# Swollen Fetlock on mare (Update!)



## Chickerdoodle13 (Jul 1, 2009)

Of course something always ends up happening that prevents me from riding! Anyways, I went out to get the mare that I've been riding and could tell right away that she was limping on her front right leg. She was putting weight on the leg, just limping pretty noticeably. I took her out on the pavement just to make sure she was definitely limping and sure enough, she was. So instead of doing anything with her, I put her in her stall to rest. I couldn't find anything out of the ordinary with the leg, but my dad found that her fetlock is a little swollen and squishy on one side. 

I had worked her the day before, but not very hard at all and my dad has worked her much harder than that and she has never limped. She also wasn't limping at all when I was riding her. My dad said she wasn't limping when he fed her breakfast and the way she was limping, I'm pretty sure you could have told right away.

Our pastures are basically a mess with all the mud and I'm thinking she may have slipped or twisted it. Does what I'm describing sound like a sprain or a twist? I'm so afraid that it is something very serious and I'm hoping its just something that will heal. We haven't had the vet over yet, but if she looks like this for more than a week, we will definitely consider it. Is there anything we can do in the mean time? For now we have her either in a stall or a very small paddock to restrict her movement and to keep her out of the mud. My dad has bute, but we have not yet given her any. 

Thanks for any help! I really hope its nothing serious or something that will keep her out of commission for a long time!


----------



## Farmer Kitty (Jul 1, 2009)

I'm not real familiar with horse injuries but, I am familiar with bute. I would give her some to help with the pain and swelling. As well as keeping her in small dry quarters.


----------



## Bronco Hollow (Jul 1, 2009)

Also try hosing the leg several time a day with cold water.


----------



## Countrymom (Jul 1, 2009)

cold hose and a small dose of bute.  You don't want her to not feel any pain and forget.  But the bute will help swelling.  Also MSM if you can't get a hold of a vet soon enough.  It just takes a lot longer to work.  In the daylight you maybe able to see more swelling and possible injury.  Check for heat in the hoof and inspect the hoof completely as well.  

I swear they are children in fur.  If they can hurt themselves and be stupid they will.  My 5 year old tore up the entire water trough and took out the hard plumbing on his way out of the paddock.  We had water everywhere and broken pipes.  Idiot.  This is what you get after being in a stall and cutting training.


----------



## 2468herdsrgr8 (Jul 2, 2009)

I swear they are children in fur.  If they can hurt themselves and be stupid they will. 

  So very true....My heart races everytime they run around acting silly stupid in the slick wet pasture....

Hope your horses feels better in the next couple of days....


----------



## Chickerdoodle13 (Jul 2, 2009)

Thanks guys. I cold hosed her leg yesterday before I left and stuck her back in her stall. We had a tube of bute but she wouldn't take it in the mouth so I mixed two little squirts with her food and I think she at least ate some of it. (At least some that she didn't spit out)

She's still putting weight on her foot, but it seems sometimes she tries to step on the toe. She looks ok when she is walking on soft ground, but on harder ground you can tell she is definitely limping. Also when she turns around you can tell. It could be an abscess or maybe a sprain. I'm thinking she could have even twisted the foot stepping on a rock. I just hope it isn't something more serious like a tear. I couldn't see too much swelling, but my dad says he can see that her fetlock is puffy compared to the other one.

My dad doesn't seem too concerned about it just yet and he says we will wait until the weekend to call the vet. If she doesn't get any better by then we'll have him check her out. Hopefully she shows some improvement by then. Of course I worry over everything when it comes to leg injuries, but so far its just looking like a temporary injury.

I will keep you updated! I may be able to take a video of her tomorrow, but I will check her out again when I get home and hose her leg. It actually seemed like she liked it the first time I hosed it. My dad said she looked ok this morning though.


----------



## Chickerdoodle13 (Jul 2, 2009)

I just figured I'd update a bit.

