Hoof And Sole Equine Podiatry Student

18/11/2022

Sometimes, what owners worry about when it comes to their horses' feet and what farriers worry about when it comes to the horses' feet are not the same.
I will sometimes receive texts from a concerned owner with a picture of a small chip at the end of a cycle, but another cycle they will somehow neglect to tell me that their horse was footsore over stones recently when it hadn't been before..

Some of the most common "owner concerns" I see online or in person are:

✴️Wall chipping: although chipping isn't ideal, usually it won't cause much issue for stronger walls. Often this tells me that the horse either needs a shorter trim cycle, or a change to their hoof balance.

✴️Frog shedding: In wet seasons, sometimes I see an entire frog come off in one piece. Often owners worry this means something is wrong with the frog - don't worry, this is often completely normal!

✴️"A weird growth on the top of the hoof" (aka periople): I can't tell you how many times someone has asked me what the "stuff" is underneath the hairline. Think of the periople like your nail cuticle - it protects new growth as it comes in. Sometimes, especially in dry seasons, it can grow a bit farther down the wall than we are used to. Sometimes when the weather changes between wet and dry, we can see some weird periople changes, or even "flaps." It is usually completely fine!

✴️Waterlogged heel bulbs: Heel bulbs that seem to suddenly become white are often soggy heel bulbs that have had contact with a boot of some sort. Let them dry out a bit and they will be okay!

✴️Thinking a horse "just doesn't look due": Usually when an owner thinks a horse hasn't grown, really it just means they haven't chipped.. which is a good thing! We don't want them to chip or look grossly overgrown when it's time for a trim. Our goal is to keep them in balance, not chase after distortion. Sure - there ARE cases where a horse doesn't grow much foot, but 9 times out of 10 the hoof actually IS due for a balance adjustment.

These situations usually aren't a cause for concern for me. Of course, it depends on the horse and the circumstances, but overall these "issues" are simply cosmetic or a misunderstanding of how the hoof grows and naturally adjusts through seasons.

So what DO I worry about?

🚩Hoof sensitivity or changes in comfort: I don't want to see any of my client horses sore over ANY terrain - especially if it is a sudden change! This is a big red flag to me that the diet, trim, or metabolic management might need adjustment. I never want my horse owners to just accept hoof sensitivity as "normal."

🚩Abscesses: Abscesses are often a huge symptom of something unhealthy going on. A strong foot shouldn't get stone bruises or abscessing - see my last point. If the horse is throwing abscesses, especially if it seems to happen a few times a year, I want to know if the diet needs adjustment or if the vet should step in for some metabolic testing.

🚩Chronic event lines: the wall of the hoof should be smooth overall. Diet changes, fevers/illness, metabolic issues, etc can cause something called an "event line" to show up on the wall as it grows out. This can reveal to us a period of inflammation, although by the time we see it it's often in the past. When I see a series of event lines showing up on the wall, I know something is continually affecting the health of the foot. With that, I worry about something more sinister down the line, such as the risk of laminitis or founder, if the source of the event lines isn't found. Don't ignore them!

🚩Sudden changes in sole appearance, white line health, etc: If the horse's sole is typically concave and suddenly seems to flatten out "out of nowhere," or if we suddenly can see a stretched white line or fit a hoof pick between the wall and the sole, I know something is going on. OR, if a flat foot suddenly has a "sucked up" in a drastic ridge of concavity, I assume the soles have revealed that they are extremely thin. These all warrant further investigation.

Educating ourselves on what might be a red flag and what might not be can help catch early warning signs before a real issue starts.

10/10/2022

02/10/2022

13/09/2022

A really interesting case.

12/07/2022

𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐥 ☀️ 😎

With temperatures reaching over 30oc over the next few days its important we keep our horses cool 🧊

🐎 Exercising your horse should be done during cooler times, early morning or late evening

💦 Hosing with cold water will reduce body temperature. This can be done with continuous running water or buckets of water leave for 30 seconds and then sweat scrape off

🪣 Offer clean fresh drinking water at frequent intervals

🍎 In addition to fresh water and to help encourage your horse to drink more, try adding a small amount of molasses or apple juice. Or, even adding a small scoop of sugar beet!

