Grade One Lameness/Easyboot Medicator

[C Eyler <eyler@mindspring.com>]

About six or eight weeks ago my gelding suddenly started to refuse to lift
his RF hoof for me.  Lasted about ten days and then went away.  A farrier I
tried a bit later, in response to a question from me, said that a mark I
saw on his sole was evidence of an old bruise.

On 6/18 he was trimmed and shod (front only) by my new farrier.  Eight days
later, he developed an unexplained grade one lameness in the LF.  The new
farrier is Natural Balance-trained (by Gene), and we had discussed the fact
that changes will have to be made very gradually.  I do not attribute the
lameness to how he was trimmed/shod.  The earlier resistence to lifting the
opposite hoof makes me think that this problem has been brewing for quite a
while.

Initially he had heat at the coronary band, but that is gone.  Has shown no
sensitivity, either initially or as recently as yesterday) to hoof testers
or to pressure at the coronary band.  Farrier removed the shoe and I have
been soaking with epsom salts for twenty minutes and then bandaging with
ichthammol each day.

Have spoken with the vet's office, and will take his temperature and check
for heat the entire length of each leg, as suggested.

Up until this time, we have been doing only about 20-25 miles weekly.  He
is on hilly pasture 24/7 except to get his meager summer grain ration and
supplements (biotin, SeE, garlic) twice daily.  Keeping him in a paddock is
not a good idea, because he runs around screaming for his herd off in the
distance.  Don't want to keep him stalled because he needs the circulation
from moving around (and he's likely to stall weave).

Have two questions:
#1  Any ideas about the lameness and how I should proceed?
#2  Any experience with using an Easyboot medicator on a horse at pasture?

Thanks for your input.

Cindy Eyler
Baltimore MD


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