Yesterday my horse was still limping quite a bit. This morning my dad fed the animals and put her int he small square and told me she was only limping a little bit, but not quite as badly as yesterday. Tonight when I got home from my grandmother's house, I went down to the barn to hose her leg again and when I walked her around, she was hardly limping at all. I can tell she's still a bit ouchy, but I had to look really hard to see that she was. She hasn't had bute since yesterday in the early afternoon, so I'm fairly certain the limping isn't being masked. 

I took a good look at her hoof again and I'm thinking maybe she just bruised the frog. My dad said he saw swelling, but I really couldn't see any difference in the two fetlocks. She isn't shoed though and the ground has been extremely muddy. We try to keep the horses out of the mud as much as we can, but sometimes its unavoidable. Her frogs are sort of soft from all the wet, so it would have been real easy for her to have hit it on a rock and bruised the heal. I couldn't see that she had any pain in the joint when I flexed it and I didn't notice a strong pulse at all. It felt the same in both front feet. Also, a bruised heal would explain why she was trying to step on her toe yesterday. When I pressed hard on the heel she did sort of look at me and show a small reaction, but I couldn't visibly see or smell anything out of the ordinary. She was trimmed about a week ago and the farrier would have said something if he saw anything wrong. He actually said she had nice feet LOL.

So now the plan is to keep her stalled and in the small paddock for a week longer. If she gets worse, we will call the vet, but if we don't notice any limping after a week, I will take her to the round pen to do some very very light work. (Some walking and very light trotting. I'll stop if she shows up lame, but if not, I'll watch her the day after to see if she comes up lame) I'll know then if she's still ouchy and whether or not something is still bothering her. I know we're not quite out of the rough yet, but I was sooo happy to see such a big improvement in one day!

During the next couple days, I'm going to go into the round pen and pick some little stones I noticed the horses had kicked up. Its very possible she could have hit one of those the day I worked her. I know she had bone splints as a yearling too, but I don't really think that is what caused her the pain.

Thanks for all the advice though! I will continue to hose the foot for the next couple of days. Even if it doesn't do anything, she seems to love it. She fell asleep today the whole time I was hosing the leg and when I stopped, she looked very upset! LOL


----------



## Countrymom (Jul 2, 2009)

With all the mud you have been having I am going to take a good guess here... 
Here is a link...check out the third item down....
http://www.southtexastack.com/shopping.cfm
I have a horse that has thrush problems.  I don't necessarily smell anything on his either, but his frog gets kind of eaten out from the inside of the heal area out.  Even keeping up with it doesn't mean we see it coming he is that bad.  I notice a head bob limp at a trot or lope and just know it is back.  When he was first really bad (after we purchased him) he would limp pretty bad.  Thrush Buster is the best I have found on the market and from home remedies.


----------



## Chickerdoodle13 (Jul 2, 2009)

I was thinking about thrush as this mud has been horrible, but I've never dealt with it before, so I have no idea of the symptoms. Most websites and books tell you there is a bad smell and dark fluid leaking from the heals, but I'm guessing with a milder case you may not have either symptom? 

What should I look for in her frog and heal? Is this somethign that could affect just one foot? The only one I see her having an issue with is that front right one. She doesn't really let us pick up her backs yet (She's getting better though!) so I can't check them, but like I said you could barely notice a limp at all today. Its definitely a possibility and one that I have to be concerned about with all our horses. Honestly, I'm surprised we've never had it before in any of our guys!

Thanks! I'm going to take a look at that link and do some more researching on the internet. I hate dealing with foot problems as I always assume the worst!


----------



## Chickerdoodle13 (Jul 2, 2009)

I think you were referring to the pine tar on that website. We may actually have some of that in the barn. I can't remember what we used it for though. If I can find it, I'll apply some tomorrow providing the rain holds out. We had close to three inches last night!


----------



## Countrymom (Jul 2, 2009)

You need a bottle of Thrush Buster.  Not pine tar.  It is the third item listed on that link.  It will help dry out that frog and beat that mess of thrush and what it does to the frog.  You may be able to find some locally.  If not STT is a quick way of getting some.  I find them to be about as cheap as you can get.  I would not use pine tar.  

