limping

["jsalas" <jsalas@tampabay.rr.com>]

The list of problems could go on forever. Something that recently happened to me and caught me totally off guard was this. Riding Rowdy, come home, a little limp. Few days and rides later, bigger limp. Then I notice waving on his coronary band. No cuts, bruises, heat swelling. Then bam, one day walks out of his stall, dead lame on back foot with wavy coronary. Guess what it was? A gravel/sand abscess that had traveled up the hoof wall and out the top. It had actually tried to come out once before, you could see an erupted ridge, but didn't quite make it. Boy did I feel stoooopid! I have read about them, seen pictures but never experienced one. Once it erupted out the top, no limping. Just like that. Now I know. There is one more thing to look for on that long list of "Why the hell is he limping?". Lisa Salas, The Odd FARM