KatB
Well-Known Member
Any experiences? We have a yearling TB on our yard with a club foot. It is getting better with every trim, but is still quite upright. Anyone any experience of a horse with one? Did it ever cause soundness probs etc?
Club Foot....
- Thread starter KatB
- Start date
Natalie_H
Well-Known Member
My TB has one - came to me like it off the track. I think it developed as the result of a fractured cannon bone as a youngster.
It has got better with a good farrier, but has always been a rubbishy hoof re keeping shoes on. Has no effect on his soundness though.
It has got better with a good farrier, but has always been a rubbishy hoof re keeping shoes on. Has no effect on his soundness though.
SilverSkye
Well-Known Member
A good local show jumper's top horse has a club foot it has got a lot better with trimming but is still very obvious, he must have had her 5 years now and she is still jumping her socks off so cant be causing to many problems.
Spyda
Well-Known Member
Yes, one of my TB foals had a club foot. Like yours it improved a lot with trimming whilst he was young. Once he was shod it never caused him any problems. The foot was boxier than the offside front but never caused any soundness issues.
KatB
Well-Known Member
Hmm, interesting, thank you. The colt went to the sales (TB)earlier this year, and didnt sell. He has a fantastic attitude and is otherwise very well put together, and has been offered to us for £200..... we were just concerned about the foot...
vennessa
Well-Known Member
We have an ex-racehorse which has i was told on seeing her was a club foot. Just looks a little bit more upright to me.
I was told she can't walk on un-even ground and all sorts of rubbish. If it were true she wouldn't have been in the raceing yard.
Anyway she is in a lumpy bumpy field and we had forgotten about it until i read this.
It has not caused any problems whatsoever.
I was told she can't walk on un-even ground and all sorts of rubbish. If it were true she wouldn't have been in the raceing yard.
Anyway she is in a lumpy bumpy field and we had forgotten about it until i read this.
It has not caused any problems whatsoever.
dotty1
Well-Known Member
My old tb had a boxy club foot, it never caused him any problems don't ever remember him ever having a lame day, and I got him when he was 4 and had him til he was PTS at 23.
Spyda
Well-Known Member
If you like him, honestly, don't be terribly put off by his foot. At £200 he's worth it if he's nice in all other ways and you're happy to accept he'll never win any show classes. He's got the advantage of having been treated from a young age by the farrier and it will continue to improve with careful trimming. My colt with the foot was born at stud remained there until 7 months old when he arrived back home with his in foal dam. Neither horse had seen a farrier whilst up there (long story
) so he wasn't seen and trimmed appropriately until almost 8 months old. Maybe with remedial trimming earlier on he might have been even better, but even so, he's never been unsound infront and is now an 11 years old gelding leading a happy and productive life. I'd go for it if you like him.
jesterfaerie
Well-Known Member
My ex-racer has one and although I haven't had him very long he has had no problems with it and my farrier is not very concerned about it.
KatB
Well-Known Member
Thanks Spyda. He has been treated by a very good farrier since he was born practically! Wouldnt want to show him anyway... thanks, bit of thinking to do
Daisy11
Well-Known Member
my mare had it when she was a youngster after alot of trims it came right nothing to worry about nothing that trims couldnt sort out
Daisy11
Well-Known Member
as to showing whos to say he wouldnt win i show my mare all the time and has always been placed in the top three
LauraBR
Well-Known Member
Lots of positive responses but I'm afraid I'm going to level it out a bit!
A good friend of mine has a lovely mare with a boxy club foot. She does a lot of unaff eventing and hunter trialling etc and last year she had some serious tendon problems brought about by her foot conformation.
After about 6 months box rest and barefoot trimming she is back in work now a year down the line but the root of the problem remains.
Having seen what my friend went through I wouldn't consider buying a horse with any kind of odd feet.
A good friend of mine has a lovely mare with a boxy club foot. She does a lot of unaff eventing and hunter trialling etc and last year she had some serious tendon problems brought about by her foot conformation.
After about 6 months box rest and barefoot trimming she is back in work now a year down the line but the root of the problem remains.
Having seen what my friend went through I wouldn't consider buying a horse with any kind of odd feet.
TarrSteps
Well-Known Member
It depends a lot what you want the horse for.
I do know quite a few horses who have gone on to have long, sound, successful lives with club feet, although I'll say most of them have actually been bilaterally upright and of a "compensatory" conformation. (One won an Olympic medal and is an approved stallion.
)
BUT I also know of many who have had problems. Sometimes early on, with issues of foot soundness, balance etc.; more often later with premature breakdown of other structures. Again, you might very well be able to "manage" such a horse but is that really what you want to be doing? Remember even if the horse is cheap now he'll cost just as much as any other horse to treat if he gets in trouble and a horse with an obvious issue is always a greater candidate for trouble.
