HELP!!! PLEASE my HORSE has gone LAME!!!?

Question

So my 15 year old quarter horse draft gelding recently got his hooves trimmed. he grows kinda fast but it had been a while since he had been done. usually he is a little sore for a day and i wait and he is fine. but the farrier trimmed him a little to short and he has been sore for about a week now. his sole is almost touching the ground but he is not super sensitive at the bottom of his feet. he barely wants to walk around and he arches his back cause it hurts him. im gonna try and get a horse chiropractor out to see him and get him on some hoof growth supplements. but my mom thinks it may no only be his hooves and his legs or arthritis instead. PLEASE HELP ME!!! I LOVE HIM SOOOOOOO MUCH AND HATE TO SEE HIM IN PAIN! PLEASE AND THANKZ!!!

Answer 1

When a horse is lame dont ride him.Try soaking his leg in warm water and dont let him out but if you want to make sure it's not muddy.

Answer 2

First of all you need to determine if the pain is in the hoof or the leg joints. You can use a hoof tester to see if it's in the hoof. You can also try walking the horse over a timber or some other object at least a foot tall. If he lifts his legs over the obstacle when he walks over it the problem is probably in the hoof. If he drags his feet over it than the problem is higher up in the leg in a joint.

  Also check for heat in the hoof.

Answer 3

Get your farrier back out to take a look and see what's going on. Horses with sore feet do walk weird, I have seen one that walked so bad we thought she had broken her hip in the field - turned out she had an abscess in her hoof.

Keep him on soft footing (pasture or whatever - no gravel) until he has been seen by the farrier - he will tell you if you need to call the vet.

Answer 4

Step #1 is to talk to the farrier.  He needs to know if there is a problem.

Two things migth be happening here:  

- He might've cut away too much sole, leaving the horse very "ouchy".   Keep the horse on soft sand and put hoof boots on him if you take him out on gravel.   It should improve over the next week or two as the new sole starts to harden up.

- The aggressive trim might've caused an abscess in the foot.   This can cause a horse a LOT of pain.   Since you're new to this, I'd suggest you ask an experienced adult horse friend to help you check for abscesses & teach you how to soak the foot.

A chiropractor will not help if he's got pain in his hooves or lower legs.   Supplements will NOT help him today.  If they do anything, they help by creating stronger new growth.  It takes up to a year for a horse to grow a new hoof capsule.   Save your money and get a vet out to diagnose the problem.

If he doesn't get better, have the vet out promptly.   If your mom thinks it's arthritis, a vet needs to diagnose it for sure.   If this is lame QH having front foot pain, it might also be Navicular (pain at the navicular bone).   You really need a good vet to do a lameness workup.     Depending on what the vet finds, your horse could feel alot better with painkillers like bute, a new farrier, a temp set of shoes, and/or special shoes with pads.  

Good luck to you!  Hope you can help him soon!

Answer 5

Just keep rinsing his legs and feet in cold water.  When our mini went lame, we soaked her feet in warm water with dissolved epsom salts, that gave her some relief.  If there is swelling, give him half a tablet of Bute twice a day.  Walk him around some, or let him out on grass some.  Time is the best medicine for him.  Good luck!

Answer 6

take him to the vet and i am so  sorry about your horse that must be so hard for you

Answer 7

If your horse had pain after a trim, it is unlikely that his arthritis has anything to do with him being in pain if he has not had any type of recent injury.  If your horse is sore after every trim, YOU NEED A NEW FARRIER -FIRE THE ONE YOU HAVE AND NEVER LET HIM TOUCH YOUR HORSE AGAIN.  Everybody can make an occasional mistake but every trim  - NOT ACCEPTABLE.  Put your horse in a soft grassy area if possible and leave him alone.  Do not hand walk him, just allow him to move around on his own as he will until he heals.  Your horse's sole and frog should contact the ground with a proper trim.  Does the farrier hack away at his soles every time he trims him?  He shouldn't.  If it is his feet, a chiropractor can't help him until his feet are better.  Growth supplements will not help him either so don't waste your time and money.  Again, soreness after every trim is a RED FLAG.  Make your horse as comfortable as possible and don't let this happen to him again.  That is the most responsible and caring thing you can do for your horse.  You could call in the vet if needed because he sounds like he has been in pain for an extended period.  I would give him some bute to help him get through this but that is a medical decision you may or may not be comfortable making.  I'm sorry this happened to your horse.  Help him all you can and DON'T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN.   Good luck.

Answer 8

Buy strong Iodine and put it on the soles of his feet.... tuffens them a bit faster until they hoof grows out.  Don't use warm water, that only softens the hoof.