Dishing? Experiences?

[Lilly-Mayspookatbags]

I’ve recently discovered that my new horse dishes.

I love her and she’s not going anywhere but I was just wanting to know peoples experiences with it.

She is 11 and Barefoot, farrier said her feet were in great condition.

Happy to send videos for people to look at as I have never dealt with this.

 

[Shay]

I've a young connie prone to dishing. It really depends on how bad it is. Proper shoeing can help correct foot balance (Yes I know the bare foot lobbey will yell - but you might need to correct the balance beyond what you can achive by trimming) Proper schooling can minimise it- but she's 11. You don;t say what level of schooling she has. It might be you can get an improvement with a better way of going. Otherwise just boot accodingly and carry on!

 

[Lilly-Mayspookatbags]

She’s been well schooled to a relatively basic level, although been out of work for 2 years.

 

[Cortez]

I have horses that come from a breed that tends to dish (Spanish). Never had the slightest problem with any of them, and never tried to "correct" them either.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Correction through shoeing can cause more problems than it solves, I would leave her feet as they want to be. We have had a few R&D cobs that have dished, it's never been a problem.

 

[shortstuff99]

My horse (Spanish) dishes and is pigeon toed, but when she lands she lands straight so it causes no issues. She has never been shod in her life which means her hooves have shaped to allow her to land perfectly straight, if a farrier tried to straighten them she would no longer land level and would go lame! She has never had a lame day in her life and is working towards GP in dressage.

All I would say is if she is sound and landing correctly I would leave well alone!

 

[sheep]

Our mare dished, but it seemed to become less pronounced when she was fully fit and never regressed (she's now a full time potato).

 

[vmac66]

My mare dishes. Doesn't cause her any problems. Improves slightly when she's in full work.

 

[ycbm]

The important thing is the foot must land on both sides at the same time. If it does that PLEASE don't let anyone try to correct the dish, it will put strain on the leg joints.

That applies whether shod or not.

.

 

[Red-1]

My first event horse dished as badly as anything. He would more or less scoop the arena surface out of the arena . Mum was not a horse person per se, but could always recognise George in any collecting ring as he dished so much and was noisy in his wind as well.

Never bothered him. Evented to intermediate. Competed until he was 18. Superstar horse.

The only thing that worries me about your post is that you have only just noticed. With mine, it would have been one of the first things you noticed about him! Is it something in the way that he is being trimmed? I would discuss this with the farrier. As YCBM says, if the feet are balanced then I would not change the trim because of dishing, but there is an outside chance that you have just noticed because something detrimental has happened with the trimming. Maybe the horse was incorrectly trimmed to hide a dish? Maybe the farrier is doing a sterling job, but you do need to discuss this. Either that or you have been unobservant in the past and have become more tuned in to your horse?

 

[Shilasdair]

Dishing is a result of a certain conformation. You can't change the way the horse is built, and trying to do so will cause uneven strain on the legs.

Trust your farrier to look after the feet, accept she dishes, and do nothing else but enjoy her.

 

[Lilly-Mayspookatbags]

The only thing that worries me about your post is that you have only just noticed. With mine, it would have been one of the first things you noticed about him! Is it something in the way that he is being trimmed? I would discuss this with the farrier. As YCBM says, if the feet are balanced then I would not change the trim because of dishing, but there is an outside chance that you have just noticed because something detrimental has happened with the trimming. Maybe the horse was incorrectly trimmed to hide a dish? Maybe the farrier is doing a sterling job, but you do need to discuss this. Either that or you have been unobservant in the past and have become more tuned in to your horse?

She had very overgrown feet when she arrived and had her first trim a couple of weeks ago. It was very much a case of we will trim her correctly and see what happens. As a result its highlighted the dishing.

It is good to hear that it hasn’t been problematic with careful hoof management.

 

[Kat]

I would keep her barefoot, much less likely to get problems caused by trying to correct the dish. She can grow the foot she needs bare and no messing about with corrective shoeing that can put extra strain on the limbs.

Dishing is a conformational/movement "fault" that wouldn't bother me providing the limb is straight, especially not if it is even on both sides. Lots of horses dish, you see it even in top level competition horses. It might be a problem in some showing classes but shouldn't be an issue for a general leisure horse.

 

[ycbm]

I assume you mean straight when stood on the legs Kat?

Because my experience is that a horse which dishes will usually have a marked inward bend at the fetlock when you pick up the leg, hold at the fetlock and leave the hoof to fall where it wants to.

.

 

[Kat]

Yes, that's what I mean