Lameness in my mare

[SammyL]

I have a 14 year old mare that suddenly came up lame on her right front hoof about two weeks ago.

She just limps, it is worse the harder the ground gets, but there is no heat, swelling or tenderness anywhere in the hoof, leg or body that I can feel.

A friend of my mine thought abscess, so I soaked her hoof in Epsom salts and warm water for a week. No change, still limps. I made a padded booty type thing, hoping that might cushion, and again no change.

She has no temp, she eats, drinks, poops, urinates, all normal horse things. She still nickers when she sees me.

She has had episodes of founder in the past, but that was numerous years ago (when she was with her previous owner), and has not had a single problem with laminitis in the four years I have owned her. I really don't think it has to do with founder in any way though... the symptoms just don't match the classic founder.

I know she is in pain somewhere, because she is slightly withdrawn and of course the obvious limp. Everything else is fine and not knowing the problem is driving me nuts!

Anyone have any experiences or suggestions to offer? Thanks so much.

 

[Make A Wish Miniatures]

Could she have pulled something in her shoulder?

 

[SammyL]

I was thinking along the same lines, but when I manipulated her shoulder she acted like she was in no pain at all. I am just plain old confused. Because if she had pulled something, wouldn't I get some sort of reaction when I manipulated the area?

 

[Minimor]

Without seeing the horse it is pretty much impossible for anyone to give any real help, because of course we can all suggest anything, and it could be anything.

A friend asked me the same sort of question the other day about one of her horses. She knew what she thought the problem was, but I wasn't so sure. I asked her a bunch of questions, and then she sent photos and a brief video & from there I was able to tell her that the problem was in the hoof, not the shoulder as she believed. She had the vet out & the vet confirmed my diagnosis.

How does she stand--does she stand with weight square on that foot, or does she lift the heel? Put the foot out in front of her? Put it out to the side a little bit?

What does her hoof look like--it it normal, or does it have some seedy toe from her past issues with laminitis? When was she last trimmed?

 

[SammyL]

Lifts the toe and rests on her heel just a little bit. It is a very faint change in her posture.

Hoof looks completely normal, sole and wall, everything. She was last trimmed at the beginning of Sept.

I will see if I can somehow get a video of her and upload it.

Any ideas can help, at least gives me something to think about!

 

[targetsmom]

I had this happen to a big horse a few years ago and after 2 vets and 2 farriers looked at him and thought "abscess" it turned out to be Lyme Disease. I think you are in an area where this is fairly prevalent???? Lyme symptoms can present in a host of different ways, but this is one.

 

[bevann]

I had a similar case many years ago.Several weeks of soaking foot-nothing.New farrier came to my house looking for work.He looked at her foot, said it was a corn in the sole of her hoof.cut it out and she rasn out of the barn.I didn't even know horses could get corns.Whatever it was-he removed it and she was better.Just a thought

 

[Westsnest]

Have you tried hoof-testers? Farriers and Vets use them to pinpoint pain in the hoof- be it in the sole, frog, or wherever. If your horse is this sore and it is indeed in the hoof, it seems to me the testers could really help you. If you have a good farrier, I personally would call him/her before the vet. My husband is a farrier and there are many times he can find an abscess when the vet cannot. Just by experience, though. Good luck...

 

[Mareish Mom]

Echo the "get the farrier out" suggestion. Hoof testers may pinpoint the problem. A good farrier should be able to tell if it's an abscess or laminitis. An abscess can take much longer than a week to "break through" so just 'cause you soaked it for a week doesn't mean it's not an abscess.