🧂 Electrolyte supplements or salt licks can be used to supplement the diet, helping restore electrolyte balance after sweating

😎 Make use of natural areas of shade, including hedges and trees, during rest periods. Or stabling if possible

🥵🔥𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲🔥🥵

Weakness

Increased temperature (normal temperature should be 37.5-38.5°C)

High respiratory and heart rate (normal respiration rate should be 12-16 breaths per minute/normal heart rate should be 30-45 beats per minute)

Lethargy

Dry mucous membranes in the mouth, this could be a sign of dehydration. They should be a pink salmon colour and have a slimy feel to them

If you have any concerns please call for advice

22/06/2022

Sand Impaction and Enteropathy
Brian S. Burks DVM
Diplomate, ABVP
Board-Certified Equine Specialist

Sand is a common cause of colon impaction in the horse, especially in areas with loose, sandy soil or where horses are kept in sandy paddocks and fed on the ground. Following ingestion, ingested sand becomes sediment by gravitational forces. Eventually this causes irritation to the colonic mucosa and impaction when there is enough sand or fine grit/dirt built up within the lumen. Some horses may develop pica, or curious foals may ingest large amounts intentionally.

The sediment accumulates in the ventral colon, but coarse sand may accumulate in the dorsal or transverse colon. The sand may dry out, becoming a concrete-like consistency. The sand may impact or cause a displacement or torsion. The distention by gas and sand causes abdominal pain, or colic. Chronic irritation of the colonic mucosa may reduce the absorptive capacity of the mucosa and lead to diarrhea.

Clinical signs are like many other causes of colic. Initially the signs may be mild and intermittent, with diarrhea or soft f***s. The horse may exhibit signs of ill-thrift, being underweight with a good appetite. As clinical signs progress with more sand accumulation, the horse may become anorexic, lethargic, dehydrated, and have abdominal distention from gas and sand. When the ventral abdomen is auscultated, there are often sandy sounds, as if hearing waves on a beach. It also sounds like sand in a partially filled sac, which is being rotated slowly. Sometimes, with massive sand accumulation, sand may be palpated per re**um. A simple test for sand, if not felt directly in removed f***s, is to put several f***l balls into a re**al sleeve or bucket with some water and watch for sediment.

The adult equine abdomen is difficult to examine radiographically, but sometimes enough ventral abdomen can be imaged to show a radiodense accumulation of sand. Ultrasound may also be used in some cases.

Treatment of sand colic may include:
Intravenous fluids for dehydration
Oral fluid and electrolytes
Analgesic medication
Psyllium husk given by nasogastric tube

In my opinion, oil is ineffective and can be harmful. I learned this first-hand in the 1980s from an excellent veterinarian. If you mix sand and mineral oil in a jar, they quickly separate from each other; however, if you mix sand and psyllium, they form together, pulling the sand out. Clinically, this also appears to be true. Mineral oil causes granulomatous inflammation to denuded mucosa, worsening already irritated intestinal lining. If surgery was to be needed, and an enterotomy performed to empty the colon of sand, mineral oil would escape into the abdomen with devastating consequences (granulomatous inflammation). There are better options for any type of colic, which work, as opposed to 19th century medicine.

In horses with large sand accumulations and have intractable pain, surgery may be necessary. These horses may have colon displacements, gas accumulation, reflux, or sudden worsening of clinical signs. As with any colic surgery, there are possible complications, including bowel rupture and peritonitis. These horses are likely to have diarrhea post operatively.

After initial treatment, continued daily use of psyllium for 10-14 days will continue to remove remaining sand. About ½ to 1 pound of Metamucil can be used for this purpose. In some areas, this can be done every 6-8 weeks to help prevent colic from sand. Continuous feeding is not advisable as microbes will begin to digest the psyllium, and its affect will be lost.

Other prevention methods include removing horses from sandy areas, rotation of pastures to prevent overgrazing with dirt/silica ingestion, and the use of a feed tub or manger. When using a feeder, a solid surface underneath can help prevent foraging hay spilled onto sandy soil. Horses should never be fed hay on the ground if the soil is sand.

Fortunately, most horses recover from sand impactions over several days. Complete sand removal often takes several weeks. Even those that require surgery have a survival rate approaching 90%.

Fox Run Equine Center

www.foxrunequine.com

(724) 727-3481

Experienced. Dedicated. Focused on the Horse.

13/05/2022

Friday Focus

A huge amount of cases of EMS and Laminitis are weight and diet associated. This means that both can be preventable and controllable with the correct diet, management and exercise.

I hear far too often owners saying that their horse has either or both, like it is something they just get! EMS significantly increases the risk of laminitis. Laminitis is an extremely painful and debilitating disease and should be prevented at all costs. If your horse or pony keeps getting laminitis, then what you are doing is not working and something needs to change.

Our management is key! If you have had to take your horse or pony off pasture due to a bout of laminitis, then you put them back out again without managing or restricting their grass intake, this is a recipe for disaster.

