Strange hoof picking behavior

[SFrost]

So, I went to pick out my horse's hooves today before our ride. He gave all of them just like normal until I got to his right back hoof.

I asked him to lift it and he would lift and immediately put it back down. I got a bit more forceful with him and took hold of the leg once in the air. He stiffened his leg and put a ton of weight into my hand so I had to let go. Once I let go he kept the fetlock joint bent and he placed it on the ground like that and continued to drop weight into it. This of course freaked me out so I screamed and pushed his weight in the other direction. With the amount of weight he put into my hand I was concerned that he would hurt the joint.

Well, I began to search for swelling, heat anything strange. There was nothing. (I did search the whole body.) I decided to take him to the round pen to see if he was lame. Not one lame step. So, I get on to see if I can feel anything. Nothing, he felt perfect. So, I hopped off and he willingly gave his leg.

I took him back to the barn and he let me pick his hoof out. Nothing abnormal there.

So, I did saddle up and rode for a bit. Again nothing. He rode great. Maybe not the best choice to ride but since there was nothing clearly wrong I figured he was fine.

Before I put him up I decided to try to pick the foot up once more. He was sort of heavy again, but not as bad as the first time. I was sure to place the hoof on the ground properly before I let go.

I turned him out and off he went running like the wind with his friends. Not a lame or stiff step.

So, do you all think he was just being a brat or do you think that there could be something more going on?

Being the very paranoid person I am I immediately thought neurological or Lyme's.

[HenryisBlaisin']

If there was pain somewhere, I'd put money on it being in the left front-horses often don't want to shift their weight to pick up the diagonally opposite of a sore foot. But if he seems sound and happy, I'd just keep a close eye on him for a day or two to see if something does present itself. If the behavior continues it's worth a look-see by the vet for sure-could be neuro based.

[jaimebaker]

Sometimes my horses do this but it's generally because they don't have their legs properly placed under them and aren't balanced. I've even had them put weight on the fetlock like you are describing. Never thought a thing of it. Just figured they weren't positioned correctly. Because most of the time if I just have them move up or back a step, they will get their legs balanced under themselves and I don't have that problem again. Of course, if a horse is adamant about not giving me a foot, I suspect pain in the opposite leg somewhere to where they don't want to bear full weight on it. If it's something that continues or seems to not have a thing to do with his legs being balanced underneath I would suspect pain in the opposite leg. Either in the hoof or the leg itself.

[cyberbay]

Similar to what HenryAB is saying... but a sign of an SI problem can be that the horse does not want to pick up the hind hoof on the non-injured side -- to avoid bearing down on the sore side of the hindquarters.

Just a thought.

[matryoshka]

Generally, when a horse I'm trimming refuses to pick up a hoof, I suspect the stifle. When this occurs, we back the horse up several steps until he is able to step backward equally with both hind legs. After that, the horse can usually pick his hoof up more easily.

If he can't hold it up for long or hops when he puts it down, I suspect pain in the other hind.

[SFrost]

Hmmm....I did back him in the round pen right before I tried to pick it up again. that was the point there was no issues.

I will just have to keep an eye on him. I hope he was just being a pill.