Mare with strange legs/hooves

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lil_miss_sunshine

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Hi Everyone,

My friend wanted me to put this on here as she has no computer. She recently brought a mare that hadn't been looked after that well, her feet were shocking, and since she has had her, the farrier has come out a few times to do her hooves. They still need a lot of work, but will hopefully get there in the end.

The mare has these funny bumps, above her hooves on her back feet. Does anyone know what they are? What may cause it? The farrier said she had never seen them before. I hope the photos arent to big

Thanks
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My first thoughts are possible ring bone, or, sometimes, when the hooves have too much heal then bones right above the hoof can sublux (the top bone kind of slides over the lower bone at an angle, in a way) which can cause this appearance. Perhaps a vet should look at this and decide if an xray is needed to determine the problem?

Is this mare in pain or lame?

Peggy
 
You may not be able to do much for her leg deformity......a vet needs to answer that. However, you can have a farrier begin taking off HEEL from her hooves. But he will need to do it gradually so not to cause too much stress on her all at once.
 
No the mare isnt in any pain, hoons around the paddock like a young one.
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Lumps are firm. I should have said above that the frogs in her back hooves are all they way to one side. There isnt alot of hoof in between her frog and the wall of her hoof.

The first trim Pearl had when she got to my friends the farrier took 3 inches off one side and didnt touch the other, she was walking on the side of her hooves. Shocking, I cant believe some people!!

The breeder told her in happened a couple of weeks after birth and has been like that ever since (shes four now), but who knows if she is telling the truth.

Thanks for all you help so far.
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Holy cow to the first picture

My first thought is a ringbone or side bone or something on that order

but gee whiz it's anyones guess without an x ray. Could just be a matter

of some huge abcessy thingy due to those feet. I vote for an x ray pretty quick.
 
Oh wow
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I would for sure have the vet involved and maybe a different farrier (? unsure ?). I wonder looking if there are contracted heels? I don't know, other than there seems to be a real problem.
 
Poor girl
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I'm with Peggy and think that the bumps have originated from lack of farrier care. This lack of farrier care has undoubtedly caused secondary problems in which I agree with Marty and xrays are in order.

Just by looking at her hooves, you can see the angles are a long way from where they should be. Just imagine by looking at her feet in the pics you posted where the angles should be and the bumps kind of go away. Your farrier really needs to start bringing the heels down to work towards a better angle.

Sounds like she is alot better than when you got her though - good for you!
 
I am going to go against the grain a little here... I vote to NOT change the angle of her hooves yet!

Please get a vet out with a farrier at the same time; have the vet do some x-rays and see what is going on. If there is calcification a change in angle might not do anything and might aggravate the situation. Or, if there is something else going on, it might be necessary.

You sure have a sad situation there... please seek professional help to ensure that you are going to be properly supporting her medically.

Thanks for the photos, never have seen that before!

Andrea
 
Get xrays before doing any more work with her feet. Otherwise you're totally guessing.
 
I agree, I wouldn't change anything without getting a vet involved. She appears to me to be clubfooted, and whether that can be altered at this stage is something you won't know without the benefit of xrays. We looked at a very nice riding horse years ago who was clubfooted - one hoof only - and very sound until a farrier decided to "fix" it.....

Jan
 
That is just totally shocking. I can only imagine what her feet looked like before any farrier work.

I think we see such as this all too often from lack of proper hoof trimming. What may have been born perfectly normal is now deformed. Sad.
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I would agree with wanting some radiographs before doing anything more drastic with her trimming.

Charlotte
 
You NEED x-rays. I bet if you trimmed heel, the heel won't touch the ground. The horse also has hardly any noticable pastern. It may be calcification or it could be the deep flexor, but you won't know without x-rays.
 
Xrays !

I've seen front feet like that before. Just extreme club feet. You can usually correct some, but not fix.

Be careful with drastic changes. Small changes more frequently.

The hind foot looks like a subluxsation (sp) of the pastern or a growth plate deformity.

This did not happen from lack of trimming or improper trimming IMO. Proper trimming earlier might have helped keep it from getting that bad. Please let us know what the xrays show.

One of my favorite trimming rules - "Land flat, fly true" You want the entire hoof to hit the ground at the same time or the heels first by just a little.

You NEED x-rays. I bet if you trimmed heel, the heel won't touch the ground. The horse also has hardly any noticable pastern. It may be calcification or it could be the deep flexor, but you won't know without x-rays.

Absolutely. Too much too quick and you get into tendon/muscle issues which are worse than what you have now. I've seen them go the opposite direction and have contracted flexors. A lot harder to deal with.
 

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