yo PPID mare. All 4 feet had just been x rayed to rule other nasties out give me peace of mind, she just has thin soles.

The Keratex has made a huge difference. Apply every day for a week to dry feet then twice a week thereafter.
 
spotty_pony2 said:
Interesting! So did it not actually burst? Was he also tentative on the soft ground as well as the hard?
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It's tricky as he has stifle arthritis so he can be quite stiff some mornings if he's been stood for a while. Again when bringing in if he's just stood waiting he can be stiff coming out so it's tricky to differentiate at times. In hindsight he was probably more slower than usual but then my thoughts were that his arthritis had been particularly bad. It wasn't until I felt the pulse in one leg that I thought there was maybe something else going on. I'm not sure if it burst or not, in 20 years I have only had to poultice hooves minimal times so I'm not sure really what I should expect to come out. It definitely did have a bad smell and there looked to be a 'wet' area on the poultice and the hoof just at the heel. He is always much better on soft ground than hard, I think that's just him. I'll maybe trot him in the arena tonight just to make sure.
 
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