Urgent advice needed! Re feet, lameness, barefoot

E

ellerslie83

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 April 2011
Messages
129
Location
Windermere
Visit site
Hi, I've only had my horse since July and I've already had problems with his feet which I've previously posted about -

My farrier had already told me he has rubbish feet with thin hoof walls, slow growing etc...

So he had his hind shoes off a couple of weeks back and was doing fine, I've not ridden him, just let him graze.

On sat I found him with a clinking front shoe - by the time the farrier got back to me yesterday the shoe had come off so was walking about with one shoe on slightly lame.

The farrier came today while I was at work - so the other half dealt with him only I came home to find he's even more lame and still has one shoe on -
OH told me that he was so lame he couldnt put the weight on the other leg for the farrier to get the lone shoe off and if he takes it off he'll having nothing to do but go down on his knees!

He says he needs hoof boots as he can't wear shoes as his hooves won't hold them - I was thinking of going barefoot - but not like this!

HELP!!! He's my first horse and I have no idea what my next move should be! (I've already left a slightly frantic message on an equine podiatrist's phone) - my main concern is that the poor thing is shuffling around and is obviously hurting!
 
A get a new farrier!
B Silver feet is fab And has made a huge difference to a horse of mine with a similar problem as yours.
C get the vet out and get some bute so your horse at least isn't in any pain

Hopefully a better farrier will be able to help your situation
 
Did the farrier give you any indication as to why your horse was lame?
If he is just feeling his feet then you could try and fashion a make do hoof boot out of a nappy or 2, tape them onto his feet with vet wrap and then cover with duct tape. This may give him a little respite but it will make his foot sweaty so it's only a short term fix.
I am sure you will get other more helpful or useful suggestions. I would also be a bit upset in your situation and I hope your horse gets over this quickly.
 
does he/could he have lami? that seems an awful lot of pain for a horse to be in just because of a lost shoe. Did farrier say anything about that?

Some people on here do use hoof boots more full time than just for riding succesfully.. alternatively if he is really sore there is a youtube vid of a guy using polystyrene and gaffa tape to make a lami pony more comfortable I wonder if you could do something like that temporarily?
 
Loosing a shoe shouldn't have made him that lame. He will poss be very sensitive but not lame. It sounds like he as an abbcess or nasty bruise on his lame leg.

Make him comfortable for the moment. In a soft deep bed or with boots with thick pads on. They should instantly make him more comfortable.

The poor quality feet is a much longer term project and this new EP should be able to help with the changes you'll prob need to make.
 
Thanks for the replies - I was shocked at how lame he appears to be, but as a newbie wasn't sure if this was in any way normal.

I really hope the EP replies and is a good one. I don't know if its laminitis - he's a cob that lives out 24/7 in about a 2 acre field with one another big horse, atm the moment neither of them is in work - in my horses' case I'm waiting for a side chunk of hoof to grow back which came off when one of his hind shoes ripped off!

I'm not sure I'd know where to start choosing a hoof boot - will try and work something out with some duct tape and padding.
 
your EP or thesaddleryshop.co.uk will be able to advise on suitable hoof boots.. my EP sorted me out ;).

do you have the facilities to bring him in if necessary? I think you need to consider getting the vet out if he is that uncomfortable and given his type and lifestyle it does sound like lami is a possibiliity.
 
So sorry to hear that your going through this with your new horse.

I think that you need to call a vet out to check that there isn't something more serious going on, as other's have said, he really shouldn't be that lame from just losing a shoe.

He would probably be more comfortable in a stable on a deep bed until the vet has been.

In the longer term, it sounds as if there is a lot of work to do to improve his feet. Have you spoken to his old owners about this? Did you have him vetted? What do you feed him?

Sorry for all the questions...........Good luck. Let us know how you get on.
 
Personally I would get a vet out ASAP to look at his feet - I can't believe only one person so far has suggested this.

Paula
 
I agree please get the vet out, I also have a cob and he lost a front shoe at the weekend. He has big chunks missing too but he is sound on it. As others have said he shouldn't be lame after losing a shoe.
 