Our horse has issues with it without mud helping it along.  He collects more stuff in his hooves because of shoes and is chronic.  Something we were not aware of when we purchased him.  He is mostly effected in one front hoof and the opposite hind.  Although his other hind hoof has also had it.  His other front has never had it since we bought him.  So there is no rhyme or reason to that.  LOL


----------



## Chickerdoodle13 (Jul 2, 2009)

Haha, the link you posted just came up with a general page for me, so I wasn't sure what it was you were looking at. LOL

I'm sure either the tractor supply or agway has that. If not, there are two nearby tack stores I could run to. I don't think we have any of that in the cabinet at the barn, even though we have just about everything else!

I'll show my dad the bottom of her hoof either tomorrow or the next time he is home from work at a normal hour. Hopefully the problem is clearing up and she'll be ok soon. For now we will just keep her confined with some hand grazing and I'll look to see if she is limping. I was actually pretty shocked to come home and find her pretty much back to normal. I was figuring it would take a week + for her to start improving.

With all the mud, I do know the horses have turned up a TON of rocks. Our old gelding came in limping from the field the other day and we thought maybe his arthitis was flaring up. Turned out he had some stones stuck under his shoes! That's the first time that's ever happened in the field since we've had horses. Just hasn't been a good month for horses or anything farm related!


----------



## Countrymom (Jul 2, 2009)

I am sorry about that link!  I tried to get to the exact page for you.  

With all that mud you are also going to have horses with soft soles.  It is just too wet.  The thrush buster will help to dry them out and harden them.  I would bet you a bottle will come in handy even after your mare because of your mud.  

Now why oh why haven't you sent me any rain???  It was 104 here today and that was cooler than the days prior.  They were 107!  I spent Tuesday riding through the sprinkler I left on in our working pen.  Even the horses that didn't like water slowed up to get wet as we went by.


----------



## Chickerdoodle13 (Jul 3, 2009)

Haha! Take ALL our rain! The sky is looking cloudy again today. We escaped rain yesterday for the most part, but the were some severe storms in other parts of the state. I think my mom told me that we've had a record breaking 10+ inches of rain in june alone. Sometimes we don't even get that in one year. Out of 30 days in June, 20 something of them had rain.

I've been home from school for two months and I feel like it hasn't even been summer! All this rain isn't even good for the plants any more. They are so stunted it is ridiculous. Everybody's horses are getting rain rot and icky legs from all the rain and my poor chickens are growing gills and fins! I think the highest the temp has gone this summer was the high 80's. Usually we've had days in the 100's by now. I like the cooler weather, but I definitely could do without the rain!

I should go take pictures of the mud at the barn! You'll all be disgusted LOL. Luckily our stalls have not flooded in a few days, but that really stinks when they do!

I'm gonna look for some thrush buster though. Sounds like it would be good just to have on hand! Thanks!


----------



## Countrymom (Jul 3, 2009)

Ugh!  Makes me just sick hearing about the cool and rain.  Just got in from a day at the arena and a show with the temps back up to 104!  Thank God for a covered arena, but it was still terrible.  I just drank two huge cups of water in a row since getting home and had a gatoraide and a sweet tea before we left the arena.  I am covered with sand from all the fans in the arena too.  Those huge ones up on the ceiling.  Can't actually say their names on here I am sure! LOLOL  

Speaking of rain problems and you are having rain rot around you ... maybe your horses.  Best in the world for it is to get a spray bottle and mix about 20% baby oil and 80% listerine.  Then spray the affected areas.  Also put a handful of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds in their feed for dinner.  We have something similar happening to horses' faces down here.  However, it is from all the sweat and dirt that stick to them.  I have one gelding that has bald patches on his nose.  Poor baby.  I am just happy it isn't in his blaze or that would be pink bare skin to sunburn worse.  

Headed to sit in front of the fan some more.  Not sure I am ever going to cool off.....


