Warm hoofs

[Hollylee1989]

My shetland is currently on box rest, from laminitis caused by cushings. Over the last week or so he's been getting random heat in his hooves. Only happens during the afternoon, all 4 are cold during the later night and mornings. Sometimes it's just one hoof, then another day it's none. Then 3 hoofs, this afternoon it was 2. My vet was out to test numbers now he's been on pracsend for 6 weeks, he said he's sound still and not to worry about the heat. It's only a concern if he's lame with heat, Of course me being a worrier.. I'm worried..

 

[Birker2020]

My shetland is currently on box rest, from laminitis caused by cushings. Over the last week or so he's been getting random heat in his hooves. Only happens during the afternoon, all 4 are cold during the later night and mornings. Sometimes it's just one hoof, then another day it's none. Then 3 hoofs, this afternoon it was 2. My vet was out to test numbers now he's been on pracsend for 6 weeks, he said he's sound still and not to worry about the heat. It's only a concern if he's lame with heat, Of course me being a worrier.. I'm worried..

I understand that warmth in the feet is not a reliable indicator anymore. Healthy horse can have warm feet too for short periods of time.

Horses feet get warmer throughout the day anyway so they are often warmer in the afternoon

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Most horses hooves change temperature and just being a bit warm doesn't always mean something is going necessarily, my horses hooves start of cold in the morning then vary through the day I wouldn't be concerned as he is sound.

I'm forever feeling hooves and pulses it's a bit of an obsession of mine having lost 2 to laminitis.

 

[Sprogladite01]

I tend not to worry about heat unless they are scorching hot, and even then if there are no pulses I don't worry too much. I found it quite useful to check the feet/pulses several times a day for a few weeks as it showed me there was quite often a pattern as to when they got warm - e.g, after exercise, on sunny days, usually late in the day etc etc. Like anything though it's easy to fall into a worry spiral and become obsessive - neither of mine currently have/had lami and I still religiously check them as my last boy did - and I've been very aware ever since!

 

[Bellalily]

My shetland is currently on box rest, from laminitis caused by cushings. Over the last week or so he's been getting random heat in his hooves. Only happens during the afternoon, all 4 are cold during the later night and mornings. Sometimes it's just one hoof, then another day it's none. Then 3 hoofs, this afternoon it was 2. My vet was out to test numbers now he's been on pracsend for 6 weeks, he said he's sound still and not to worry about the heat. It's only a concern if he's lame with heat, Of course me being a worrier.. I'm worried..

Does he have digital pulses? That’s the only indicator that there’s anything amiss.

 

[cauda equina]

I don't think that's always true; sometimes mine have shown signs of footiness with no pulses, just the feet slightly warmer than is usual for them

And I totally agree about checking several times a day - foot temp does vary throughout the day, after exercise etc and depends to some extent on the ambient temperature too

 

[Hollylee1989]

Does he have digital pulses? That’s the only indicator that there’s anything amiss.

No I'm struggling to feel them, they were easy to feel when he came down with lami. They've been cool morning and evening since weds

 

[Bellalily]

No I'm struggling to feel them, they were easy to feel when he came down with lami. They've been cool morning and evening since weds

I tend not to take any notice of hoof temperatures. If the blood vessel has sufficiently contracted that you are struggling to find it, that’s great news.

 

[Bellalily]

I don't think that's always true; sometimes mine have shown signs of footiness with no pulses, just the feet slightly warmer than is usual for them

And I totally agree about checking several times a day - foot temp does vary throughout the day, after exercise etc and depends to some extent on the ambient temperature too

Lame is lame. So many people disregard “footie” behaviour, but would you ride your horse with a filled leg and lame? I would hope not. I don’t understand this flippancy towards feet. They are trying to tell you their feet are sore.

 

[Hollylee1989]

He's just finished week 9 this week of boxrest, he was lame for the first 24 hours and been sound ever since. Was worried he starting having random bouts of heat that come and go, still sound and given the go ahead to start 10 minutes hand grazing (muzzled), and build up from there.

 

[cauda equina]

Lame is lame. So many people disregard “footie” behaviour, but would you ride your horse with a filled leg and lame? I would hope not. I don’t understand this flippancy towards feet. They are trying to tell you their feet are sore.

I don't disregard footiness
However I have had horses be footy with no pulses, but warm feet
Now if a horse has warm feet when I wouldn't expect it eg early morning I will stop riding and change their management, even if the pulses aren't up