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Message |
    
Terrie Stout
Neonate
Username: Junebugbooglet
Post Number: 1
Registered: 06-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 05:55 pm: | 
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I have a 1 week old colt. He's doing great except both rear legs have wounds (scrapes) on the outer side of each leg right where they bend.. This is all new to me and quite unexpected since I just bought my mare and found out 1 week before that she was even expecting. Someone suggested that it could be from him getting up and down in the corral which is all dirt. Should I put a wrap around his legs? Should I just keep salve on them?....Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.... |
Kat
Nursing Foal
Username: Kat
Post Number: 17
Registered: 06-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 06:04 pm: |
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How about putting shavings or straw down where he likes to lay.
That may help. |
Terrie Stout
Neonate
Username: Junebugbooglet
Post Number: 2
Registered: 06-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 06:57 pm: |
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Thank You Kat....I do have straw and shavings in the stall which is open for him to go in and out of but of course he likes laying all over the place....maybe I'll put rest areas in different spots.
its about 100 ft diameter space.... |
Heather Cooke
Neonate
Username: Hcvideo
Post Number: 7
Registered: 05-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 07:15 pm: |
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I had a colt that did that a few years ago, it did not matter how thick the shaving were. He was a large warmblood and when he was a sleep he move his legs and wiggle them down threw the shavings, down to the hard floor which was packed limerock ( it's hard to get clay here in Florida )and he rubbed a raw spot on both hind legs. I wished I had pulled the bedding out and put 3 or 4 inches of sand then put the bedding back. He has a scar on both hind legs the size of a quarter now. |
Terrie Stout
Neonate
Username: Junebugbooglet
Post Number: 3
Registered: 06-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 11:30 pm: |
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That's very interesting to hear because he does move his legs A LOT when he is laying down. I also noticed that is moving the straw/shavings and the dirt where he is laying. Thank you.... maybe I'll throw down some sand in the corral and then top with shavings and straw. We live in the mountains and the rocks just seem to grow right through the ground. |
Lynn Ison
Breeding Stock
Username: Lynndi
Post Number: 514
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 12:26 am: |
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Terrie that is so weird to hear someone talk about this! My foal has the same problem!!! I have searched and searched in the stall and the paddock for the reason for these scrapes EXACTLY the wa you described it!! When they look like they are starting to heal I would see them tore open again and again!! I have NO idea how it is happening. She is almost 6 weeks old and they just now seem to be starting to heal and grow back some hair! There were times it looked pretty bad!! I just kept squirting iodine on it, left over from foaling kit.
Here's how they looked this past Wednesday.
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t99/LynnDI_2007/JUNE6LEG2.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t99/LynnDI_2007/JUNE6LEG1.jpg
And I know it's not what is in our stall because I keep them out most of the time now.. I just can't figure it out. |
Heather Cooke
Neonate
Username: Hcvideo
Post Number: 8
Registered: 05-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 03:02 pm: |
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When the colts lay down and bend their hocks the boney part of the hocks line up with the sores, when the stand up or straighten there leg the sore moves in a groove. My colt's sores healed up when he was kicked out in the paddock and not allowed back in the stall. We have sand down here in Florida out in the paddocks and pastures and it is very soft. If you are in other areas of the country that have firm ground, I imagine you could have the same problem, it does not matter if it is in a stall or not firm ground is firm ground. The sores on my colt healed up in a week when he was confined to soft ground. When he was about a year old his skin was finally tough enough to tolerate sleeping on the hard ground. |
C Carner
Yearling
Username: Friesianx
Post Number: 70
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 07:08 pm: |
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EVERY single foal I have been around has the exact same thing. I think it is from lying down and getting up. I wouldn't worry too much about them. They will heal. |
JANE OLNEY
Breeding Stock
Username: Shotsnurse1
Post Number: 278
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 09:01 pm: |
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Yes, I had trouble with these all winter. the first problems were from birth and struggling to get up. One side was worse than the other. It healed with a scar, now the scar is getting little sores...
The first goal is to get them dry. Betadine squirts, NOT TINCTURE!...and wonderdust helped. After that I alternated with novalscein (sp) ointment and scarlet oil. While they are very sore and open and may be infected, use warm water and betadine scrub. At one point I even added epsom salts to the mixture.
I guess it is comforting to know that other horses in the show ring will have scars at the same place.... |
Cathy
Breeding Stock
Username: Cathy
Post Number: 239
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, June 10, 2007 - 11:25 am: |
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From my experience most foals do have these wounds and they are caused from the mare disciplining them when they are too rough nursing. |
Heather Cooke
Nursing Foal
Username: Hcvideo
Post Number: 12
Registered: 05-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, June 10, 2007 - 03:28 pm: |
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These sores are in a groove above the hock when the colt stand, it would be very difficult for the mare to nip or kick and break the skin down in the groove without tearing up the hock. It is upsetting to have any scars on the leg near a joint especially when you are selling them as show horses. My last colt that had this problem is now 4 yrs old and stands 16.3 hands and the scars are about the size of a quarter. I thought they would have gotten larger as he grew but they didn't. I have not had a problem with the sores since I put a sand base under shaving in their stalls. And yes the shavings and sand mix and it's hard to clean but it's worth it. |
Heather Kutyba
Breeding Stock
Username: Heatherck11
Post Number: 596
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, June 10, 2007 - 05:31 pm: |
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The abrasions on/near the hock are normal for young foals. They are common and not due to anything a person does or doesn't do.
