Footsore- advice

[martini55]

For those who don't know my horse suffered from acute laminitis in august 2004. She was off work for over a year and even now we are just sticking to walk. I took her out for an hour's hack yesterday and she was absolutely fine (too fine in fact, she was full of energy!). Today I decided since it was such a nice day to take her out for a short 20 minute hack. We got half way round and as soon as we got to a road with some small stones on it she went pottery and acted footsore. I took her onto the grass verge and she was fine. We had to go back onto the road again though and as soon as we did she went pottery again. I decided it was best to jump off and lead her the rest of the way home.

On getting back I checked her over. No stones in her feet, no bruising, no heat in her hooves. Digital pulse was fine.
I could have just overdone it a bit with her and maybe should have given her a day off after our ride out yesterday. Either way I have left her in this afternoon on a deep shavings bed. The farrier is due out but I just wanted to see if anyone here had any opinions?

I'm just really worried about her. She isn't lame, only pottery on stonier ground but I don't want to take any chances.

[No_Angel]

mine are all a bit more footy in this weather, all the wet weather makes their feet soft.
A hoof harderner or boots might help.

[scrappydoo]

I wish i could help you, being new to laminitis myself im only learning and its so scary. Ive spent the whole weekend reading and asking every one with a horse of their experiences. I was told that my horse as his hoof grows will too show the attack of laminitis and it would take a year for it to grow out, i can see from your pictures that the deep rings are about half down now, maybe it just looks worse to you now as you have healthy hoof at the top. I didnt know that even road work can cause laminitis until today.

I have been trying to find a new blacksmith today, when i got to speak to one ive been recomended, he said its been the worst year for the cases of laminitis he has been called with.

At least you know what to do and shes got a deep bed.

[scrappydoo]

It makes you wonder, that when they have ever suffered with laminitis and been in a lot of pain, does it then make them take a little bit more caution over hard or uneven surfaces .

I noticed with my gelding today, he seems to walk on eggshells, but as soon as he saw his hay net he walked across his stable with no signs at all.

[doris]

I think you may have overdone it, and bruising is not something you would necessarily see straight away, and that is very painful for a horse. You need to work your horse gradually for just a little while. The new hoof growing down will be harder and stronger, but your horse is probably still walking on the old hoof, the wall of which is not so strong. As already said, the hooves will be a bit soft this time of year.
The fact that she was walking OK on the soft ground means her feet hurt on the hard stony ground, so this should be avoided for a while.
A pair of boots on the fronts would help for hacking out.

[martini55]

I have to appologize for the panicked first post. I was just so worried and paranoid earlier on. It has been over 2 years since she had lami and I would be devastated if she were to have another attack. Having been to check on her again and she is perfectly fine ao I've now got a more sensible head on!

What made me worried was the fact that yesterday she strode down the same road no problems. The farrier last commented that her feet were looking really good. The farrier is due out and I will ring him first thing tomorrow and at least he will definitely put my mind at rest.

I guess I was so used to her being so well that having an 'off' day came as a bit of a shock. Especially as she has been doing so well and I have over the last couple of months noted a big change in her behaviour that would point towards her feeling generally more well in herself.

So fingers crossed I got myself all worried over nothing!

[MelanieD]

She's still shod isn't she? Does she have pads on as well? A horse ouching even with shoes on would have me a bit worried especially if she's normally okay on that surface. Not a panic right now thing, but definitely get farrier/vet to check her and maybe be careful with too much grass until they've seen her. OTOH if she was pratting about yesterday she could just be regretting it today and need a day or two to get over it, but then it's odd that she's still only able to do an hour of walking more than 2 years after laminitis.

[Yann]

I'd be cautious too, sounds like a possible low level flare up as opposed to a full on attack, tiny loan pony sometimes showed similar symptoms if she got left out on grass when she shouldn't have been.

[martini55]

Yes she is shod. She had pads on her feet until a couple of months ago when the farrier felt we could try her without and she has been fine right up until today. I'll certainly be keeping a very close eye on her. I think I am going to broach the subject of going barefoot again with my farrier. I feel I want to explore other possibilities as, like you say MelanieD, its been over 2 years since. Her back feet seemed to have thrived being barefoot (she had it in all four feet but there was only rotation in the fores) and I am very curious about the differences it would make.

[becs]

Wouldn't that line visible across the middle (assume that's what yu're referring to) have been caused months ago? Hence unlikely to relate to what symptoms you may be seeing now. I thought those ridges were due to changes in the rate of hoof growth (often associated with laminitis but not always).

[martini55]

Which is what has baffled me. It certainly wasn't as defined as it is now before, but then I don't know if it is just being exaggerated because she is due for a trim and there is flare. She certainly has laminitic rings on her feet that have been there for a long time, it's just the change that has me worried (though I really don't think it is related to her being footsore today, I was panicking a bit earlier). I'm not saying that this appeared after being ridden (sorry if it came across like that), it's just I particularly noticed it as I was thoroughly checking her feet.

[martini55]

I was at the stables this morning and she is fine again today. I guess the most likely cause is bruising and there was also a little bit of thrush in one of her feet which won't be helping. Since it's been milder here the fields have turned very boggy so I guess her feet have softened up a bit and are more susceptible to bruising.

Having looked at the older pic of her feet that particular line is there, it is just not as obvious as it is now. But if I remember rightly the older pic was taken just after a trim. The farrier should be out this week, just waiting on him ringing me back so I'll be asking him all about it.

[Retty]

Max has been foot sore in the summer months before when the ground was extra hard - farrier showed me the red bruising on soles when he did Max's feet, he recommended Keratex hoof hardener (you put on soles but avoid frog), improvement was v quick :D By the next shoeing there was no red bruising at all!