Gone are the days of taking the lame horses out behind the barn. Armed with a little knowledge and a common sense approach, you can be the catalyst that gets your lame horse on the road to recovery.
Things You'll Need
- hoof pick
- hoof brush
- halter
- lead rope
Instructions
As with any diagnostic process, elimination of known factors is key. Your first step is to examine the affected hoof for external causes of pain, such as stones, loose or missing shoes, or chips or cracks in the hoof. Using a hoof pick, clean all dirt from the cleft of the frog and from the deep grooves around the frog, and use a stiff brush to clear the sole and frog itself.
Run your hands over the entire leg, from shoulder to hoof. Look for signs of heat and/or swelling. Hard lumps on the cannon bones may indicate splints, which can also cause lameness.
Check for flexibility in the leg. Pick up the hoof and flex the fetlock, knee and elbow separately. Pull the leg forward to check shoulder mobility. Any signs of stiffness or soreness from these exercises can be indicators of a problem other than an abscess.
Check the digital pulse. This is located behind the pastern under the fetlock. A raised and exaggerated pulse here is indicative of an abscess.
Having ruled out these factors and still unable to find any punctures or areas of pus drainage in the bottom of the hoof, use a pair of commercially available hoof testers to check the hoof's interior for tenderness. This is the surest way in which to confirm your diagnosis.