Although equines can get laminitis at any time of the year, spring, when the grass growth is at its peak, is the most risky time. So if your horse is pony is really laminitis prone, it may be better to keep them off the grass for a couple of months until the grass growth settles down.

I have been told a few times that keeping them off the grass is cruel, but isn’t putting them at risk of laminitis, which they may never recover from? I know which I would choose for one of my own horses, a couple of extra months off the grass if needed would definitely be what I would opt for.

When you are restricting their grass intake, please give them supplementary forage to ensure they are getting enough long-stemmed fibre going through their digestive systems. Source the right forage, this will make all the difference! Speak to your forage supplier and ensure they provide you with a late cut hay or haylage suitable for good doers and laminitics. Yes, haylage can be safe for those with laminitis, but I will cover this in another post!

Please ensure that they have a balancer or vitamin and mineral supplement, this is so important for their recovery; their body will be under a lot of stress so their body needs those vits, mins and antioxidants the most at this time.

Not all equines that have EMS or laminitis are overweight, but if If your horse or pony is overweight, then please take this seriously and do something about it. If you are not sure how best to go about this, then please get a qualified equine nutritionist to help you!

Take responsibility! The majority of cases are caused by our feeding and management and by getting those right, both diseases can be controlled and prevented. It also means that when both are under control, with a little extra effort on our part, they can go on to lead normal, healthy, happy lives!

13/05/2022

Friday focus

Typical U.K. grass, hay or haylage will not provide your horse with a balanced diet at any time of the year!

Now many horses are being turned out for longer or are out 24/7 and this is also a time when many are not fed any feeds. However, I would absolutely recommend that you at least feed a balancer or vitamin and mineral supplement with a carried of your choice, to ensure that your horse or pony is getting the nutrients they need as it is extremely unlikely that this will be provided in your horses pasture, hay or haylage!

This applies to ALL horses and ponies....even those that are overweight! Just because a horse or pony is overweight, it does not mean they do not need nutrients. “He’s / she’s fat, they don’t need any feed” is what I am frequently told! This is absolutely not the case at all, they still need vitamins and minerals just like any other horse or pony!

It is even more important if you are soaking hay and they have no access to grass; you can’t take everything out and put nothing back in! But even with access to grass and with good quality hay, vital nutrients will still be missing, so providing good quality vitamin and mineral supplementation will bridge that gap and ensure their body is still getting the nourishment needed for overall health and well-being.

Just to ease your minds, balancers will not make your horse or pony fat; they are designed to provide nutrients, not calories! If you feel happier feeding a vitamin and mineral supplement with a negligible calorie content, then then that’s fine too, they do need one or the other and whichever one you choose must be fed at the manufacturers recommended rate to provide the vits and mins your horse or pony needs!

Feed balancers are designed to be fed in small amounts and will ensure that horses and ponies are getting their vits and mins. Even if your horse needs to lose weight, they still need to be fed in the correct amount to be effective; typically 100g per 100kgs of bodyweight. Feed balancers will not contribute to your horse or pony gaining weight. Those marketed as ‘conditioning’ are misleading as balancers are not fed at high enough rates to be conditioning; they are there to provide a balance of nutrients to support your horses needs, not to supply calories!

Vitamin and mineral supplements are fed in much smaller amounts such as 50g per day, but check the manufacturers feeding rate to ensure you are feeding the correct amount for your equines bodyweight. The main difference between a supplement and balancer is usually the protein levels; balancers are generally better to supply good quality protein. The other main difference is palatability! A lot of equines find balancers more palatable, so a vitamin & mineral powder may not be a good choice for a fussy horse or pony, unless you are feeding the right base carrier to make it palatable.

Balancers or vitamin and mineral supplements usually provide different levels of support depending on individual needs. For example, performance balancers should provide the nutrients needed for harder working horses. Lite balancers should support a diet where forage and / or grass are restricted by providing higher levels of nutrients typically missing or reduced in such diets; the balancer itself will not be sufficient to cause weight loss, the diet as a whole needs to be right. Similarly, stud balancers and senior balancers are there to support the needs of breeding stock, growing youngsters and senior horses.

Marketing and advertising are often cleverly used to make us think that we ‘need’ something and that a particular product will make a difference to our horse or ponies weights. It is the diet around the balancer that will make a difference to your horse or ponies weight; particularly forage and grass as this is what they eat the most of.

01/09/2021

Great information from Nia Cooke BSc hons, ProDip - Independent Equine Nutritionist