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Discussion on Collapsing While Picking Feet
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Member:
Emeli
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Posted on Friday, Oct 10, 2003 - 10:24 pm:
Hello,
I have a 17 year old horse who recently has developed a bizarre habit of almost collapsing whenever we try to pick his feet. When his foot is lifted up (any...we've tried all four) he either tilts backward as if he is going to sit down or sideways as if he is going to roll on to his side. It is quite scary. Other than that he is normal aside from heaves being controlled by minute amounts of prednesolone in his grain. Could that be the problem? He occasionally has stiff knees as well. I read the section on founder and the sections on arthritis but found nothing on collapsing while picking feet.
Where do I go from here?
Emeli
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Saturday, Oct 11, 2003 - 3:47 am:
Hello Emeli,
This could either be a medical or training problem and it is hard to judge from your post. I don't think the pred is likely to be the problem. However if the knees are painful the horse may be resisting putting the increased weight on them that comes from lifting any foot. The knees may be directly painful during flexion.
I would say the first step is getting someone to look at the horse while the feet are being lifted to judge if this is:- muscular weakness
- incoordination
- unwillingness to have the feet picked up
If it is the third they need to assess if the reason is due to a painful conditon of the leg.
Each will look slightly different but it is possible to confuse them. You might want to review the article on EPSM for a description of a problem that sometimes manifests as difficulty picking up the feet, but that would rarely be the only sign. Once the cause is identified specific treamtnets can be attempted. If pain is the problem pretreating with bute prior to trimming might help. If it is a training issue a simple correction with a crop as the horse attempts to avoid having the feet picked up may be all that is needed.
DrO
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Member:
Westks
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Posted on Saturday, Oct 11, 2003 - 10:28 am:
In my opinion if he is doing it on all four feet I would think it was a back problem. A horse of this age is reacting to discomfort. If just certain feet then the supporting legs. feet, while foot is up would be where I would look first.
I bought a yearling filly that did this and then found out they trimmed her first time by hog tying her!
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Member:
Whs1
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Posted on Thursday, Oct 16, 2003 - 9:01 pm:
I had a mare that would look like she was asleep and almost fall over when ever her feet were picked up. i thought that there was something wrong and had her checked. we finally figured out she was letting us hold her up and we worked on her, giving her rope a wake up jerk or her a stern talk when she would start to go to sleep and she learned not to do it any more.
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Member:
Kckohles
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 22, 2003 - 2:48 am:
I have seen this with horses that are saddled, a cowboy friend said that it has been a common way to lay horses down.
I also just had a 4 year old Arab in training that did this and after an examination by the vet, the possible diagnosis was either wobbles or EPM. This horse had been in a wreck at the track and we thought possibly resulting in wobbles. Maybe your horse hurt his neck?
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 22, 2003 - 6:16 am:
Hello Kim,
I am assuming to make this diagnosis your horse also had a remarkable incoordination in his gait? Wobbles or EPM would not present this way as the main presenting sign.
DrO
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Member:
Kckohles
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 22, 2003 - 12:41 pm:
Dr O,
Yes, this was just one of many things, it was the first thing that really jumped out at me. I have seen a colt lay down while being started, when the person was trying to lead it by the foot. So when this Arab started to fall, it didn't surprise me too much, because he could pick his feet up better when he wasn't saddled. And I say better because he would get his feet set up in a very funny way to balance. There were other signs when I started to look and all of them put together and then the vet came and we did little coordination tests. Like walking with his head held up, his gait got pretty funky, crossing his feet over, that sort of stuff. There was no definite diagnosis because the owners didn't have the money.
The falling down caused me to look more closely at other things. If there were no other signs of a lack of coordination, I would have just said the falling down was from being saddled while picking he feet up. Which now that I have asked around is not that uncommon.
KIM
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Member:
Kthorse
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 22, 2003 - 1:20 pm:
Hi,
My horse goes to lay down if I just saddle him and go to clean his feet. I Have to clean his feet first. Its weird.
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Member:
Ccpm
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Posted on Friday, Aug 13, 2004 - 12:24 pm:
Funny, but I just recently had an experience like this with a 23 year old mare who has been put in my care by an elderly woman who loves her dearly, but . . . well, let's just say the woman asked "what's that?" when I inquired as to when the mare's teeth were last floated  The mare is stiff, no doubt - creaks when she moves, but does trot off surprisingly sound-looking in the pasture. But when I attempted to pick up a front foot, she immediately began to wobble and would have fallen if I had pressed the issue. The mare also leans against trees or the side of the barn when sleeping - I have never seen her sleeping laying down - nor have I ever seen her roll. But I was told that the last time someone attempted to ride her - several years ago - she did lay down the minute they mounted. I feel so badly for the horse, but the problem will remain a mystery as the woman is convinced that all this is caused by the mare "having a mind of her own" and won't even let me try putting the mare on glucosamine. My guess tho, is that in addition to whatever else might be going on, this mare has a very sore back. Poor old lady (mare, not owner)
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