Stepping in Pain

Limping and Lame

Spirit, our sweet little pony, has been limping. His breed is prone to laminitis and his condition is one of the reasons we limit the time our horses get to graze in our big south pasture. So many of our animals come in with medical conditions. Spirit was starved by his former owner up to the age of one, and spent 6 months in leg wraps thereafter learning to walk from malnutrition deformities at the SPCA Cruelty division before coming to our Sanctuary.

When we saw he was limping, we knew something was wrong but we couldn't feel a digital pulse at the hoof like typical laminitis would present from overeating sugary grass and carbohydrates. So we called Dr. Metcalf who attributed his limping to Acute Uncompensated Laminitis. His hoof is growing abnormally, and has visible rings, as if its growing in spurts. His sole is thin, and so for 3 weeks, we have to keep him stalled, with bute anti- inflammatory meds provided.

Dr. Metcalf made custom-molded shoes for his front hooves, that we wrapped with elastikon to keep him comfortable. It's a particularly very hot summer in Texas. Beyond the laminitis we're worried greatly about him overheating. So our team started bringing him to the breezeway, and hosing him off or sponging him with cool water. It's amazing how much a cold sponge bath on hot summer days makes a difference immediately for horses who are hot.

Cleared to Come Out

After 3 weeks, Spirit was given the go-ahead to come out with the rest of the herd. He's been given a new set of special clogs that will allow his soles to grow back and hopefully keep another laminitis episode at bay. His clogs will be updated every few weeks over several months until his hooves are feelin' groovy again -- and it's all made possible by you and the purchases you make at FarmHouse Fresh.