Hello Dr. Tom,
I have a 16 year old TB mare that I purchased about 5 years
ago from an auction. She was shod in the summers. We acquired
her as a pleasure and trail horse, with no problems. Just over a year ago we
switched her to the barefoot trim applied by a Strasser trained hoofcare
professional and were pleased with the results. Her hooves appear very healthy,
angles seem correct and the mare stopped stumbling, something she did
frequently with shoes. However, this past winter she has developed a chronic
lameness in her left fore. X-rays didn't show any damage to her bones, but she
does not respond to bute at all, there is no heat, and the hoof looks perfectly
healthy. The soreness gets worse with exercise so she is currently off all
work, and is turned out except when she comes in to eat. Could walking once to
twice a week on a gravel road cause significant soft-tissue damage? She has
been off for 4 months now, much longer than I would have thought for bruising.
I am concerned about pedal osteitis, although nothing was confirmed with the
x-rays. Any idea what could be causing this lameness? Thank you for any
insight you might have.
Hi there,
I think you're right. The mare shouldn't be off for this long for some
bruising, or an abcess. I would be curious to know if she is any better when
using well-fitted hoof boots, with and without pad inserts. This is a good way
to help delineate between pain and dysfunction in the hooves versus somewhere
else in the leg. Pedal osteitis is certainly a possibility, and depending on
which radiograph angles were taken, it may or may not show up.
Dr. Tom T.
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