[mrg8302]

Yeah a bone scan would be a potential option. An expensive one though! Another option if the thermal scan doesn't help is just to turn him out in the pasture for 6 months to a year and reevaluate. I just don't know.

[Fharoah]

I would think a bone scan might be allot more helpful than a thermoscan although expensive. If you did go that route then work him a week prior to try and encourage the hot spots to light up.

By the way I was recently speaking with equine orthopedic surgeon/specialist whom said a negative block would not preclude hoof pain. If he has thin soles have you tried adding some hoof pads and perhaps magic cushion? Just to see if that makes any difference?

[mrg8302]

Really? I thought a block would rule out foot pain? Hmmm...I could try it

[Fharoah]

Really? I thought a block would rule out foot pain? Hmmm...I could try it

tw

It would but I have been told by two very experienced and well known orthopedic surgeons that it is possible to get a false negative or false positive. So that a negative block did not preclude hoof pain.

[Schatzi09]

A friend's mare had some weird issues that vets could never diagnose. She had tons of flexions, x-rays, and a bone scan that came up with nothing but a lot of big bills and no answers. Finally, a vet decided to test for PSSM just for the heck of it! Well, that was the exact problem. Fixed her diet and that fixed the issues. I'd ask for the muscle biopsy before I paid for a bone scan or just gave time off. It didn't cost that much in the long run. Good luck with your diagnostics.

[Cindy's Warmbloods]

I wonder if he is REALLY thinned soled and might need pads? I had a warmblood mare many years ago that would not trot in the outdoor arena. Later found out that she was just that tender footed. We put shoes on her and there was a night & day difference. But just wondering if the shoes are not enough for him and he needs pads as well? Otherwise not sure where I would start but good luck, I hope you find out what is wrong.

[SanJacMonument]

If he ever had pain associated with the thin hoof wall or pads, he may have trained himself not to trot since every stride has feet hitting the ground, at least with a canter, he has an air break in one stride. He may have a rough trot that made the situation less pleasing.

I'd go with pads and a trainer that can encourage a trot out of the guy.

[kcmel]

Did I miss something? The radiographs of his feet showed thin soles?

NM, I saw it in the first post. But what about the current rads? Still thin?

[mrg8302]

You know--I don't know about his newest X-ray. That's a good question. At his second vet appt about 3 weeks ago the vet said he only responded slightly on one foot to the hoof testers. That is why he told me he was sound and ready to start training. But the vet yesterday didn't mention thin soles. He took an X-ray of his feet. I didn't think to ask because I was too worried it was something worse.

I should have gotten him to retest the hoof testers but he told me blocking the feet ruled that out.

I also should have done the pssm test. The vet said he thought it wasn't money well spent but from the sounds of what some of y'all have said, I dunno. Is the hair test accurate?

I'd much rather it be thin soles though!

[Sansena]

Does this horse have any Impressive or Conclusive in his breeding?

[mrg8302]

He has Impressive Review as the last horse on his papers. That's the only one

[Sansena]

He has Impressive Review as the last horse on his papers. That's the only one

Pls tell me HYPP/NN

And get him on the diet recommended for EPSM by Beth Valentine. It'll take a month or two before you see it make a difference but dollars to donuts.. it will.

[Fharoah]

Many horses with heal pain do not react to hoof testers.

[Nike13]

I'd get him tested for PSSM before I would spend the money on a bonescan. I think the DNA hair test runs about $90. Some vets will also do a muscle biopsy. I had my gelding tested this summer and it took about a week to get the results back. Turns out he was negative, but PSSM can have some weird, often vague symptoms. Good luck.

[Sansena]

I'd get him tested for PSSM before I would spend the money on a bonescan. I think the DNA hair test runs about $90. Some vets will also do a muscle biopsy. I had my gelding tested this summer and it took about a week to get the results back. Turns out he was negative, but PSSM can have some weird, often vague symptoms. Good luck.

Agreed. And those Impressive horses can have some pretty funky muscle issues..

[Kolsch]

I'm curious, with every horse I've had gelded I've always exercised them at trot to facilitate drainage, even if they were out to pasture. What was your post gelding program?

[JumpQH]

Pls tell me HYPP/NN

And get him on the diet recommended for EPSM by Beth Valentine. It'll take a month or two before you see it make a difference but dollars to donuts.. it will.

Impressive Review is listed as N/N.

[mrg8302]

The seller said he was HYPP n/n. of course, don't know if I can trust anything from him. But he made a big deal over all his website about how all his horses are bred HYPP negative. Would HYPP present like this?

As far as his gelding, I sure tried to get him to trot. That's when I first noticed all this. I don't know for sure how he was before he was gelded because I only had him 2 days before he was gelded and he was in a smaller pen. I tried to lunge him once as a stallion and didn't get much from him but at that point I just assumed he didn't know how to lunge. His owners had told me they'd never lunged him.

So I just walked him a lot after gelding and turned him out. I also called the vet 2 weeks after gelding to tell him about it. Of course at that point I assumed he was sore. He gave a round of antibiotics. Then when I took him to the vet, I had them check out the gelding. He said he healed very nice and was not tender.

How would I check for heal pain?

[mrg8302]

Pls tell me HYPP/NN

And get him on the diet recommended for EPSM by Beth Valentine. It'll take a month or two before you see it make a difference but dollars to donuts.. it will.

Where can I find the Beth valentine diet? You think it would benefit him even if he doesn't have pssm? Can pssm horses still be out on grass pastures?

[mrg8302]

I found her recommended diet on google. Wow-- that is a lot. Doesn't sound appetizing. But if it works, it works. I'll probably end up pulling him out of training and then I could start the diet. But I'm going to do the hair test