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Hoof issues...Lame? Soft? Sore?

9K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  5cuetrain 
#1 ·
Ok guys! So I have already introduced my rescue mare, Heidi in another section but I have a question for you hoof experts and opinionates! :)

I have already called the lady who had her before, and got the whole story from the Sheriff's office who had confiscated her...

She is a 6 yr old 16.2 hand mare...maybe TB, cross or even SB cross? She had not had her feet done is approximately 1 whole year when they went and got her 2 weeks ago. Whichever farrier they chose trimmed her...a little short in my opinion but trimmed her nonetheless. Now I think the following problems could be from too "quick" of a trim to make her feet look "pretty" (does that make sense?)

She is fine on soft ground/grass...no wrong steps. As soon as you get on concrete or anything harder than grass she is short stepping and limping like crazy...and I mean painfully so! Moreso on the drive way area where we had to walk over the other day to get around some other horses but I blamed it on the rocks and such. As soon as she's off that...nothing. Not a limp, wrong step or whimper. She will not pick up her feet if I'm in the barn, she gets scared or hurts and tries to walk off to regain her balance (im guessing from lack of muscle and sore feet, etc.) I'm going to work with her on the grass be because I have to have her be able to pick ehr feet up since my farrier is coming out in 2 1/2weeks.

Does anyoen have any ideas what I could do to ease her pain? or help harden her feet? We have her in the softest area for turnout but I think she may be causing herself to get more sore because she wants to be 'with' the other horses...not just 'near' them. The BO has mentioned that she paces the fence line and that has me worried with her over-working or overstressing herself. She is inside at night and she calms down in her stall when the horse across from ehr is inside too...she 'needs' other horses :)

I called my vet and she suggested putting venice turpentie on her soles. She has ad the normal soundess check and is fine with tendons, etc. So i really think its a 'foot' issue!

ANy help or advice is greatly appreciated!!!

If you need anymore info please don't hesitate to ask and I will answer to the best of my abilities!!
 
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#2 ·
I'm an opinion not a expert advice:lol: It sounds like she may be just tender from having her hoof overgrown for so long. Have you ever broken a fingernail and had the tip of your finger be sore at first? Sorta like that.
Personally I would be doing the opposite of grass, rather gradually working her up to rougher terrain.
The Venice terpintine applications sounds like a good plan as well.
 
#3 ·
Horses get soft in the feet if they get trimmed too short too fast, as the part she's standing on hasn't had time to harden yet and the new foot configuration is putting pressure on areas of the foot that aren't used to bearing weight even if they're the "right" parts for supporting the horse. As mean as it might sound, the best thing to harden up a horses feet is to pasture them on harder ground, like gravel (this would probably be too much for her) or concrete with a stall mat. Keeping them on soft ground will just keep their feet soft and she'll be ouchy until the ground hardens up in the spring.
 
#4 ·
Sadly in the part of FL we are in...ummm....yeah sugar sand and grassy bits is all we have :/ I will try her in the other pasture tomorrow where the ground is a bit harder. Her stall has mats in it so it's a bit firmer, but it is not a concrete bottom. Is there anything topical you guys could recommend to put on her feet or soles?
 
#6 ·
I've already had the farrier come out just to check her out when she first came (not the same farrier that trimmed her for the sheriff's office). Her feet are too soft right now and he feels that it would do more bad then good to put shoes on her at this time. ALso, since the last farrier cut the feet so short he doesn't exactly have a whoel lot of foot to work with on getting the angles better right now. That is why we said we would wait 2 weeks and have him check again wen he comes out to do ehr feet.

Is there anything topical? Or a sole-hardener of some sort out there that you guys have had luck wth?

Also, she is perfectly fine 95% of the dya, liek I said its when she has to walk over the stretch of harder ground or concrete to the barn you can really see it.
 
#7 ·
I use a product called Jim Rickens hoof ointment. It smells vile and stains anything it touches but it does wonders for sore feet.
 
#9 ·
It's quite possible that the farrier removed too much sole, complicating the already soft foot situation. I disagree about the shoes, as is probably no suprise. =) But I think if she's has such thin sole, and esp with a softer hoof capsule, the coffin joint may very well "sink" further into the hoof capsule, flattening the sole more, and making her very likely to bruise.

Right now, esp without pics, I'd probably stay off the hard ground, she could very well be telling you her foot simply isn't capable of it, and could bruise very badly and turn into a sever subsolar abscess. Sometimes it si simply a matter of needing to toughen up with more stimulation, but sometimes that can cause major setbacks. If she was trimmed too short, a couple more weeks may be all she needs to be comfortable again. However, in neglect cases, that is rarely the case, they usually have some other pathologies going on that take time to really get their feet right, along with some good professional hoof care.

You can always see about some hoof boots to exercise her in so you don't have to worry about the ground surface, as usually exercise is the best way to grow healthy hoof back in. Hoof boots offer not only protection from rocks, but allow the hoof to flex and perform more normally with less concussion than metal shoes can offer. Metal shoes only really protect the hoof wall, which is may not be what hurts her (it's probably too much pressure on a thin sole). Metal shoes just don't support normal hoof function, they can really just mask other problems.
 
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