Worried about Penley

[dalesponyrider]

I am a bit worried about a couple of small wounds just above Penley's hocks. I found them when he was just a few days old but also found a bit of metal cable in the field on top of a pile of poo. I thought that as the marks were identical on both sides that he had somehow wrapped the cable round his back legs. They healed up and dried really quickly. He wasn't lame or bothered at all.

Then just as I was going to Oxford Teresa noticed one was a bit red and she asked me to check it. By the time I got to it, it was all dried up and fine again. Then yesterday, when I came back, one had opened up a tiny bit again. I can't work out what is happening. I did wonder if he was rubbing them on something as he has similar by one ear that is on the point of opening up in the same way and I KNOW he is rubbing that. I haven't seen him doing anything that could account for the little wounds on his hocks though. I also wondered if D was nipping him but I haven't seen her do it.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

I am asking in the hope that someone has - otherwise I'm calling the vet. I probably should have done it before this. Oh God, why does everything happen at once?

Here are some photos, not very good quality as taken with my phone. Will get better ones with my camera asap. You can see some marks that I know are rub marks on the back of his hocks, the ones I'm worried about are on the sides.

[lancslass]

if hes laying on the hard ground linda, he could be taking the tops of the scabs as hes getting up....the hair on his hock looks broken off like hes been scrubbing them maybe getting up. hes not laying on the hard standing is he? or he could be rubbing them on something because the wound itches as it heals?
i would get the vet to check him out if you are worried

[dalesponyrider]

Thanks for replying Karen. No he's not lying on hard standing but the field is pretty hard and dry. The back of his hocks are definitely rubbed from the ground.

I am off to Hillside now and will stay overnight in the caravan to watch carefully. Please, if there are any more replies to this thread that might be helpful to me, can someone who has my mobile number give me a ring to tell me about it? Maybe pop a note on here as well to say they have spoken to me to save any unnecessary calls. Thanks guys. I'll post when I'm back home.

[bevbob]

Also flies are a nuicance at this time where wounds are concerned and they seem to open little scabs up. Hope its something and nothing and they dissapear.

[cadeby]

Raider (nearly 4 months old) has one very similar mark on the outside of one of his hocks. It mystified me until I saw his Mum bite him on his hock whilst he was suckling. He obviously chewed too hard on her udder and she gave him a warning nip

I would probably get the vet to check if he gets any more, or they refuse to heal. If they are slightly infected or itchy you can guarantee he will find something unsuitable to rub them on and could make them worse.

Another thought is leg mites? Foals can catch them from mites living in their dam's feathers. Mum could be immune to their presence so you wouldn't necessarily know they were there, but foals don't have the antibodies and can react more.

Try not to worry - they don't look too deep/serious but it is always best to try and identify the cause

[sammy]

Have you checked him for lice? Lat year I had a foal with lice at 2 weeks old. Or are they horse fly bites that he has chewed or rubbed. Our little one rubbed her cheek last week were a horse fly had been sitting.

[harveydales]

My mare Alex had exactly the same when she was born, in exactly the same place on both hocks and it was a bit of a problem on and off for several weeks. I didn't want to worry you or make a big thing of it when i saw Penley, but it really looked exactly the same. We never found out the cause but in her case, being a puny TB, infection set in and she had to go on antibiotics. It did clear up eventually and caused no long term problems. Wouldn't hurt to talk to your vet.

[manorian]

Don't worry about it Linda. The first foal I ever had did this. I did not have a clue so asked the vet about it. Apparently, there is a small bone which protrudes in this spot as a foal or horse gets up and down. Until they develop more muscle and flesh in the area it can rub. Tiqua has the exact same but she is 9 weeks now and they have started to heal.

[leannwithconnie]

Have just seen onthe other thread in Horsey Chat that you have had some more advice and it sounds as if you can stop worrying and open some wine Linda.

[sunny]

I have passed all this information on to Linda this morning and she sends her thanks to all for your replies and advice.

[dalesponyrider]

Yes, thank you everyone for your replies. I thought I had put my thanks on here but see now I haven't!

The bone thing is interesting, maybe it helps contribute to the problem but there are quite a few of us now that have seen D nipping Penley's hocks quite hard so I think that was the main problem. He seems to be a lot more circumspect when sidling up for a milky drink now anyway! The wounds are dried up nicely now so maybe he has learned some manners!

[sammy]

Good news then!