----------



## Chickerdoodle13 (Jul 4, 2009)

I think today we may FINALLY have a day without rain! The cool days are more than welcome to stay, but it would be great if the rain moved on! LOL

Thanks for the rain rot info. I remember reading about using listerine once before when my first mare had a case of rain rot, but didn't know to put the oil in there. The two year old had a mild case of rain rot (even though she goes in her stall every night!) but it seems to have cleared on its own with the few dry days we had. The other horses seem to be ok for now, but rain rot can crop up anytime it seems!

I told my dad what you said about thrush buster and he said he will look for it at tractor supply. 

Sedona actually looks completely better. I couldn't see any lameness yesterday and she was trotting back and forth in her little square because of some fireworks down the road. I didn't see any head bob at all. We are going to keep her in the stall for a few more days and hopefully tomorrow or during the week I can get her to the round pen and just trot her around a bit to see if any lameness re-occurs. I think keeping her in the dry stall and small paddock did wonders for her though. Hopefully all she had was a superficial issue and we won't have any more limping! She did seem to thoroughly enjoy the leg hosing. She fell dead asleep the last time I did it! I probably could have pushed her over with one finger 

Sorry to hear about your boy's bald spots! We are having a similar problem, but with the flies. Poor sedona developed one on her nose, but luckily she has dark skin. We've been spraying our guys down with fly spray like crazy and we try to put the fly masks on every day. That seems to help them tremendously. I hope your weather cools down soon! Even though our weather is cool now, I know it will get super hot just in time for fair week! LOL

Oh yeah, with the black oil sunflower seeds...do we have to buy special kinds from a feed store that are for horses? Or can I use the same type I use for my chickens? I was actually thinking of starting our guys on some anyways, because I love how shiny the coats get and our old gelding could really use something to help with weight.


----------



## Bronco Hollow (Jul 4, 2009)

My black curly,  the flies love his face and chest.  I use swat where the fly mask doesn't cover... Someone told me Listerine also works well 50/50 with an oil base, but I haven't tried it.

There is also another product called DermalAid.  I use it also on the Bashkir, they [Bashkirs] tend to get the crudys at their mane.  I also use it on the dogs for grass itch. 

Country... is there a reason you don't use bleach and water for thrush?  Just curious.  And not to high-jack the tread, but your in Texas? If Texas succeeds I think we'll be moving to Texas.....

It is hot here also - been in the 100s for several days.  We are early for that, usually don't get that weather until later summer.  Makes it hard to work a horse unless you're early am or late pm.  No covered arena [I'm jealous!].

Glad your mare is doing better Chickerdoodle!


----------



## Countrymom (Jul 4, 2009)

Chicks I am glad your mare is better today.  She really could have just slipped and pulled something.  I am just guessing with the thrush because I know you have had so much rain.  And soft soles cause issues after so much wet.  

Bronco, I tried that bleach/water mix on the Arab gelding we had years ago when he got a case.  I fought it for months before he cleared up.  I honestly think his did because we dried out more than the solution doing the job.  When we figured out this new guy had it and has an issue with it I spoke with our cutting trainer and he said to try this stuff.  He has been at the training and dealing with horses all his life.  At Pushing 70 his advice is worth gold in my book.  Sure enough I think we applied the stuff three times (three days in a row mind you) and it took care of it when it was super bad.  Had it return here and there minor, but one application did it in.  No continous bleach/water and waiting.  His brother is 78 and is a lot more apt to try anything less expensive and old fashioned methods, but he also carries a bottle of thrush buster in his trailer.  Tells you something. LOL  Of course, more power to a 78 year old man still cutting.  Inspiration.....

Yup, I am in Texas - south Texas down near Victoria and it is 107 as I type.  Just got in from today's show.  I am covered yet again in dust and all of us are exhausted.  My youngest daughter beat them all today.  Her big sis messed up, but it happens.   Oldest wasn't so concerned that her little sister beat her as she was mad at herself she messed up.  Amazes me how serious they get about this.  Gotta love their determination.  