These are normal changes and a result of wear and pressure to a foal who is adjusting to laying on something "tougher" than the ever-so soft environment of a mares uterus!
Almost every foal I've raised over 20 years gets these...some sooner, some later w/in the first few weeks of life.
They will not normally leave a true scar. If it makes you feel better (it does with me), put some triple antibiotic ointment on it (like Neosporin) once daily.
In no time, the spots will be gone and new hair over them! |
Cathy
Breeding Stock
Username: Cathy
Post Number: 240
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, June 10, 2007 - 10:54 pm: |
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I would be suprised if laying on hard ground caused the sores in the groves that do not touch the ground. If that were the cause you would see the sores on the pressure points, and not just on the hind legs. |
Heather Kutyba
Breeding Stock
Username: Heatherck11
Post Number: 597
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2007 - 12:19 am: |
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One would think that would be the case...but they are consistant in foals for whatever reason.
I have seen them from foals over the years at QH and TB farms. Since foals do tend to lay flat-out...dreaming and kicking their legs, this probably has a lot to do with it.
Foaling stalls are bedded around 8 inches deep, and the foals early days are spent in lush rye grass pastures until late April. Yet, each one gets these, and typically on both hind legs.
Years ago, I removed the mats out of the foaling stalls thinking the mats were the problem...but found no difference. |
Em Taylor
Nursing Foal
Username: Dressagegurl
Post Number: 18
Registered: 09-2006
| | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2007 - 12:43 am: |
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I too have seen this happen when the mare is asking the foal to be a little kinder when nursing. |
Lynn Ison
Breeding Stock
Username: Lynndi
Post Number: 519
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2007 - 07:14 am: |
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But they look like gouges in the small of the leg ..between what might be tendons...like a hoof has scraped it HARD. The strange thing is that they are on the outside of both legs. No way Mom's teeth could do it. It had to be done by something protruding.
It is comforting atleast.......knowing it is somewhat normal !! Because it left me on a major guilt trip that I had something in her surroundings that might be hurting her.........and I could not find out what it was. Koko's are healing and hair is beginning to grow back. She sure loves em brushed,,,itchy itchy healing feeling I guess..LOL |
E Watkins
Breeding Stock
Username: Ev_watkins
Post Number: 178
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2007 - 11:54 am: |
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I think this is very common to see, and I have to agree, it's likely from getting up and down and rubbing a sore. ( my foal has them too and I've seen it many times ) I just use some aniseptic and then some sort of antibiotic salve. They heal, and that's usually the first place (and on their bum after foal scours) that I see the true color of my foal.. so I've learned to appreciate those little scrapes and equate them to skinned knees on my boys when they were small.
Does anyone have a magic formula to get rid of that nasty thick foal coat? I have Havoc entered in a futurity in August and would LOVE to be rid of the wool he's wearing by then.. Ev |
JANE OLNEY
Breeding Stock
Username: Shotsnurse1
Post Number: 282
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2007 - 09:36 pm: |
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Shave em..... |
JANE OLNEY
Breeding Stock
Username: Shotsnurse1
Post Number: 283
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2007 - 09:41 pm: |
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I shaved him and since then have been getting all those shaggies in the armpits and around his ears and on the tummy casual like....
I plan to have my trainer take Woody to a show to do a 2 yr and under halter class and a 2 yr and under trail class,spend the day with him, showing him the ropes. |
E Watkins
Breeding Stock
Username: Ev_watkins
Post Number: 181
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 - 04:53 pm: |
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Jane- my experiences with doing a body clip have not been positive ones.. the wooly look is better...LOL. THe babies last year were SO hot that I did shave them, they looked sad..lol, but at least they were cooler during the scorching summer months! I'm wondering about a supplement a friend told me about, it's called Shine and Win by Buckeye feeds. I'm concerned with giving Havoc TOO much protien and fat in his diet though.. does anyone have any thoughts on that? |
Terrie Stout
Neonate
Username: Junebugbooglet
Post Number: 5
Registered: 06-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 12:18 pm: |
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Thank You Everyone for your wonderful advice.....
I was so concerned that I wasn't do things right and it's a relief to know that this is a normal occurrance and I will keep salve on them.... they seem to healing up nicely......Thanks Again! |
Michele
Yearling
Username: Mich
Post Number: 52
Registered: 02-2006
| | Posted on Monday, October 22, 2007 - 08:06 am: |
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I know this reply is late but I just had to smile when I read this thread as I remember how flummoxed I was the first time I saw this. The 'grazes' are the result of the mare nipping at the foal's hocks when he nurses too hard. I've never seen a foal that doesn't have them at some stage or possibly until weaning. It's got nothing to do with rough ground or lying down. It's got everything to do with the mare's sharp teeth!
It's a very necessary and natural form of discipline she imposes on him to 'mind his manners'.
Michele |
