There now have been 2 "incidents" that have concerned me.
About a week ago, I picked up his left front foot to pick it out. Almost immediately, he went down to his knee on the right front. I dropped the foot - thinking maybe he lost his balance. I went to pick it up again - same thing! Very, very weird. Picked out other feet no issue.
He was reshod on Tuesday.
Today, I go to pick up the right front. He keeps wiggling around and not letting me pick it up. VERY uncharacteristic of him. Eventually I got tired of bending over and when I stood up, I growled at him to knock it off. I did not hit him. I did not even raise my hand. He SHOT backwards, broke the crossties, broke his expensive halter and walked out the door. (Thankfully easily caught with a guilty look on his face).
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| Wild, cross tie breaking beast back in November |
WTF.
First off, he has always been a sweetheart about his front feet. He can get a little "snatchy" with his hinds, but has always been very agreeable. Secondly, this overdramatic breaking-the-cross-ties like an idiot made me furious at first (I didn't punish him as he seemed to have scared himself) and then concerned. Very out of character for him. I ended up taking him into his stall and then he gave me that hoof no problem.
He crosstied quietly like nothing had happened while we tacked up.
He is otherwise moving sound and feels great under saddle. (We even jumped today!)
But I can't help but wonder if something is going on?
On a positive note, I do have an excuse to buy him a new halter.
It definitely sounds like he's trying to tell you something. Hope you figure if out :)
ReplyDeleteWas he shod before? If not, he might be reacting to the shoes numbing his feet. Shoes are known to shut down a lot of the blood supply in the hoof and it stuffs around with the proprioceptive ability of the hoof (spacial awareness), especially if the frog is no longer weight bearing. Something to consider?
ReplyDeleteYou know, my mare had a very similar reaction after her last trim. Unfortunately her (former) farrier trimmed her MUCH too short and she was tender for almost a week (which has never happened before) and then when I went to ask for her front left to pick it out, she wouldn't give it to me at all - which has never happened before. I gave her a thump under her belly and told her to knock it off after asking twice. She gave it to me after that but then went down on her other knee! She hasn't fallen like that since but it was scary. She'll give me the opposite leg just fine but strongly resists giving me the left. I'm attributing it to a chip I found on her front right the next day... so pissed at the farrier, I still have steam coming out my ears. All I can figure is the warmer wet spring is causing softer hooves and tenderness - makes me so mad though. A chip, right after a trim!!!
ReplyDeleteMaybe Hampton is tender?
Riva acted that way when she had a terrible case of thrush in her club foot - she can be very dramatic when telling us something is wrong!
ReplyDeleteHope you get to the bottom of the issue quickly.
Very weird! I hope you figure it out.
ReplyDeleteHope you can figure out whats going on quickly for yours and Hamptons sake!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wish SO MUCH that they could talk!