I am headed for another cold drink and a fan.  A/C isn't enough right now.  UGH!


----------



## Bronco Hollow (Jul 4, 2009)

Oh Yea, I love the old timers!  I don't consider myself one of them _yet_...lol  but I appreciate their wisdom!!

Congrats on the showinq.... sibling rivaling and all, you must be very proud of your girls!  It takes a lot of determination to compete, and I suspect your girls are at a high level for their age.


----------



## Chickerdoodle13 (Jul 5, 2009)

Just another update on Sedona and maybe a few questions....

Anyways, today my family had a BBQ and a friend of ours wanted to ride. I had saddled up our other horse and when we were done with him, I brought sedone up to the field for a bit. I just wanted to see how she moved in a light trot and a walk.

Before I brought her to the round pen, I checked her foot again. Sure enough, on the back of her heel I found a little horizontal slit that was a bit larger in the center. It looks pretty similar to the pictures I saw of an abscess breaking out. It is closer to the coronary band on the back of the foot. She was ouchy when I touched it and inside was wet like it was draining.

When I walked her up to the field, she wasn't limping, but she wasn't extending that front foot out and was a little short strided on the right side. (The side of the possible abscess) Although she was not limping or showing a head bob, you could hear the difference in her foot pattern on the road pavement and you could see it in the trot. It just looked like she didn't want to put the weight on the back of her heel where I found that little opening. I only worked her until I could see her movement and then I put her back in the paddock. She wasn't limping when I put her back and I will check her again tomorrow to see if what I did today in the round pen bothered her.

So now my question is, does this sound like an abscess? Do horses develop abscesses in the heel? That would make sense as to why she wasn't ouchy when I pressed on her hoof and why she isn't extending out to put pressure on the heel. It would also explain the swelling that my dad found in the fetlock. Also, I remember reading that it takes 3 days to a week for an abscess to break out after you find a lame horse. I found her limping on Tuesday and I just found the little opening today.

If you think this is an abscess, is there anything I can do for it? She will still be in the dry paddock and in her dry stall until it heals. How long does it usually take before she will feel better? I know when my other horse had an abscess, she was better in a short time after the vet opened it. Is there something I should do to prevent infection in that little split? If not an abscess, is there something else that would cause the heel to split horizontally like that? (The split is about half an inch long)

Sorry this was so long!


----------



## Countrymom (Jul 6, 2009)

Ok, so now you have some evidence and we can loose the guessing game.  LOL  Not that having a bottle of thrush buster in your conditions isn't a bad idea.  LOL

I would say use some iodine and clean out that cut.  More than likely you have two things possible....Ok back to guessing, but without being there it is all I can do.... one is that she actually cut herself on something in the pasture.  Been there.  Or she does have an abscess and it has ruptured.  Abscesses take the least route of resistance when it comes to burstin out.  So either way, keeping her up like you have, clean it out and iodine to help disinfect, and depending on how you feel her situation is, I would run a couple days of Pen G shots just to be sure.  All in all it sounds minor and easily fixable.  Actually if the limping has subsided and it was an abscess that has burst then you are already in the healing process.  Since it isn't active I wouldn't push for soaking in Epsoms like I have in the past.  Dry area and clean wound better off.  

Survived the weekend I think.  LOL  It was even hotter yesterday I swear, but still registered 107.  We just didn't have a cloud in the sky and that seemed to make you feel like you were baking.  The cows were at their worst at the show and my poor middle daughter couldn't hold them for her life.  She just doesn't have the experience.  So she placed last, but we told her to keep her chin up it was too much for her.  She rode well, just didn't have the experience to handle the cattle running wild all over the pen.  The poor turn back riders were busting their tails and still couldn't even keep them under control.  My oldest barely managed them, but won the cutting.  I am hoping we can break for the rest of this month.  They are both so high in standings that I don't believe they can be caught before the Worlds in Sept.  I just need a break from this heat!  Bronco, I do believe they are pretty advanced riders all things considered.  I just taught two girls how to ride this past week who are 8 years old.  My son who is 7 rides better.  Because we just started we were tackling the basics and not even past a trot - mostly a walk.  So cute though.


