Flat feet and eventing

E

ElleJS

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 July 2006
Messages
1,132
Visit site
A bad idea?
Prospective horse has very flat feet. It is perfect in every other way, we are hoping to 3DE it by the autumn but would be worried of soundness issues arising from this conformation default.
 
Depends if can be helped with good shoeing..... but i think it is a problem that is best avoided TBH, unless can be helped with remedial farriery... although depends how it has coped so far!!
 
Vet said has a good farrier already and feet conformation is poor.... and said it would be a horse you wouldnt want to run on hard ground because of it so I agree I think it is a problem best avoided and I certaily wouldn't pay the asking price.... shame as lovely horse.
 
We bought a horse as an unbroken 4 year old with flat white soft feet. He is now 18 Advanced and done several three day events and never had a days lameness. For three day events (old format so roads and tracks) we put on leather pads under his shoes - just in case.

In other words unless the feet are horendous if the horse is just what you want otherwise go for it.

Oh I forgot to mention the above horse also dished (although pretty much grew out of this). There is an awful lot of humbug about soundness in horses. You are either lucky or you are not in my view and you can only 'suck it and see'!
 
Well my eventer (well hopefully) has/had very flat feet and she has pads on all year round and after much thought, natural balance shoes aswell. After 6 months like this her feet are much more upright and she now has very respectable feet. We will be careful where we run her in the middle of the summer but otherwise she is just like any other horse to manage and it's unlikely to affect her too much
smile.gif
wink.gif
 
Yes exactly, I have an optimistic side too and would like to think it will stay sound but foot conformation is very poor.... ahhhhh I dunno... will see what sellers have to say....
 
My Welsh cob has flat feet. Doesn't like hard ground and goes a bit 'pottery' but has never been lame. We've evented two seasons and done an Unaff 3DE plus 3 RC 2DE's. We go hunting on Exmoor sometimes where it can be stoney so she wears pads on the fronts. Otherwise, never a problem. On the plus side her feet are a good shape and she never loses shoes, so flat feet aren't always the awful problem we might think.
 
my horse has bad feet - rotation of pedal bone and they are quite flat. i've bought her to event!

may have to consider leather pads in the summer with the hard ground, but she's had a few episodes but in the main she's been fine and she goes to a remedial farrier.

good luck -

Bx
 
Ive got a flat footer too. My farrier said hard ground wouldnt necessarily be a problem so much as stony ground. I haven never reduced his work on hard ground and never had a day off lame.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top