Opinions on if a kick could've caused these injuries please?

[nicenewone1]

I have been round the field with a fine tooth comb and there's nothing that is untoward there at all.

Opinions on the yard are that it's a kick, but the vet says the marks are inconsistent with a kick and it's a nail in the fence. It is definitely not a nail, as there are none in the fence. The yard opinions are based on the fact he's very young and getting himself into bother with the other horses. He's also the new boy on the yard.

There are two tiny marks if you can see them, one above the knee and one above the fetlock.

What do you guys think please?

In my experience kicks usually show as a more curved wound (like the shape of the shoe) and are accompanied by bruising. It looks to me like he might have just bashed himself on a corner of the fence or gate or something. Whenever I have seen a nail wound - fortunately not often - there's more of a tear to the skin.

I would have thought a kick on the leg sufficient to cause a hole would also bruise, particularly near the joint.

Given where they are, could he have lain on something? It would be difficult to find something in the grass or in his bedding, and it could cause that kind of wound.

Thanks

he didn't have those injuries when he was turned out, and when he was brought in, it had recently happened as they were very fresh.

He was not lame when brought in, but the following morning his knee had swollen and he was lame for 5 days. The vet just happened to be on the yard at the time and took a look. She put him on antibiotics.

I suppose he could have lain on something in the field, but it still seems odd

The yard staff said there is a particular injury caused by a certain part of the shoe that can leave marks like that?

Never seen a kick present like that.

I've never seen a kick injury that looks like that and we had a mare that was always getting into fights so seen plenty .

Are any of the horses turned out with studs still in their shoes, do you know?

Is he rubbing his backside/ legs against the fence? Some of ours like to have a tail scratch against the fence - perhaps he's done this and got caught on something?

DressageNut, I thought about studs (road studs maybe) but they are in a strange place being so far apart like that. I agree that a nail would tear rather than puncture.

Are there any brambles or blackthorn in the field? I had a pony with a thorn in his leg which I didn't notice as he had thick feathers and it was only a tiny wound. His leg swelled up as well.

I'm assuming you haven't got any barbed wire?

Thanks for your input guys

No barbed wire in field, yes there are brambles and thorns, but they are so far behind the fence we don't think he would be able to reach them.

I don't think any will have studs in either, but it's certainly worth double checking that, so thank you.

My mare did something very similar to that top wound once by scratching her face against her leg whilst wearing her grazing muzzle (it was one of the Greenguard ones with lots of buckles around the nose area). The puncture was caused by the point on one of the buckles which when checked turned out to have a really sharp point to the end. I would have had no idea what caused it if I hadn't seen her do it. Does your horse or any of the others they are turned out with wear a head collar or muzzle with buckles in the field maybe? The flies are bad at the moment so lots of scratching faces against legs/other horses legs might be going on?

Thanks sunset, no grazing muzzles on any horses in the yard.

It's still a mystery, and he's still not quite right

Looks like some kind of horrid insect bites to me? I had similar of my foot; started as red itching lump, pointed, then lots of eggs came out...and then it looked like your horse

I'd put money on that not being caused by a kick.