Re: [RC] Fw: [RC] [RC] Why I require hoof protection (was: Barefoot enduran... - Elizabeth Walker
I'll second this. If a horse is equally lame in both front (or hind), you won't feel it, or see it. My old horse, Shadow, strained both front suspensories - most probably on a training ride on the beach two weeks before a 25. I didn't pick it up, and we started the 25. He seemed fine for the first half, but coming out of the first vet check - as he had been doing occasionally in those two weeks, he would have the occasional 'off step'. At the second vet check (they had 2 for this 25), I asked the vet to look at him. On palpation, he went straight up in the air. So....
We walked in, iced, and had the head vet recheck. He couldn't find a thing. He asked the vet that originally found it to check -- straight up in the air again. Diagnosis: splint. Went home, called my vet. Diagnosis: middle suspensory. Went to the equine hospital for an ultrasound. The vet doing the ultrasound had him trot out on pavement -- perfectly even -- no evidence of lameness at all. She was amazed when she did the ultrasound, because they weren't mild strains " gee - why isn't this horse lame???"
You would think that he would trot out "softly" -- nope. Big, bold, reaching trot. There was NOTHING that showed he was lame, except an occasional bobble on uneven ground, or on the circle.
I would not be surprised if the same situation was seen in some barefoot horses. Probably the only thing that would let you know they were sore would be that they consistently tried to find the softest going on the trail.
Rick, At rides, I have seen both vets and riders that do not see that the horse is lame. In fact I can name three different rides where I saw this occur and they were all in the PS region.
