All About ... Pedal Osteitis

What is it

Pedal Osteitis is inflammation or bruising of the pedal bone.  If left untreated the inflammation can cause demineralisation of the bone.  It is usually the forelimbs which are affected because they carry most of a horse’s weight. 

Signs

These signs are similar to those seen in Navicular and Laminitis amongst other problems so it is important to consult your vet.

• Intermittent lameness often in both legs 
• As it progresses lameness will become more obvious 
• Pain 
• Inflammation

 

Causes

• Conformation faults 
• Concussion from working on hard ground 
• Poor hoof care or shoeing can cause corns – leading to inflammation of the pedal bone 
•  Abscesses or puncture wounds can also lead to pedal osteitis

 

Diagnosis

This can be difficult to diagnose. Nerve blocks can help in addition to x-ray’s.  X-ray’s will show that the edge of the pedal bone is rough. However, in some horses the edge of the  pedal bones do appear rough – and they do not show any signs of lameness, suggesting this is ‘normal’ for them.

Some horses will be able to resume normal work and some won’t.   Often horses with pedal osteitis are sound when the going is soft but work on hard ground will cause a reoccurrence. 

 

Treatment

This will vary depending on the cause of the inflammation. 

• Rest 
• Corrective shoeing and trimming to improve balance of the foot.  Bar shoes may help by giving more support to the foot.  
• Pads can also be used to support and protect the foot. 
•  Anti –inflammatory drugs

Prevention

• Avoid repetitive or excessive work on hard ground 
• Regular trimming and shoeing to maintain correct foot balance 
• Consider the horse’s conformation and how this may affect his ability to ‘do the job’

Have you seen Wednesday's video yet 'My visit to Redwings Horse Sanctuary'  on my You Tube channel.   

Horse Life and Love.  Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo

Spoilt ... no ... never !!!

 Lovely morning ....

 

What you doing ??? 

 

Are you going to move the fence ???

 Spoilt boys ...

 

Have you seen yesterday's video 'My visit to Redwings Horse Sanctuary'  on my You Tube channel.   Horse Life and Love.  Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo

How Horses Eat

Horses, if able, would eat up to 16 hours a day!  They keep eating in the dark often up until midnight when they will take a break until starting to eat again in the early hours of the morning.
 

They eat slowly and are selective.  Using their lips they sift and choose plants, pushing those they don't want to one side.  They nibble at the grass, chew and swallow a little at a time.   This eating pattern has developed due to their comparatively small stomachs. 

Horses are unable to be sick - no one knows why but they have a one way valve which prevents it - this means they have to be very careful not to eat something poisonous.  Other animals are able to be sick to rid their bodies of any poisons consumed. 

Horses like variety, grass is their main food but they also eat flowers, fruit, berries and nuts.  They enjoy aquatic plants if they are near water and will paw at the ground to dig up roots if the ground is bare of other vegetation.  They will also eat leaves if there is little grass - so in the wild horses have a varied diet.

This shows how unnatural it is to stable a horse with only limited access to food.  Even if the food is of high nutritional quality it is consumed quickly and they spend the rest of the time with nothing to do.  This is when bad habits and stereotypies develop.  Horses are designed to eat low quality food, and lots of it.  They are supposed to consume their nutritional needs through eating plenty of fibre over long periods. 

Horses in the wild are also used to periods where food is scarce.  Freezing cold when there is no goodness in the vegetation or drought when they would resort to pawing for roots or scraping bark.  This is when the weight gained in the good times would be used to cope and survive.  

 
I try to keep this in mind when looking after my horses, it can't be perfect because of the modern world, but little things can help.

I have written other blogs about feeding horses:
http://horselifeandlove.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/feeding.html
http://horselifeandlove.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/types-of-feed.html

Have you seen last week's video 'Egg Count Day'  on my You Tube channel.   
Horse Life and Love.  Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo

All About ... Overreaching

What is it

Overreaching is when the hind foot steps on the heel of the forefoot on the same side.  Often the toe of the hind foot will step on the heel of the shoe therefore pulling the shoe off!

 
Signs

• Loss of shoe 
• Wound on heel or higher up the leg 
• Often a metal on metal sound can be heard when the horse oversteps with his hind foot and the shoe 'clinks' on the front shoe

Causes

• Poor coordination 
• Conformational faults 
• Fatigue 
• Poor trimming of feet 
• Ground conditions 
• Poor riding

 

Treatment

Any wound should be cleaned and treated as appropriate.  The vet may be required for more serious overreach injuries.  The wounds are likely to be dirty so hosing is often the best method of cleaning as it gently washes the dirt and mud away. 


Prevention

Identifying the cause will help identify a way to prevent future injury.  If the horse is tired then a fitness programme to ensure they are up to the work demanded of them.  Conformational faults can be helped with hoof trimming - the toe of the front foot can be shortened to help it move faster and thus avoid the hind foot which is coming through.

Regular shoeing and trimming by a registered farrier will ensure the toes of the hind feet are not too long.  Over reach boots will help in some situations by protecting the heels from injury, however, there is a risk of the horse tripping itself if the hind foot stands on the boot of the forefoot!
 

Have you seen this week's video on my You Tube channel?  'Egg Count Day'.   
Horse Life and Love.  Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo