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rookie
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Reged: 03/22/04
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Loc: Northern Minnesota
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Horse problem - I'm worried!!
07/29/05 05:37 PM
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I am wondering if this situation rings any alarms with any of you experienced horse people.
We have a three-year-old registered QH gelding. When we bought him (for very cheap), the breeder mentioned that he had a "turned hoof" on his left rear leg, but that it could be corrected. We weren't terribly worried, as we don't plan to show or compete with him - we're just pleasure riders. Our farrier also commented on it when he was last here. Here's what has be concerned: When he walks and the hoof comes off the ground, we can actually hear a "click" sound with each step. This can be heard from quite a distance! Does this tell you anything? Our other three horses came from the same breeder, all have the same stud, out of different mares. All of the other three are in good shape. Is this something for major concern? Should we consult a vet? We are getting ready to send him to the trainer, so I'm wondering about all of this.
Thank you so much!
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twstanley
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Re: Horse problem - I'm worried!!
[re: rookie]
08/01/05 10:43 AM
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You may just have to watch for signs of lameness as the horse starts getting exercised in training. You might call your vet and get his opinion on what you should do, but I think the main thing is just watch for soreness, etc.
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lmassom
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Re: Horse problem - I'm worried!!
[re: twstanley]
08/02/05 12:47 PM
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Is the "click" due to the hoof striking another hoof? If so, which one? From you description, I would bet that its striking the other hind foot as it swings by. A hoof that is "turned" out will usually cause the leg to swing inward on a stride. Corrective triming and/or shoeing may help depending on how serve it is. At 3, a QH bones are almost done growing and it would have been easier to correct when young. However, bones are con sistly "remodeling" so its probably not to late to improve it.
Larry
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mfaley
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Re: Horse problem - I'm worried!!
[re: lmassom]
08/02/05 02:56 PM
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Rookie,
Larry and Tim are right on track. For sure I would consult a good equine leg vet as not all equine vets are good leg vets. The good ones are not usually more money but they usually have a longer wait time to get in.
Check with local trainers to see who they recommend if you are not sure. Probably not the vet of the breeder you bought the horse from.
It depends on what the “click” sounds like. Have someone walk the horse in a straight line while you look at its feet. Do they hit each other in any way? If they do, which feet are hitting? Have them walk the horse on a soft surface such as sand and then something hard like concrete or asphalt. Is there any difference in the sound or the way the horse travels?
If he has shoes on and one is loose it may be that but it’s a different sound…..more metallic but I bet it’s not that.
As fairly cheap insurance, we always give the horses in our care a good joint compound. Two of our horses have imperfect feet so we are very careful with them and make sure that get a joint compound religiously. A horse with a known problem can benefit from something like this. The pain may not show up with a younger horse but later in life it can make a difference. We like Aniflex Complete.
Have your vet prescribe what the shoeing job should be. Better yet, if your vet is close you might ask if they recommend a good farrier.
Best of luck and keep us posted on what you find out. And if you have any pics of the 3 year old post ‘em.
Mark
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rookie
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Loc: Northern Minnesota
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Re: Horse problem - I'm worried!!
[re: mfaley]
08/04/05 10:01 PM
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Thanks so much for all of the input. We have started him on a good joint supplement. The click sound happens as soon as his "ankle" joint starts to bring the hoof forward. It is definitely not hitting anything else. He is unshod. We are talking to our farrier about corrective shoes, but think we'll have the trainer have a look at him first. I trust her implicitly, as she was wonderful with our other two horses. Thanks again for all the help - I'll inform when we find anything out.
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lmassom
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Re: Horse problem - I'm worried!!
[re: rookie]
08/06/05 11:38 AM
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IF the click isn't from hoofs striking but from a joint, I would find a good equine vet have him look at the horse and probably take x-rays.
You need this info to know if shoeing will help. Surgery may be called for.
Larry
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mfaley
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Re: Horse problem - I'm worried!!
[re: lmassom]
08/08/05 05:43 PM
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It sounds like you are taking really good care of your this horse. It's nice to see people care that much.
I agree with Larry's comments.
No offense to your farrier or trainer but joints that click on every step is not normal. Like most good equine people they probably know a lot about horses and can be a good resource for info but something like that in a young horse is not right. I would, however, ask them who they think the best equine leg vet is.
Keep us posted on what you find out.
Mark
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