----------



## Chickerdoodle13 (Jul 7, 2009)

Thanks for the advice!

I actually do have to pick up a bottle of pen. antibiotics from tractor supply, but NJ is incredibly stupid and will sell the antibiotics, but will not needles to administer. So in order to get the needles, I would either have to spend the money to have the vet out or drive over to a store in PA.

Yesterday I wanted to smack my dad. Sedona isn't limping, but she's still a little ouchy. I told him NOT to let her back into the field with the other horses so she doesn't get an infection from being in the mud. He had too much to drink the other night at a BBQ and kept asking me if he could put the three adults back together. I kept telling him NO! So again yesterday, he told me he was going to put the three together. I told him no, that I would take care of her if it was that much trouble to put her in the stall each night. So instead of putting her out in the big field, he put her and the two year old in the small paddock together! He said they were fine for about half an hour and then Sedona backed Cheyenne into a corner and started kicking her like crazy. I wasn't home, otherwise I would have put an end to that before they were even together. I was so angry! As far as I can tell, Cheyenne doesn't have any injuries, but I had told my dad the small paddock was way too small to mix them together. I told him to wait until the three adults were in the big field and then to mix them, because at least she could get away if she needed to. They get along fine over the fence, but I know in the field they will have to work things out. Gah! I love my dad, but Cheyenne could have been seriously injured, and Sedona could have injured her foot again. Sometimes he just doesn't think!

Sorry for the long story, but I was so mad yesterday and even my mom was upset with him. We do have to mix all four horses before I go back to college, but Sedona should be alright in a few more days and then we could have done it in the big field. Next time I'm going to make sure I'm home when he does something like that!


----------



## Countrymom (Jul 8, 2009)

I am sure with a bigger pasture things will work out.  All new arrivals need time to settle in and there will be scuttles.  I do agree the small pen wasn't the place.  Sure sounds like something my DH would do!   He can ride, but really has no sense of horse herd dynamics.  

I am actually battling something similar here.  I brought home our 5 year old and he has practically turned this place upside down.  Even put his head in a water trough- ripped it away from where it sat, pulled out the float and hose, and even ripped up the entire hard pipping from the ground. We had water everywhere!  And that was just his play time!  Can't tell you the fence damage in one post.  Then he stressed out one of my older show horses so we put him with the big herd and told the girls he needed dicipline.  LOL  They gave it to him until they went into heat.  Now I am worried we have a proud cut gelding cuz he has beaten the tar out of the other gelding in the pasture.  I finally had to pull him out and put him with the show horses.  Poor fat dude. LOL  Yes, he is a butter ball, but with bite and hoof marks all over major.  I am seriously about to sell this high dollar 5 year old.  He is really on my nerves.


----------



## Chickerdoodle13 (Jul 8, 2009)

Haha, we had a gelding like that here YEARS ago, except he was a complete nasty guy. My dad picked him up from auction and he had to have been drugged up the wazoo. He used to mount my mare so we think he may have had a retained testicle or that he had been cut way too late. He didn't look like a stallion, but he was a nasty bay and white paint horse. Took him back to the auction a couple months later after he turned on me when I was feeding him in the stall.

Our old gelding loves to break things by playing with them. He has to play with EVERYTHING! He's always breaking fences, reins, and buckets. One time he almost cracked a cement bench in half after we had tied him to it. I don't now what he was doing, but he got the metal piece of the bit stock on it somehow and yanked up. Poor guy. On the trails you have to tie him to a tree just so he doesn't pull it down! LOL

I don't think Cheyenne will have a problem with the others. She's tiny, but I'm pretty confident she could hold her own or at least run away. They've been interacting over the fence since the end of March.

My dad did put Sedona back out into the field because it has dried up a good deal. She's looking pretty good, but I have to bring her back up to the round pen to see if she's still ouchy on that front foot.


----------

