What is wrong with my Cob ?

[Cobsndogs]

Prob should be in Vet bit, but more folk in here.
Noticed in the week before New Year that my cob was looking lame behind, resting nearside hoof more than normal. He had had shoes done about 3 days previously. We watched it for a few days, then with no change popped him up to vets.
Now before we got him around end of June, he wasn't wearing back shoes but his feet were fairly cracked so the seller had put some backs on to sell.
Vet checked over, and then thermographed entire back end. Found a small amount of heat in hoof wall of the inside of the foot we were worried about. He said he was 99% sure the problem was that his hoof had been taken back too far too soon, and the shoe was too tight. He also suggested I get my chiropractor out as his pelvis looked lower on that side. Given a course of bute.
Got farrier out, who is adament that the above isn't cause of lameness, but took backs off.
Got Chiropractor out, did some work, said couldn't see much more wrong from her point of view, and suggested getting back on board after a few days off, and trying to work through in walk and trot.
Still not right, although definately improved. If I put him on lunge and go up and down the long sides of school he is overtracking equally both sides, both reins, in walk. Go into trot right rein looks fine, left rein can still see signs of lameness, and coming up slightly shorter.
Any more ideas/ suggestions, I know it has improved, but do I continue, or go back for x-rays which is my next plan of action.

 

[jhoward]

Were the shoes closed in on the frog? the after effects can take weeks to improve.

you dont say if he was better on the bute??

I personally wouldnt be going the x ray route yet, id leve the hinds off and give it around a month for a bit of growth and any pinching/bruising to go.

other thing.. it could be the first signs of an abcess, wont always be heat in the hoof but may be have a look upwards towards the coronet band for areas of spongy/softness.

 

[Cobsndogs]

Thanks. We were thinking abcess, but as it's dragged on I thought it might of shown itself by now. Also when used the pincer (I'm so technical !) things on sole there was no response to vet or farrier. There's lots of head scratching going on here.

 

[jhoward]

an abcess can easily take weeks to come out, if its working its way through the hoof the pincers wont pick it up which is why i say about the soft area on the coronet band.

you wont do any harm by soaking in warm water upto the fetlock. for a week..

ive seen horses with abcesses that people have thought they have broken a bone.. on otheres lame pony.. then fine then hopping and on the toe weeks later it comes out.

also another old trick of mine is to hose leg off for at least 5 minutes. then feel all arounf the leg . its much easier to pick up signs of heat of the rest of the leg is stone cold so to speak.

 

[Cobsndogs]

Ah, thanks. The only abcesses we have delt with before have been when you sort of know it's going to happen, when stood on something or suchlike.
Is there anything I can do to draw it down quicker, or is that what the warm water will do ?

 

[riding_high]

my pony was lame for a few weeks and vets thought it was the start of cushings/lammi. they told me to get the farrier out to trim her feet and then they would put pads on her, the farrier trimmed her and couldn't find a single thing wrong, not even any heat in her hooves.
she had pads on for 2 weeks and box rested, given acp and bute. no change. booked vet to come out again the following week for more detailed investigation and the farrier was on the yard doing another horse so he had a look and found she had an abcess just starting to come through. basically it took nearly 5 weeks for it to burst and a vet had seen her twice and also 2 farriers before the last time of being seen.

so yeah an abcess can take a while to come out. although i'm not saying it is an abcess, i'm not a vet so can't say either way but just giving you the timeline of my mare when she had one.