I am boarding this one horse and he is in his stall right now. I put him out and he was out basically all morning, but now he just wants to stay inside. I think he is snoozing or resting right now, but when I left him, his left rear leg/hoof is up. Is this what all horses do when they are resting ? Do they keep one or more of their hoofs off the ground? If not, what can I do? It seems like he doesn't want to put pressure on it..should I call the owner and notify him of this?
Answers:
Good lord. The horse is fine. When they're taking a nap they will rest one back leg and lock their knees into place. Don't worry about it. This is common horse knowledge and every horse does this when they're relaxed.
shoot him and get another one
If he's holding it up in the air I would call the owner. If he has it up on the toe so to speak he is just shifting his weight to relax comfortably. He could have just twisted it wrong or maybe picked up a rock. But if he still has the front of the hoof touching the ground he's just shifting weight.
I would call the owner and let them be responsible for deciding if something is wrong.
Yes definitely call the owner, that is NOT normal behavior.
If you can, try to watch his gaits and see if he is uneven (lame). Whichever leg/hoof you think is sore, he will take a shorter step and the beat will seem off. You could also take a hoof pick and press it into the bottom of his foot lightly at first and then apply a little more pressure. be sure to be careful around the frog. He may have a rock in the hoof or there may be an absess. Of course, tell the owner your concerns, even if there is nothing wrong, they will appreciate your attention to their horse. Good luck!
yes, that is very comon. they do it when they are resting.
Unless the horse won't walk on it, he's just fine. horses rest like that alot
He's fine. One way to test this is lead him around, if he walks fine and puts weight on the hoof, then he's fine. If he limps, then call his owner.
At leat you're observant. Last place I was at (for a short time) thought a MAJOR injury was no big deal. Who cares if the horse may be lame for the rest of her life. This is why I lease pasture and don't board any more. I can take better care of them myself, thank you.
Horses rest a hind leg when they are sleeping or resting, just like we stand with one foot on its toe.
Unless the horse is limping or won't put weight on it when you lead it, i would say its ok.
If tehhorse is resting, it won't want to put weight on its leg, and it may also change legs.
Try to walk him around the paddock, in teh open and in the light. If he walks uneven or seems to have a sore leg, (limping or moving awkwardly) call teh owners to have them take a look, the horse may have an underlying problem or a past problem the owners know of.
Dont worry, horses are lazy animals and like us need to rest. If you can let him have a paddock to rest in, you may find he will walk around to eat, and you can see if hes lame or not.
Hope this helps!
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