My horse has come in tonight hopping lame from loosing a shoe!! I couldn't even pick her back feet up as she is hardly weight baring on the front at all so yes they can be this lame from loosing a shoe!!!

I have kept her in tonight, bandaged both front legs and buted her. The farrier is coming tomorrow morning and she will be on box rest for a few days.

I was also just bout to go barefoot (posted bout it earlier) and didnt quite have this plan in mind!!
 
Kelly1982 said:
My horse has come in tonight hopping lame from loosing a shoe!! I couldn't even pick her back feet up as she is hardly weight baring on the front at all so yes they can be this lame from loosing a shoe!!!
Click to expand...

maybe but I think that in light of the fact that the OP has not owned this horse long (and therefore doesn't know it that well) and appears to have a rather unhelpful farrier (who I'm surprised didn't say whether he suspected lami or not) a vet is the sensible approach.
 
I wasn't disagreeing with getting a vet, i was just trying to reassure the OP that they can be this lame after loosing a shoe as a few people suggested it sounded like something a lot worse
 
I think you need to call the vet as well,
You need to understand why he is so sore it could be simply nail sick feet in which case you will need to feed a good foot supplement and wait for the foot to grow
I have horses BF and shod only time will tell if bf is the best option for your horse I would recommend feet first as an good book that lays out BF thinking except I think it recommends seaweed which is now thought to be a bad idea for most horses .
I am really sorry you are having trouble with your first horse I would get the vet just in case he's got laminitis
It's good your farrier has not put the shoe on many would nail it on and send the bill
Time without shoes every year helps to Stop this sort of issue you will through this but it will take time
Good luck and let us know how you get on
 
I would seak to your vet. sounds very much like your horse is showing early signs of lami, especially given his turnout arrangement and will more than likely need some bute for a few days. In the mean time I would keep him in on a deep bed (ideally savings or similar) and feed well soaked hay.

If you wish to go down the barefoot route, you really need to make sure he is on a low sugar, low starch diet, restrict his grazing and increase his exercise.
 
Kelly1982 said:
I wasn't disagreeing with getting a vet, i was just trying to reassure the OP that they can be this lame after loosing a shoe as a few people suggested it sounded like something a lot worse
Click to expand...

I don't thin anyone is trying to scare the OP but I think it is generally better to err on the side of it being something worse..

although when mum's mare was not properly weightbearing the other week .. and via phone I told her to get a sunday vet.. to find a corn she might not agree ;).

and 2 acres is a lot for 2 horses not in work this summer.. the grass has been mad.
 
Thanks everyone, it's all been a massive help having your comments. I'll be calling the vet first thing. Will be keeping everything crossed he's just bruised and it's not lami.
 
ellerslie83 said:
Hi, I've only had my horse since July and I've already had problems with his feet which I've previously posted about -

My farrier had already told me he has rubbish feet with thin hoof walls, slow growing etc...

So he had his hind shoes off a couple of weeks back and was doing fine, I've not ridden him, just let him graze.

On sat I found him with a clinking front shoe - by the time the farrier got back to me yesterday the shoe had come off so was walking about with one shoe on slightly lame.

The farrier came today while I was at work - so the other half dealt with him only I came home to find he's even more lame and still has one shoe on -
OH told me that he was so lame he couldnt put the weight on the other leg for the farrier to get the lone shoe off and if he takes it off he'll having nothing to do but go down on his knees!

He says he needs hoof boots as he can't wear shoes as his hooves won't hold them - I was thinking of going barefoot - but not like this!

HELP!!! He's my first horse and I have no idea what my next move should be! (I've already left a slightly frantic message on an equine podiatrist's phone) - my main concern is that the poor thing is shuffling around and is obviously hurting!
Click to expand...

OK. And breathe :)

Horses DON'T have rubbish feet. They have sick feet. And they can get much, much better with a little help.

