Birker2020
Well-Known Member
Hi. I have a 13 year old 17.1hh WB gelding who I have owned for the past six years. He is turned out during the day and in at night on his own in a paddock of about 1/3 acre (due to previous bouts of reoccurring spasmodic colic). I have noticed over the past six months or so that he has been striking into the inside of both his front and back legs whilst turned out in the field causing a splint on both his off fore inside and near hind cannon bone, and lacerations and grazes on other occasions to all four legs. On Friday I bought him in from the field to find he had grazed his n/hind cannon bone and cut his fetlock causing bleeding to the fetlock injury. This is the third time he has caught this particular leg. He has normal shoes (backs are a little wider than foot as he has bone spavin in both hocks but worse in off hind) and these seem to be better than the lateral extensions he used to have. Farrier is excellent so doubt its a shoeing problem and he is not close behind at all.
I was quite alarmed by this at first as I was concerned he had some kind of neuro problem as I lost a previous horse to Wobblers Syndrome which presented as striking/brushing injuries caused by ataxia (which Bailey does not have). In fact he doesnt have any obvious neurological deficit and an equine physio has confirmed this. I have also carried out various neuro tests and he is negative to the sway test and similiar.
His confirmation is really good so I am surprised that he should be doing such a silly things and dont really know why. Apart from booting him up (which will cost me an extra 35p per day on top of an already expensive livery) I am at a loss to know how to prevent this from happening.
Is he just lazy or would you say there is a reason for this and has anyone else experienced this?
I was quite alarmed by this at first as I was concerned he had some kind of neuro problem as I lost a previous horse to Wobblers Syndrome which presented as striking/brushing injuries caused by ataxia (which Bailey does not have). In fact he doesnt have any obvious neurological deficit and an equine physio has confirmed this. I have also carried out various neuro tests and he is negative to the sway test and similiar.
His confirmation is really good so I am surprised that he should be doing such a silly things and dont really know why. Apart from booting him up (which will cost me an extra 35p per day on top of an already expensive livery) I am at a loss to know how to prevent this from happening.
Is he just lazy or would you say there is a reason for this and has anyone else experienced this?
