My horses pastern... Help!?

Question

Alright, so my 4 yr old Warmblood, 16.3hh, is having problems with her hind leg. She is getting x-rayed on the 17th. Supposedly, its from growing to fast. However, I am a little worried now. Today I checked out her hind legs, where she's sensitive to the touch now and will threaten to kick, and on her pastern's she has growths. Yes, horses have chestnuts and small similar things on their hocks, but my horse happens to have one that is growing, alot. It may be nothing, but Im wondering if it has to do with her current lameness. If it is, it may be from over growth. But, now, Im extremely nervous seeing as high ringbone can promote a growth. (?) From today.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff20/miss-aurora/CIMG0035.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff20/miss-aurora/CIMG0035.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff20/miss-aurora/CIMG0036.jpg

Heres the best photo I could get. Its growing in 3 seperate little things. It may be just weird, like some chestnuts, but I have no idea.

Answer 1

Just asking..has she injured that area at all?  And could it be scar tissue?  I know it's where the ergot usually is, but I've got one that has 'scar' tissue in that area from an old injury.  It 'grows' in a way.  It always has extra chalky like lumps that I pick off.  They always come back.

Although...mine aren't sensitive at all to touch.  Only if one of the 'chunks' is attached really well when I pick it off.

It may just be her ergots.  She should have them on all 4 fetlocks.  But I've never seen them grow in pieces.  Interesting...

**EDIT...I have seen some horses with abnormally long ones.  Almost looked like a little goat horn growing and about 3 inches long.  No joking...

I've seen them bleed [next to the skin] when people try to pick them off without soaking them or putting something on them to make them soft.  I've seen it hurt horses too...I guess from the pull of peeling them when they are not soft.

Some farriers will cut them off for you if needed...for people with really long and fast growing ones.  If yours grow fast, have someone show you how to cut them off yourself...it's not hard to do.  Or just soften them and pick off the excess.

Hey...let us know what the vet says.  I've never heard of ergots in pieces...wondering if that is what it is...

Answer 2

ewww and what's an ergot?

i know i'm not much help but don't thumb me down as i feel for your current predicament and hope she gets well soon.

just wanted to know what an ergot was

Answer 3

I appears to be just scar tissue.

My horse gets places like that on his front pasterns because he overeaches.

I do not think it has anything to do with his overgrowth.  

However, it could also be a fungal problem called scratches, also known as mud fever. Scrathes can come from wet weather, moist conditions, unsanitary stalls or pastures.  Scratches looks just like the horse's heels are cracking.  If you do not think it is scar tissue, it's probably scratches.

To treat scratches you wet the affected areas with water, and scrub with betadine.  You then rinse thoroughly.  Treating it once or twice a day should clear it up some, if not completely!

[Also, I do not think that it is ergots.  Ergots are just a slight bump that appears above the proximal sesamoid bone in the fetlock.  Ergots usually don't go down that far with a fungal problem being to blame.]

Answer 4

the only other suggestion I have besides BB abd zig is if you have clippers try to get that area clipped up and all that icky long hair away from it, it looks juicy and tender. Clean up as well as possible maybe use some nolvasan cleaner and scrub. Once clean then have the vet out to have their opinion. Use paper towel to blot dry.

Answer 5

Strange... I have seen a few horses with abnormally long ergot's, especially if they aren't picked off often. What's got my mind buggin' is that she's tender.

I suppose your vet can help determine what it is when you get the X-rays done...

Sorry, seems I wasn't much help.

Redial-- An ergot is a little protrusion on the fetlock similar to a chestnut. Some horses barely have them, some horse's grow rapidly and have larger ones, but every horse has one.

Next time you see your horse go down to the fetlock and feel under the feathers... You should feel a little crusty growth.. You may not though, as some are very small. My horse Ziggy barely has one at all... But if I feel around for it, it's there.

Answer 6

Long and fast growing ergots aren't so unusual  - I have to get the farrier to do one of mine because they grow like spurs and he smashes them off on steps and stuff if we don't keep after them and then they bleed like crazy. I've never seen them growing like that but I have seen horses who's chestnuts grow in that way so I imagine it is possible.

I'd ask the farrier and vet to have a look when they next see her ( don't call them in specially).

Answer 7

Yes there is excess scar tissue here.

See what your vet suggests.

Bioderm could work.

Emu oil may also work.

An old remedy would be to sprinkle salt on the area, it will open it up slightly and promote good hair growth.

I'd definitely check with the vet, if he can't make it till the 17, just email him these photos to have a look, or take them to him.

Good luck, and yes this may be causing lameness.