It also depends on what you want the horse for. If your plan is to event it soundness has to be a priority. If you want to just have it to ride and can pick and choose with regards to work load, footing etc. it's likely to be less of an issue.
If the horse is just about perfect in every other way it might be a deal and a half. But it's still an "if".
If the issue is resale, I'd walk away. Unless the club foot is almost invisible with shoeing it will always come up as a question. IF at some later date the horse has done a fair bit and stayed not only sound but is not showing signs of trouble a buyer (and vet) might overlook it but you would always be under the gun to prove it's not a problem. Plus you would have to keep the horse and compete it up to that point. And the foot conformation will likely always have some bearing on the price you could ask and the success of vetting it.
Up to you, really. Horses are always a gamble - only you know what's worth it.
I do know quite a few horses who have gone on to have long, sound, successful lives with club feet, although I'll say most of them have actually been bilaterally upright and of a "compensatory" conformation. (One won an Olympic medal and is an approved stallion.
BUT I also know of many who have had problems. Sometimes early on, with issues of foot soundness, balance etc.; more often later with premature breakdown of other structures. Again, you might very well be able to "manage" such a horse but is that really what you want to be doing? Remember even if the horse is cheap now he'll cost just as much as any other horse to treat if he gets in trouble and a horse with an obvious issue is always a greater candidate for trouble.
It also depends on what you want the horse for. If your plan is to event it soundness has to be a priority. If you want to just have it to ride and can pick and choose with regards to work load, footing etc. it's likely to be less of an issue.
If the horse is just about perfect in every other way it might be a deal and a half. But it's still an "if".
If the issue is resale, I'd walk away. Unless the club foot is almost invisible with shoeing it will always come up as a question. IF at some later date the horse has done a fair bit and stayed not only sound but is not showing signs of trouble a buyer (and vet) might overlook it but you would always be under the gun to prove it's not a problem. Plus you would have to keep the horse and compete it up to that point. And the foot conformation will likely always have some bearing on the price you could ask and the success of vetting it.
Up to you, really. Horses are always a gamble - only you know what's worth it.
KatB
Well-Known Member
Agree Tarrsteps. I wouldnt be going in alone if we did decide to, but yes Resale would be an issue. It isnt a massively obvious club foot, but it is still a club foot. Will have a ponder
TarrSteps
Well-Known Member
Because the horse is so young it might be improved by corrective trimming, turn out etc. but even then, the window for real change is pretty much closed. And if you're looking to resell as a riding horse you're still years away from being able to do that, in which case there will be incurred costs . . .
If the horse was three, had been racing and stayed sound I have to say I might even be more encouraging but in this case it sounds like the horse is a cast off and the sellers are looking for someone else to assume a considerable risk. Admittedly the price is right but there are still the costs . . . and remember that once you have him, you have him. Are you willing to take the money away from G and your competing to give the yearling what he would need? (I'm speaking from experience here!
)
Okay, I'll leave you alone to ponder now.
If the horse was three, had been racing and stayed sound I have to say I might even be more encouraging but in this case it sounds like the horse is a cast off and the sellers are looking for someone else to assume a considerable risk. Admittedly the price is right but there are still the costs . . . and remember that once you have him, you have him. Are you willing to take the money away from G and your competing to give the yearling what he would need? (I'm speaking from experience here!
Okay, I'll leave you alone to ponder now.
KatB
Well-Known Member
Yeah I do agree. It is more of a "heartstrings" decision as he really does have an awesome attitude, and is a mini horse already if that makes sense?! But I dont think he would stand upto eventing, the plan would be to put him in a field for 2yrs, back him, do a bit and sell, but yes, the foot would prob still be an issue. He is going to the sales in August anyway, just the owner (racehorse stud) knew I liked him and offered him to me. Prob not a good plan...
annunziata
Well-Known Member
I had a young rider SJ horse and she never had a problem with it jumped loads and won loads never an issue!
Lwhite
Active Member
I currently own a 22 yr old SHP that we have had for nigh on 14 yrs. Originaly bought for my then young son to do PC she came to us having won several champs in showing and is still winning in veteran classes despite having a boxy front foot. She has only recently been fitted with gel pads in front to compensate for the very stony ground as she bruised her sole on her boxy foot due to it being lower than normal, but other than that we have had no foot related problems with her at all. She is a tough,fit and very agile little cookie.
D
Donkeymad
Guest
The boy I sold recently had a club foot, caused absolutely no problems, just needed a good farrier to keep it properly trimmed.