Hi, my horse has been limping on his right front foot , he just isnt the same perky horse that he usually is, and saves steps. he doesnt limp in his stall or his grass paddock, but if you look close you can see he misses a few steps and trips on that foot cause he isnt picking it up high. when i take him out on the gravel to be tacked up he freezes and then when i urge him on he begins to limp. i just rode him on saturday and he was fine. He is shoed and gets ridden 4-5 times a week, so this is very unusual for him.Do you think he just got some bruising or do you think it is something more serious?thanks, he is my first ever horse and i have been riding him for almost a year now. I just am not sure what to do and am extremly worried of him. I love him to death!what is wrong with him?
Let your farrier look it him. He may have an abcess or a bruise, and your farrier will probably be able to tell you. If not, he may be having some inner hoof issues, possibly laminitis. Trust your farrier's instincts. If he doesn't know, call the vet and get it looked at. For an abcess, soak the foot in epsom salts twice a day and apply ichthammol to the entire sole/frog of the hoof. Also ichthammol on the outside coronet band. This will help draw the abcess toward the weakest area in the hoof so it can pop out. Be sure to keep it clean once it pops. You can use iodine to clean it and help it toughen back up. Good luck :) Not all abscesses cause lameness. We have had several instances where the farrier said he cut out an abscess and the horse was never lame at all! Also, the lameness may only show up on hard ground if it still pretty deep in the foot. When it gets closer to the sole, you will likely notice lameness even on softer ground. Your farrier can put the hoof testers on your horse to determine if he thinks it is an abscess.
I too would check for abcess first. Also when was the horse shod last? What you are describing also sound like the soreness from a shoeing which took off too much toe or even a quicking with the nail. The nail typically takes about two or three days to develop to its sorest after the horse is lightly quicked. At times the farrier does not even realize he did this since some horses will not flinch. Also a loose shoe will sometimes make the sole of the foot a little tender. Check the underside of the hoof as if you are checking for an abcess just like kicking bear suggested. If that turns up nothing then call the vet to have a flexion test done. A foot problem can typically be bound with the hoof pick but if it a joint problem the hoof pick will not affect that. Horsegurl just wanted to make sure (you probably already know this but some of the others here may not) that leaving a horse too long on cement will cause arthritis. I know several with premature arthritis from this including one 5 year old stud.
Cement can be painful for horses that have done something to their feet. Cement has no give to it, unlike grass, which will absorb impact. This is why they recommend you don't go any faster than a trot on cement. One of our horses sprained his ankle out in the paddock. We had to wrap it up and hose it down with cold water for 20 minutes every few hours. He was out for 6 weeks and was on stall rest. Try picking out that hoof. Does it hurt for him to pick it up? Is there a rock lodged between his shoe and his hoof? Is it sore when you touch it and he tries to pull it away? I would put some cold water on it, wrap it, and see if it starts to get better. If it doesn't improve in a few days, call your vet out. I'd love to help more, but I can't give a fair opinion on what is really wrong with your horse over the internet. edit: if there's no heat, I would call your vet out. He's the only one who can give you a fair and accurate diagnosis. In the meantime, I wouldn't ride him and I would still put some cold water on his leg and wrap it. Hope your horse gets better.
Discounting all other injuries, it sounds like he has an abcess. You need to let him rest - no riding - if that is the case - until the event is over. As far as determining an abcess, most people (farriers and vets) will use hoof testers to make their diagnosis. My opinion, it is useless and it really hurts your horse. If all else is ruled out and it is an abcess, your horse needs to be turned out and let him move around as he can normally. This really hurts. Watch your horse everyday. Usually within a few days, the abcess will pop out either at the coronary band or on the bottom of the foot. After it pops and begins to drain, you should soak the foot in warm water and epsom salts a couple of times per day for about 20 minutes. This will help draw out the infection and help it dry out and it will really feel good to your horse's foot. If it pops on the bottom, it is usually recommended that the abcess be packed and wrapped to keep it clean and the bandages changed at least twice daily. Again, you should not ride your horse until he gets over this. It is really painful. Usually, bute is recommended for a few days to help the horse cope. When the abcess pops out, this releases the pressure and he gets a lot of relief. If he were my horse, I would pull his shoes at least while he is healing. Abcesses can be produced by bruising or some kind of blow to the foot but you are at increased risk when you are consistently putting nail holes in the hoof wall every few weeks. The holes open the pathway for bacteria and other antigens to enter. It is just another reason why barefoot is better. So sorry your boy is hurting. Help him. good luck.
