Pictures Concerned about these feet....

SatansLittleHelper

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I took these of Rex's feet tonight as I'm concerned about how they are growing. Farrier is coming at the end of the week.
Rex is unshod, never worn shoes. His feet are clearly overdue a trim (11 weeks since last trim, not done by my farrier but by the one the trainer uses. They are normally done every 8-10) and this is the first time I've really seen them like this. Both are on his off side,pic 1 is the fore and 2 is the hind.
He saw the physio 13 weeks ago who said he showed a slight weakness on that side but nothing to write home about.
He has an old splint on near fore and Capped his hock on the near hind 11 weeks ago but was never lame and it's gone down significantly.
Obviously I will get the physio out for another look st him too.
It's almost as though he must be standing on the outside of his hooves on that side..??? He showed no problems under saddle.
Thoughts/advice at all please..????
20200525_220201_resize_22.jpg20200525_220246_resize_82_compress13.jpg
 

ihatework

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Well he is balancing out something.

But without seeing the whole picture I wouldn’t wish to speculate.

Whether it’s a problem or not only time will tell. Personally I’d be getting a good vet to check the horse but appreciate not everyone would. I’d probably also want some foot balance xrays and I’d be using a decent farrier every 6 weeks to trim to X-ray.
 

ownedbyaconnie

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My mare’s hind is doing similar! One side of her hoof appears to be growing faster than the other. Or maybe one side is being worn faster? Either way she’s obviously putting her weight down unevenly, not that I can see Any difference when she’s moving but I’m not very good at spotting things like that.

she has her first trim today since taking her fronts off so I am going to speak to the farrier and will let you know what he says.
 

ycbm

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Try not to panic, he's been working for the first time in his life and he had a naturally weak side. That side is going to have strengthened up, bulked up, and changed the way the weight is landing on his feet. I would get the farrier in every six weeks to check, and hopefully they will grow straight as he adjusts to his new body.

.
 
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Polos Mum

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I'm no expert but as I understand it, it isn't that he's wearing away one side, more that he's growing flare on the other side for more support. I would look into what he might be needing support for, so the cause not the symptom.

I inherited a horse that had had failed hock fusion, he arrived with wildly expensive remedial shoes that had a big wedge on them to provide him the support he needed. With the shoes off off his hoof grew exactly the same shape. In winter (soft ground) it goes almost straight, hard ground and the flare is back amazingly quickly.
 

SatansLittleHelper

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Thanks everyone. I can speak to vet about x-rays.
Just to clarify that he wouldn't usually go as long as he has between trims...average 8 weeks, this has been on farrier advice. I will of course look to getting them done more often. He's shown no lameness and trainer said he wasn't uneven under saddle. He's moving freely in the field also.
Farrier is coming at midday tomorrow so don't think I can get x-rays done before that.


I'm no expert but as I understand it, it isn't that he's wearing away one side, more that he's growing flare on the other side for more support. I would look into what he might be needing support for, so the cause not the symptom.

I inherited a horse that had had failed hock fusion, he arrived with wildly expensive remedial shoes that had a big wedge on them to provide him the support he needed. With the shoes off off his hoof grew exactly the same shape. In winter (soft ground) it goes almost straight, hard ground and the flare is back amazingly quickly.

This is interesting as he's not had this before (though I've only had him since July) and our ground has been absolutely appallingly wet until the last 2 months or so.
 

Cinnamontoast

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11 weeks since he was last trimmed? I can’t do more than 7, despite what my farrier says, the boy’s hooves go to shit otherwise. The lines are even showing the wonky trend. What does the other side look like? Are they leaning the same way?
 

SatansLittleHelper

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CT, he's normally done on average every 8 (maybe slightly longer if it's really wet as we don't have stabling and have to wait for a dry ish day) and they have never looked like this before, hence me asking. The other side shows normal growth without issue.
Just to add, my farrier is amazing usually so I don't have an issue with his work.
 

Goldenstar

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I trim every two weeks myself with a trimmer or farrier looking at them I would say every ten weeks at very most .
But that’s just when I am trimming if I am not I do five weeks we did last spring when I had had my hip replacement .
I had the trimmer to some horses every three when we have had issues
 

ownedbyaconnie

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SLH - farrier has just been. For mine at least he wasn't concerned, he said he sees all manner of things when they are transitioning to barefoot (this was her first trim since taking shoes off 8 weeks ago) so he's more interested to see what happens between today and the next trim in 8 weeks.

I don't know the history of your horse so not sure if this applies to you but hopefully it's nothing to worry about!
 

SatansLittleHelper

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SLH - farrier has just been. For mine at least he wasn't concerned, he said he sees all manner of things when they are transitioning to barefoot (this was her first trim since taking shoes off 8 weeks ago) so he's more interested to see what happens between today and the next trim in 8 weeks.

I don't know the history of your horse so not sure if this applies to you but hopefully it's nothing to worry about!

Thank you for that. I've shown pics to my farrier and he doesn't seem overly concerned. I am waiting for a call back from the vet to see if I can get him checked out also and x-ray if needed.
Rex is half Connemara, do they tend to have odd feet..??
 

