Northernlights equestrian/Veterinary page, conditions of the foot

These pages are not for self diagnosis of the horses problems, but just for more understanding of the subject, a vet must always be consulted first. Although the Northernlights team have made every effort to make sure these pages are correct we take no responsibility for actions taken on them.

The vast majority of lamness in horses and ponies result from infections of the foot. in addition there are various conditions that are the result of trauma or physical damage to the soles of the foot, bruising to the soleor bulbs of the heels caused by treading on a sharp object or when the horse is traveling at speed he canoverreach that is when the hind foot knocks into the fore foot or leg taking a slice off the heels or cuttingintothe leg , also a bruise at the angle of the hoof at the heel by the bars known as a corn this is a reddish brown mark when first done changing toa darkish blue/black, the blacksmith or vet will cut this back for you,badly fitting shoes or shoes that are left on too long rub on the angle of the heel. Fast work on hard ground by a horse with upright pasterns will have a concussive effect that may cause corns or may, if done frequentlyenough, damage the navicular or pedal bone. Where the trauma is sufficiently servere, caused by a sharp stone or nail penetrating the sole infection usually results, there is a short period of acute lameness after which the horse rapidly improves, however after 4 or 5 days the lameness can return and becomes increasingly severe when the lameness is that severe it is possible that there is pus in the foot or the horse may have fractured a bone.

It is valuable to stand back and look at the horse from a distance, as much can be learned from the way he stands, whether he sits back on his hind legs with fore legs pushed forward as in laminitis whether he shifts his weight from one leg to another or whether he points a foreleg, at the same time conformation may give some clues, poor hock conformation predisposes to strains on the hind joint upright pasterns can increase concussion through the joints, long sloping pasterns increase the strain on the soft ligaments. the next stage is to watch the horse moving first at walk then at trot to identify which is the lame leg, this is not always easy particularly when the lameness involves more than one leg or arises from a back injury, by turning a circle in each direction the lameness may be exaggerated or decreased depending on whether the lame leg is in the inside or outside of the circle. next examine each leg closely first visually then by manipulation to see if there`s a difference in thickness or any obvious bumps. Next look at the feet where one foot is large and the other smaller the problem is nearly always in the smaller foot this is because the there has been less weight on the smaller foot by the heel the frog does not then come into contact with the ground so the pressure is not applied to the underlying digital cushion therefore the heels are not fully expanded.

The fact that a horse is lame does not necessarily mean that the horse is unsuitable for some type of light work. Lameness implies pain or mechanical dysfunction. The level of pain which any horse can tolerate is extremely variable. Many horses are able to work satisfactory dispite low grade lameness,especially hind limb lameness. This not only depends on the temperament of the horse but on its occupation. Lameness, however subtle, is not acceptable in the dressage horse, A jumping horse may be able to cope at low heights but with slight lameness but if a jumping horse starts to stop or push off unevenly with the hind legs as he takes off these are indications that the performance is compromised by the lameness and this is unacceptable. Treatment is usually aimed at restoring the horse to full athletic soundness, as any lameness is is unsatisfactory unless he/she can be used for breeding, often box rest or a period at grass can work wonders, generally the earlier the lameness is discovered and treatment started the better. All low grade lameness must be diagnosed and discussed with a vet before engaging the horse in any type of work.

Thrush is a very smelly condition of the frog brought about by standing in dirty wet bedding or muddy wet fields a black discharge comes from the frog, cleaning the foot on a daily basis applying anti bacteria powder or Stockholm tar together with clean bedding results in a good recover

Sand cracks or grass cracks are cracks in the hoof wall, which start at the bottom of the hoof and extend up the hoof if the crack reaches to the coronet it can cause serious problems, lack of proper trimming of the feet can cause this problem, bacteria and dirt can enter these cracks and lameness will follow, clips can be put in by your blacksmith to help bring the edges together it is then filled with epoxy glue and left to grow out a procedure that could take 12mnths.

Laminitis, The authors view point.

When I worked with horses more years ago than I care to remember horses were worked 4/5hrs a day or exercised (if in hunt or racing stables) for 2/3hrs day yes they were fed a lot of short feed but boy they sure worked for it, we fed 4/5 small meals a day+hay last check was 10pm we started work at 6.30 fed and quartered the horse this was a 7 day week as well, so laminitis in horses was not as common as it is to day because the feed/exercise ratio was more balanced So traditionally laminitis was a condition of the fat pony with large crest grazing on very good grass in spring or autumn, but ideas are changing, as more concentrate food is fed to horses and ponies and less exercise given making the pony (horse ) much more susceptible laminitis. Infection resulting in failing to lose the afterbirth after foaling or intestinal infections can also cause laminitis, cushings disease also makes the animal more prone to recurrent laminitis. Fatty liver is also a cause as the liver is important in detoxifying the blood. The changes to the foot start within hours of the on set of laminitis so fast treatment is vital, remove the pony from the paddock but do not starve as this will release fat into the liver and could cause liver failure. Get pain relief, there is severe pain as the blood gets congested in the hooves a bit like a whitlow on your finger, If the pony can be put on soft bedding this will help. Prevention of rotation of the pedal bone is essential and the blacksmith will trim the hooves making sure the toe does not become long, shoeing with a heart bar shoe is sometimes beneficial the diet will have to be looked at with care as the horse or pony will be prone to laminitis for the rest of his life, there are special feeds and supplements that all help the laminitic

Navicular Disease

Navicular disease is a progressive lameness usually in both forelimbs the disease stems from damage to the blood supply to the navicular bone this is a blockage in the blood vessels an alternative blood supply is often established but not at the same rate as the degeneration occurs. The condition usually occurs just as the work load is increased to maximum. where the toes have been allowed to become long and the heels low and weak the blood flow is slowed. Correct shoeing with width over the heels to allow expansion, medication to improve the blood supply can be helpful.

Windgalls

Windgalls are soft swellings at the back of the fetlock joint that do not cause lameness they are swellings of the sheath around the tendon and are evident in hard worked horses they disappear when worked and reappear when at rest.