Advice for a horse with one flat foot!!

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malcolmmacaw

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My 13 year old ex racer has odd front feet. His white foot is flat & I think it's getting flatter. I asked my farrier if he could do anything & he replied, "not without laming him!" Helpful!!! Can anything be done????
 
In my experience this is not uncommon in ex racers. He is likely to have a body issue somewhere which is not in the foot, causing him to want one foot flatter than the other or use himself wrongly on that foot. Is he completely sound???
 
I never thought of pics!! After getting advice from Spillers, he's fed conditioning fibre, small amount of cool mix, a dollop of speedy beet & good quality hay. Haylage makes him daft!! He raced til he was 10, which is when I bought him & he had a flat foot then. His dark foot is a better shape. Farrier has always said its cos that foot is white??? Totally sound & always has been. Again, 'farrier says' "he's managed this long with odd feet, so stop worrying!" He did put what looked like back shoes on him without asking me, but they affected his natural movement. He's a stunning mover, but those stupid shoes shortened his trot & he stopped extending & flicking his toes. Soon as they came off, his movement came back. I've had my farrier for years, so am apprehensive about changing in case the next ones no better.
 
Sorry - Change your farrier!!!!

You need to find one that is more helpful and communicative! Mine will happily discuss options with me and I understand exactly what he's doing with both my horses. One is a flat-footed ex-racer!

The important thing with flat feet is to give frog support by using the plastic pads which have the chevroned frog support. Also the balance needs to be spot on too.

So my advice, pads and a decent farrier - and yes they are out there! For recomendations speak to your vet!
 
I'd honestly be shopping around for another farrier :( I wouldn't be happy if mine stuck quarter clips on without discussing or explaining why first. It's also a myth that white feet are weaker than black, he should know that :/

My first thought was a potential injury that's causing uneven loading, or past injury that's caused him to put more weight on his white foot than it can take for a prolonged period, and perhaps the horn quality or foot balance isn't sufficient to rectify itself now he's sound?

Sorry, hope it works out

J&C
 
Not every area of the country has its pick and choice of farriers, charmeroo. My own experience is that pads weaken the foot further. A flat foot very often has its frog supported on the floor, and that's really where you want it.

MM, Your horse is sound and you bought him with odd feet and you only have a suspicion that they have changed. I really feel that if you try to change this now you could be asking for trouble. Why fix what ain't broke? It really is not uncommon in ex racers. My friends had one with the most unmatched pair of feet I have ever seen in my life and he was the toughest soundest horse in the world.

It is perfectly possible that your horse has naturally flat front feet because of his early shoeing and exceptionally high-grain diet as a racehorse, and that the OTHER foot is the odd one. Sometimes a flat-footed horse will grow a more boxy foot on one leg because it has one leg shorter than the other. Another friend has a horse like this.

The only time I would try to change this is if he is landing toe first with either of his feet. If he is, then he is causing wear on tendons inside his foot which may eventually make him lame. My solution to that would be to take the shoes off altogether. If your horse is flat or heel first landing - then meddle at your peril!
 
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Are you sure it is the flat foot that has changed, or has the other foot contracted? When there is a problem in one foot, often the foot starts to contract, so if there is a problem, it may well be in the smaller foot rather than the flat one .. ...
 
Thank you very much for your replies. It's funny that a couple of you have said that it migh be his other foot that's the odd one. That's what my farrier said! He was a chaser til he was 10 so he's obviously gone the distance without any problems & he hasn't gone lame in the 3 years that I've had him. He's a really extravagant mover but apart from hacking & a bit of dressage, he's certainly not over worked. Also, good, reliable farriers taking on new clients are hard to come by where i am, so it may be worth having a long chat with the one I have next time he comes. I have him shod every 6 weeks, so it's not long til the next time. Thanks again for your input.
 
malcolmmacaw said:
I never thought of pics!! After getting advice from Spillers, he's fed conditioning fibre, small amount of cool mix, a dollop of speedy beet & good quality hay. Haylage makes him daft!! He raced til he was 10, which is when I bought him & he had a flat foot then. His dark foot is a better shape. Farrier has always said its cos that foot is white??? Totally sound & always has been. Again, 'farrier says' "he's managed this long with odd feet, so stop worrying!" He did put what looked like back shoes on him without asking me, but they affected his natural movement. He's a stunning mover, but those stupid shoes shortened his trot & he stopped extending & flicking his toes. Soon as they came off, his movement came back. I've had my farrier for years, so am apprehensive about changing in case the next ones no better.
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I might add that perhaps when farrier said "it's cos that foot is white." He may have meant it looked different to our eyes due to the different colour rather than it's weaker because it's white?
 
For some reason, it does stick in my head that I've been told white feet aren't as good, but I can't remember whether it's from the farrier or someone else. I looked at his feet this morning & they didn't seem as odd today! Maybe it's just me that's odd!;-) I tried taking some pictures but they're not very good cos my daft horse kept licking my phone. Probably got some great shots of his tongue!!
 
Thanks Floradora. Just had a look at the instructions on the forum but it won't lt me o. From my iPad & I can't be bored to get up right now & switch my computer on. I'm having a lazy Sunday afternoon! What a refreshing change! :)
 
malcolmmacaw said:
For some reason, it does stick in my head that I've been told white feet aren't as good, but I can't remember whether it's from the farrier or someone else. I looked at his feet this morning & they didn't seem as odd today! Maybe it's just me that's odd!;-) I tried taking some pictures but they're not very good cos my daft horse kept licking my phone. Probably got some great shots of his tongue!!
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There is a myth that white feet aren't as strong as dark. But it is just a myth (a bit like not buying a horse with more than one white sock, or buying a chestnut mare.....).

I really can't believe a qualified farrier would have meant it like that though. I'm sure he meant it is down to our eyes.

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