Intermittent lameness one hoof

[fermecinqsens]

I have a draft (Cob Normand… I live in France) 16 year old that I bought in September from my horse dealer neighbour (actually, it was my husband who bought him; I was hesitant to buy a horse with surely a sketchy history). Anyway, the first time I rode him when we were trialing him (it’s actually mostly a driving/work horse) he seemed fine. Then after we bought him I noticed he seemed really stiff to ride and stumbled a lot. We put shoes on him shortly after which seemed to help.
Then out of the blue one day he was dead lame. Couldn’t move. I assumed it was an abscess but nothing ever emerged. He stayed dead lame for probably 5 days and then gradually got better and back to normal after 2 weeks. This happened again a second time. We took a couple of the nails out of his shoes because the farrier had done a questionable job and there were a couple high nails. He gradually got better. Was sound for about two weeks. Now it’s happened again a third time. Yesterday he was completely normal, today he can’t walk.
It’s only in one foot.

Any ideas?

[JB]

an abscess is still very possible, one that’s moving around, moves in a way that’s painful, then moves another way that isn’t.

what are you doing to try to draw out the potential abscess? I would be packing and wrapping (as opposed to soaking), but what you use depends on what you can get.

[WavyRider]

Are you able to get x-rays? I would be concerned about founder, especially if you haven’t seen the abscess come out or start to drain anywhere.

Edit to add: it can and does happen in a single hoof. Sadly I know from experience

[TWH_Girl]

With three unexplained lameness episodes like this, I would have the vet out. Farrier should be able to help identify an abscess if that’s what it is. How is this horse under saddle? Any issues on hard ground vs soft? Tracking one direction vs other?

[fermecinqsens]

I live in the middle of no where in France. The farrier situation is dire (hence the high nails on the last pair of shoes. I had to teach myself how to trim all of my horses feet when we moved here) and there are no equine vets and certainly not one with a portable xray machine. It makes things difficult.
The guy who sold us the horse said it was founder, but it’s winter and the horse is living on short winter grass and round bale hale like the rest of my horses so it doesn’t make sense that he would be affected by rich food at this point (in the spring, perhaps).
Under saddle the horse was initially fine seeming - a bit stiff like you would imagine a 16 year old working draft to be, and tender-footed on rocks (hence the shoes, now), but nothing major. Although his soundness and willingness to move has changed and fluctuated since we’ve had him. Only a few days before this most recent lameness episode my husband took him out for a one hour carriage ride on the roads and trails and my husband said he was amazing.

[JB]

can you post some pics of the foot?
Good Hoof Photos - How to take Good Hoof Photos

I wouldn’t expect founder in just 1 foot, unless it’s maybe caused by a roaming abscess that has done enough damage.

[WavyRider]

It’s unusual but it definitely can happen in one hoof only. I’ve seen it firsthand.

@fermecinqsens short winter grass can have a lot more sugar than you might think. Short grass is stressed grass and that can be the grass with the highest sugar content. It is very possible that it could have caused a laminitic episode.

[TWH_Girl]

The foot tenderness and stiffness could be a sole bruising type issue but if he truly has a prior history of founder that is concerning as that is true rotation of coffin bone. Maybe pics and video would help the group determine what could be going on.

Do you have a vet that could prescribe Equioxx? It’s an anti inflammatory. Keeping him on that may help significantly.

[ladipus]

I would start with X-rays of the front feet …similar happened with my 15yr Tb geld…on off lame for 6 months …kept treating as abscess…turns out he had a Keratoma …could also be any other number of foot related things though …metabolic bloodwork(insulin glucose acth) also a good idea for baseline