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Discussion on Uneven hoof wear...
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Member:
jivete
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 11, 2007 - 1:00 pm:
This is going to be a long post so bear with me...
I have a 5year old Spanish Norman that has never seemed quite right to me. Last year I had two vets out for lameness evaluation. The first thought it might be her stifle, the x-rays were clean. The second vet determined it was higher up and prescribed a series of chiropractic adjustments, which helped tremendously but she's still not completely right.
I cannot pick out a particular leg. When riding her trot is even, both left and right, small circles etc. She is less flexible tracking left. Her canter is where I really question her soundness. At times she feels disunited (and sometimes will canter this way but even united she feels funny). I can sometimes correct it with proper positioning of her shoulder. Sometimes I've hopped off and put her on the lunge line to see nothing. Lunging yesterday she would seem fine for a while and then, while cantering, would sometimes have this odd twist to her hips that would produce the uneven, disunited tempo at the canter, tracking both left and right, but mostly left.
The vet was out this morning for something else and I told him what I was thinking and he physically examined her, palpating various joints, etc. Nothing was out of the ordinary except (and here comes the hoof part)her front feet. This mare has always been barefoot and while she has good hoof quality, her front feet never seem to stay balanced, especially her front left. She'll be trimmed and balanced and within a week or so one foot is longer, the other is wearing unevenly, etc. I'm beginning to wonder if one leg is longer. The left front is especially bad. She breaks over her outside toe, usually leaving a "point" towards the inside at about 1 o'clock if the front center were 12.
One thing the vet recommended was shoeing her in the front and seeing if it didn't improve her way of going. While I am not opposed to shoes, I would prefer to keep this mare barefoot. I am planning on experimenting a little (ie. having farrier shoe her in the front) to see what happens but I was curious to see what the opinions were here.
It's very frustrating because her trot work is coming nicely, she leg yields well, she's a great trail horse. It's really just the canter that feels weird and her perpetually unbalanced. Part of me wants to think this is just a young, unbalanced horse that's weak, but something "feels" off even if there hasn't been any specific lameness detected.
By the way, this mare is blind in her left eye. Don't know if that makes any difference, but I thought I'd mention it. And this is a big mare. Not necessarily tall, but 1400lb and broad.
Thanks
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Member:
dres
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 11, 2007 - 1:51 pm:
just a question , does you horse paw the ground? This could account for uneven wear of the front hoofs..?
On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots.
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Member:
jivete
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 11, 2007 - 2:15 pm:
Not that I've noticed. She will paw if she's kept inside, but she's a pasture horse and I haven't seen her do it outside.
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 11, 2007 - 3:29 pm:
Another thing that will cause uneven wear is if the horse paces or if she always turns in one direction when at liberty. Where she's blind in one eye,could this be a possibility? The unevenness can eventually cause lameness if it's severe enough.
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Member:
erika
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 11, 2007 - 4:59 pm:
Are her legs straight and hooves point directly forward? Are her elbows the same distance from her sides? If it is a conformational issue, she may be sound but just move oddly--but of course it could manifest in unsoundness down the road if extra torque is present in a joint.
Maybe a picture would help some of the more educated on this site help you figure it out.
Also, I would suggest rereading Dr. O's article on locating the source of lameness. Perhaps there is something sore and it might help you find it?
IMHO, putting shoes on will not address the underlying issue, but simply cover-up the hoof wear that indicates the problem.
Hope you can figure it out. I am at a mysterious point with one of my horses that I can't figure out, also.
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Member:
twhgait
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 11, 2007 - 9:00 pm:
I wonder if she's unbalanced. One of my mares totally favors her right side - she's right handed! The muscle build-up on the right is significantly more then the left. We are working on lunging her more on the left to work that side and hope that she'll even out as she gets in shape. I have also silently wondered if she's lame somewhere on the left (or at some point in her life) and now favors the right side more.
Check your mare over...you really have to be looking for it to see it....stand at her front, move the mane out of the way if it hangs by her shoulders...compare both shoulders and start from there. That's where it's most noticiable on my mare. Just a thought!!
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 12, 2007 - 7:49 am:
Carla, considering the uncertainties in your post I recommend you have someone carefully videotape your riding (use a tripod, get the sun behind the camera, be sure all the rider and horse are in the frame, etc). As you ride be sure to yell out verbal comments of what you are feeling that the camera can pick up. That way you can review it at you leisure and even use slow motion to id exactly what is happening. From your description I would not be surprised to find the horse is cross cantering under saddle and if absolutely sound at the trot suspect training can correct it.
DrO
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Member:
jivete
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 12, 2007 - 9:41 am:
Thanks for all your responses. Her legs are not completely straight, although not horribly crooked either. I'll post some pictures when I dig up the camera. She does have a tendency to stand splayed out in the front, sometimes turning her elbows out. I've never seen a horse stand the way she does.
I considered the turning one direction as well. Of course, she would be turning into her blind side. It's odd with her because she picks up the left lead easier, but is less balanced that direction.
I plan on getting the video camera out soon as well. I rode last night and as long as I keep her well contained (keeping her from rushing, bulging, etc) she feels pretty good. I don't know if she's just getting so strung out her body falls apart or what. This certainly isn't the first young, green horse I've ridden, but this is the first one that has just an ambiguous weirdness about her. I don't have much experience with Andalusians though either. And certainly not half-blind, 1400lb ones.
I know my post is vague, but I needed to get some new opinions. I'm also not sure about the shoes. She may be a little bilaterally foot sore, but I'd rather not force her breakover somewhere it doesn't want to be if she's compensating. I'm still on the fence with that and will consult the farrier when he comes out Monday.
Thanks again. Oh and here's a basic side shot from 2006 when she was 4. She's a little different now. Looking at it, it looks like her rear hoof angles are too steep (LTLH in the back?). I'll have to check if that's the same now.
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Member:
mysi
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 12, 2007 - 3:51 pm:
Carla,
My horse has recently had a very simular issue. His hind feet both started wearing more on the outside. We injected his stifles, hocks, sacrum. He still felt what I called wobbly sometimes at the trot and what you call disunited at the canter but not unsound. I wasn't excited about hind shoes myself (and neither was my farrier - Moose is very very heavy to shod in the hind) but thought I'd try anything at that point. He was completely, 100% normal, balanced, strong, smooth, etc. IT WAS AMAZING!!! It's really worth a try. If it doesn't make a difference pull the shoes off and go back barefoot.
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