1) Bring him in onto a soft bed and get the vet to check for lami.
2) What is he eating - stop all bucket feeds and treat as lami until given the all clear.
3) Take some pics (side and front view from the ground. Sole view if he can manage that) and show us what's going on.
4) Keep him on soft ground and put on a makeshift poultice on the unshod hoof when walking onto hard ground.

This is a thread on hoof boots you may find helpful
http://phoenixhorse.myfastforum.org/about1073.html

You can talk about hoof boots to these people.
http://www.facebook.com/lucynicholas75
http://www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk/D/Hoof_Boots-(Hoof_Boots).aspx

What area are you?
 
Thanks Oberon, I do feel rather out of my depth!! I'm in Buckinghamshire, between Chesham and Bekhamsted which is in Herts.

He doesn't eat anything except grass and the odd bit of hay, and one helping of seaweed and biotin for the feet (probably wrong!) which he and the other horse both have each day, only for the last couple of weeks.
They don't eat anything else as they both need to lose weight.

Will get reading and try to do some pics in the morning. In the meantime will see if I can coax him into a stable.
 
ellerslie83 said:
Thanks Oberon, I do feel rather out of my depth!! I'm in Buckinghamshire, between Chesham and Bekhamsted which is in Herts.

He doesn't eat anything except grass and the odd bit of hay, and one helping of seaweed and biotin for the feet (probably wrong!) which he and the other horse both have each day, only for the last couple of weeks.
They don't eat anything else as they both need to lose weight.

Will get reading and try to do some pics in the morning. In the meantime will see if I can coax him into a stable.
Click to expand...

Mark Johnson covers your area. He is a farrier as well as a UKNHCP trimmer (and a gigantic hoof nerd :p)
http://www.uknhcp.org.uk/uknhcpqualifiedpractitioners.html

Here is a satisfied customer ;)
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=537753&highlight=mark+johnson

It's good that he isn't getting masses of hard feed :).
 
Thanks Oberon, I've just managed to put him in a stable on a soft bed, though he wasn't overly impressed.

I did message Mark Johnson in early July when I got my horse to ask if he would come and see to both of them, but he declined, saying I was too far south and unless I was having problems my farrier could probably help me....

I guess I'm having problems now....
 
Some very good advice from oberon.

One thing I would say is that it is very unlikely that the seaweed is helping him and if anything you are highly likely to be over dosing him on Iodine which can be highly detrimental. to give you an idea, I had my hay analysed and diet plan writen and I was advised that my horse needs no more than 2 measures of seaweed over a one month period in order to meet his iodine needs!! He's 17.2.

I would however reccomend you feed magnesium. Most horses are defficient in this and it will help him metabolise the grass sugars better. Also brewers yeast can help.

I would advise you divide your grazing in half and save the second half for much later in the year - December time.

If you want to speak to a good EP, Sarah Swallow might come out to you - She see's mine in St. Albans and also one in Rickmansworth. She is based in Newmarket so may fit you into a round trip :) She's been brilliant with My boy's feet - they have changed quite considerably in the last year and he is now sound over all surfaces... I have to stress though, getting his diet right has been fundamental to this :)
 
Just an update - the vet came out and said - yep he's lame and has bad feet, gave us some bute and recommended hoof boots and box rest and to get a barefoot trimmer.

Trimmer came today and has measured him for boots, although she's not allowed to diagnose she reckons he has a touch of laminitis. We've taped some high density foam pads to his front feet till we can get the boots and he started walking around again and looking more like himself again :)

He's now going to be stabled overnight, and wear boots out during the day in a starvation paddock, still have the bute for the meantime and some magnesium supplement and then wait! At least he's feeling a lot better already!
 
Thats good news in some ways. At least you've got to the bottom of the issue and have a way forwards.

I'm also impressed with the vet: many would have suggested getting a farrier to glue shoes on etc!

Fingers crossed you can get him comfortable some and sort his lifestyle so his feet improve.
 
Glad to hear this update.......even happier to hear a vet recommending a trimmer and not suggesting fancy shoeing!:D
Always best to treat as possible lami,so you are getting excellent advice from your trimmer.
Hope things improve soon so you can start riding and enjoying your horse!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top