There are a lot of reasons why a horse may be lame. Soft tissue injuries, joint inflammation and bruises of all types, can all make a horse lame. These are often obvious, and present with not just lameness but heat you can feel and swelling that is obvious. What isn’t quite as obvious is hoof problems that cause lameness. Hoof pain can look like other problems, like back or body pain or even balkiness when ridden.
It often requires a veterinarian and or farrier to diagnose a hoof ailment. Sometimes hoof pain is quite sudden. But it can build slowly as well.
Some obvious signs of hoof pain is the horse will either stand with its feet well underneath it, or it will ‘point’.
When a horse points it stands with one or both feet pointed out in front of it, with the weight on the heels. And, it may even prop a foot up on something like a root, rock or even low fence rail. The horse may constantly shift its weight off one foot or another. The horse may hold its neck stiffly and tip its head up and out, either overly high or low. The horse may travel with a choppy or stiff gate. And most telling is the horse’s preference for travelling on soft footing. A horse may appear sound on loose soil, but be stiff and stilted when asked to walk on a hard surface like gravel or pavement.
There are many different ailments that cause foot soreness.
Navicular Disease
Navicular disease is a breakdown of the navicular bone inside the hoof. This can lead to painful lameness. While the pain can be managed, there is no treatment to cure navicular disease. Corrective trimming and shoeing can be helpful, and performance horses may need lighter work.
Side or Ring Bones
Side bones are caused by concussion over a long term. The cartilage hardens and provides less cushioning to the hoof. Ring bone is an arthritic condition of the coffin or pastern joint, and is usually caused by injury. Both can cause lameness.
Damaged Hoof Structure
Hooves that are improperly trimmed, soles that are carved to thin, frogs carved too aggressively and other trimming ‘accidents’ or ineptness can cause a horse to become lame. Often, the only treatment is giving the hoof time to grow, although some topical preparations may help numb the pain.
Sole Bruising and Punctures
Stepping on a rock or other hard object can cause a bruise in your horse’s foot just as it can in yours. Time heals bruises, but anti-inflammatories and cold hosing can help control pain. Foreign objects can penetrate the sole, and cause painful infection.
Thin Soles
Some horses just have thin soles.They are ouchy on hard ground and mince over stones and other rough footing. If you own a Thoroughbred or TB cross, you may be familiar with this, although horses of other breeds may suffer from this too. These horses may benefit from shoeing or hoof boots. Trimming needs to be modest, as taking out too much sole will make them sensitive.
Abscesses
Abscesses may not cause any apparent pain, or they can make your horse dead lame. They may point like a navicular horse or be sensitive like a horse with bruised or thin soles. Poulticing or cold hosing may help. But usually, it takes time for an abscess to work its way through the foot.
Laminitis and Founder
Laminitis is the inflammation of the bonds between the hoof wall and inner lining called the laminae. Laminitis can lead to founder. The inflammation can lead to a rotation of the pedal bone, and when it rotates or sinks, that is then called founder.
Thrush and White Line Disease
Advanced thrush and white line disease can make a horse very lame. This is why it’s important to check your horse’s hooves frequently and have a farrier trim them and check for problems. Infections in the hoof wall can be very painful. And they can take a long time and costly treatment to clear up.
There are a lot of reasons why a horse may be lame. Soft tissue injuries, joint inflammation and bruises of all types, can all make a horse lame. These are often obvious, and present with not just lameness but heat you can feel an ...
31st Dec 2022 |
Equine Disease and Prevention |
Winniefield Park
There is no doubt about it. Foal’s hooves look really weird right after they are born. That strange look doesn’t last long, however. Learn about eponychium, also known as golden slippers or fairy fingers and why they are so crucia ...
17th Feb 2023 |
Equine Disease and Prevention |
Winniefield Park
We’ve all heard of horseshoes, and even horse boots. But horse slippers? Learn about horse slippers and other survival strategies, both physical and behavioral, Mother Nature provided to not just horses, but many animals to ensure ...
26th Apr 2023 |
Equine Disease and Prevention |
Winniefield Park
It’s funny when non-horse people are astounded to learn a horse’s hoof is not a solid thing at the end of its leg. That hard hoof encapsulates a lot of tissue including bone, tendons and other structures. But what happens when the ...
3P *JimJam* has ousted comeback star 3Pa *Avast, Ye Myth who slipped to an altogether respectable 14th place after capturing the top spot twice. JimJam is a Standardbred stallion out of the PythonPonyPalaces STANDBR stables. At th ...
26th May 2023 |
Equine Disease and Prevention |
Winniefield Park
Despite training, and practice things can still go awry when it involves horses. The coronation of King Charles was sure to be a family drama, but the horses joined in as well. Several horses participating in the parade appeared o ...
23rd May 2023 |
Equine Disease and Prevention |
Winniefield Park
Teaching a horse self-carriage is challenging, especially if you have bad riding habits. Here are some thoughts on riding position, your horse’s suppleness and an interpretation of dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin’s theory of ‘sh ...
21st May 2023 |
Equine Disease and Prevention |
Winniefield Park
Can we have an award for Best Comeback? At the age of 20, the Standardbred stallion 3Pa *Avast, Ye Myth again captured the #1 ranking. Out of the PythonPonyPalaces, Avast, Ye Myth first earned the #1 spot at age 13 after jumping t ...
18th May 2023 |
Equine Disease and Prevention |
Winniefield Park
DeCapo, ridden by Laura Collett are hopefuls at the legendary Badminton horse trials after her successful ride at Barefoot Retreats Burnham Market International. Watch British rider Collett and Decapo as they navigate the tough cr ...
16th May 2023 |
Equine Disease and Prevention |
Winniefield Park
The coronation shared the date with royalty of another type in the annual Run for the Roses. The Kentucky Derby is always held on the first Sunday in May and like the celebration across the pond is part of a centuries-old traditio ...
14th May 2023 |
Equine Disease and Prevention |
Winniefield Park
Horses can’t twirl around on the uneven bars or do back flips on the balance beam, but they can certainly benefit from gymnastics. This video explains what gymnastics and gridwork are for jumpers are, and why these exercises are s ...
By 