Michen

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SLH - farrier has just been. For mine at least he wasn't concerned, he said he sees all manner of things when they are transitioning to barefoot (this was her first trim since taking shoes off 8 weeks ago) so he's more interested to see what happens between today and the next trim in 8 weeks.

I don't know the history of your horse so not sure if this applies to you but hopefully it's nothing to worry about!

Yep mine has been growing slightly wonky feet. Just turned 4. Am not massively concerned tbh, he’s a baby! I certainly wouldn’t be going down the route of x rays. I remember DabDab saying something very sensible to me about Boggles feet once- that perhaps they grow the feet they need at the time, and when you think about how many changes a youngster goes through this makes sense to me.

Mine had been self trimming but has gone footy so being booted, he is due a trim too.
 

ownedbyaconnie

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From what I have read as well it seems horses (on the whole) have a fantastic ability to grow what they need to adapt to the situation they find themselves in.

The only issues connemaras can have is hoof wall separation disease.

If you're going to worry about it (I know I do) then a look over by the vet isn't going to do any harm :)
 

ihatework

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My take on it is that yes their feet adapt to what their body needs.

But is that a minor adaption to a slightly less than perfect conformation, in which case I’m less concerned, or is it an adaption to something rumbling on?

If the latter then letting them go wonky doesn’t address the underlying cause. All it will ultimately do is put pressures on other structures and in months/years you will have a fooked horse. Intervene early and you optimise your chances of stopping that.

For me the balance on those is significant enough that at the very least I’d be monitoring closely. It could just be trimming neglect exacerbating a mild change.

But I’d want a professional who knows what they are doing looking at the whole picture. The foot balance, the horses conformation and the way the horse is moving.
 

Gloi

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Looking at the growth of that hoof again it hasn't just happened. It has shown up more because of the length of time between trims but you can see that the hoof has actually been growing that way a long time but probably just being trimmed off before it got as noticable. There must be a reason the horse is putting down the hoof taking more weight on the outside. It may just be a conformation problem and not moving straight or the first indication of lameness developing.
 

Errin Paddywack

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The old brood mare I have adopted has a foot like this. You can see that she leans her weight to the outside. In her case watching her front on she toes in drastically on the off fore and the action appears to come from the knee. Amazingly despite have had a ridden career as well as a brood mare she has very clean legs and no obvious splints or other problems caused by it which I would have expected. Personally I wouldn't have bred from a horse with conformation like this but in fairness she has never passed it on and as she has the most perfect temperament and is well bred I suppose it was justified.
She was well overdue for trimming when this was taken and I was waiting for the farrier when I took them. Should have taken some after pics but forgot.

Birdie off fore.jpg
 

Tarragon

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My older pony (22 years) has a hind that grows slightly like the one in your photo, due to developing arthritis in his hock. My barefoot trimmer said that it is a balancing act between maintaining a symmetrical hoof , and allowing the pony to adapt to a different way of going. If you go too far to making it look perfect, you will probably be doing some damage else where, and if you just let the hoof change shape it could probably end up exacerbating the original symptoms even further. I feel that if the balance is right and the pony sound, then a slightly asymmetrical hoof is fine.
 

Leo Walker

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I dont want to worry you but that's how I used to know Leo wasn't right. He would look sound but one hind foot would go exactly like that. I would cancel the farrier tomorrow.

I'd get a decent bodyworker out to look at him and see if he just has any residual tension from being backed. If nothing was found I'd get Tom Beech or Rob Jackson out to look. I'd also swap to a trimmer. Mine will spend ages with me and would spend some time looking at the wear and where its coming from etc. It would worry me that your farrier doesn't think its an issue, because if it isn't, its going to be.

Is he evenly muscled if you look at him from behind? Take some photos as it can be easier to see. Make sure you look at the inner hind limbs as well, move the tail to of the way. There might be a clue there.
 

Leo Walker

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I'd also be wondering about PSSM and going over him with a fine tooth comb to see if he has any symptoms, and then probably trying a high dose of vitamin e anyway.
 

SatansLittleHelper

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Thanks for replies.
No horse walker at the trainers so it's not that.
He has not been lame and is evenly muscled. Farrier has said, to be fair, that he needs to see the whole horse before making further comment. I won't change from using him as he has been brilliant, we tried to use barefoot trimmers twice in previous years which was a disaster...never again..!!!! When you say bodyworker I assume you mean physio..???
I think perhaps my first port of call is going to have to be for the vet to come and check him over.
 

SatansLittleHelper

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Just spoken to the vet. They have the photos via email, they will take a look and advise from there. Provisional app booked for Friday and they've said not to cancel farrier til the ring me this evening.
Seriously, this is all just my bloody luck :(
 

tallyho!

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They just look long to me and considering the foot takes 6 month to grow down having a foot go off balance 3 months is bound to have an effect further up. People only seem to consider the top affecting the bottom but the other way is also true! A balanced hoof is most of the way there and in summer I trim mine every 4 weeks...
 
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