Foal with a club foot

[Marigold4]

I bought a foal to keep mine company and she has developed a club foot (front left). Vet saw her yesterday. Trimmer coming tomorrow. She is Welsh B and 7 months old. Vetted on purchase and no hoof abnormality noted. It's only been noticeable for the last month as her foot grew. Her feet were very short when she arrived.

She's out for 12 hours a day at the moment. Stabled at night.

Anyone had any success with correcting this? Vet was talking surgery and special shoes. She is not insured and I only bought her as a companion. Obviously I have a responsibility to sort this out but feeling rather fed up!

 

[Pippity]

My friend's little Arab developed a club foot at about the same age. It put an end to plans for him to remain a stallion, but he's gone on to make a lovely riding horse with never a day lame. He's done low-level endurance, and it's only his owner's lack of time that's stopped him doing more.

He's never been shod, and is always trimmed with attention paid to how his foot actually lands, not in an attempt to make it look right.

 

[Marigold4]

Thanks very much for replying. That is comforting! My trimmer is excellent so if anyone can sort her out, he can. Really hoping we can avoid surgery. Anyone else got positive tales of dealing with a club foot? Anyone gone down the surgery root?

 

[ycbm]

I've heard all sorts of things called a club foot. Do you mean it's very upright, or twisted?
.

 

[Equi]

My little mare is a bit club footy. Never cause her any problems when farrier is maintained..if he’s late she can flare horrifically so unless it’s very severe I wouldn’t rush to operate for a companion who will be quite happy plodding about the field.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I've heard all sorts of things called a club foot. Do you mean it's very upright, or twisted?
.

This very rarely is it a true club foot as such but often the front feet are not a pair as in one is more upright and narrower.

Arabi and Louis have one slightly more upright hoof in front they have had lameness issues over the years they are 18 19 now and both are still ridden now though.

What I will say is out of the front feet the flatter one has always been the most problematic for both of them, so in our case the boxy foot has not been a real problem, you have the trim the feet as individuals not try and make them look the same.

They have both had shoes over the years but are currently barefoot at the moment and cope fine.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Thanks very much for replying. That is comforting! My trimmer is excellent so if anyone can sort her out, he can. Really hoping we can avoid surgery. Anyone else got positive tales of dealing with a club foot? Anyone gone down the surgery root?

Never heard of surgery for it what is it that they would do as I can't imagine how it can possibly be changed.

 

[Blanche]

I would be interested in seeing photos of the foot. Especially as your vet is talking about operating. Though I have never heard of a vet operating for a club foot.

 

[ycbm]

If you are talking about an upright hoof, I would not touch it. I've known many sound horses with mismatched front feet and like someone else has said it's more often the flatter foot that seems to cause any issues.

If the fetlock is twisted it's too late to affect those growth plates because they are already sealed at that age. All that could be achieved by surgery and/or remedial shoeing to affect the other growth plates is to twist something higher up to counter balance the lower twist. It's not something I would contemplate doing.

The pony is going to be small and although a show career is obviously off the books, it's entirely possible they will live a long sound life with a wonky foot.
.

 

[TheMule]

Careful with the nutrition as it's often the rate of bone growth going too fast for the tendons- back off on nutrition slightly (cover the basics, but not too much protein). The farrier might want to make a little plastic shoe for that foot- can be really helpful, worth getting a very good farrier on the base.

 

[tristars]

i would back off with feeding, too rapid development is the cause of many ills

if its well grown i would coast through the winter and let nature pick it up as a yearling with the grass in the spring

vits and mins mins in moderation, often less than recc is the way i would go

i would not fiddle with it too much, unless it needs to walk straighter, try to keep the heels a similar height

 

[ihatework]

Echo TheMule and Tristars

If it was an obvious/congenital type club foot it would have been noticed on vetting. My initial gut feeling is this is most likely a development thing.

Welshy companion foal right? I'm afraid if it were mine I would not be diving to deep into spending. If you are feeding it, stop. Just hay/grass. Regular corrective trimming. It takes its chances. it's likely to be just fine for low level kiddy stuff in future and if it's not then the outcome was always likely to be bleak irrespectiive of spending £££

 

[vhf]

My ex-racer has one smaller, narrower, more upright front hoof. It clearly never caused him much trouble as he was a successful sprinter for 8 years and retired sound. (Though I suspect if you performance-work-upped him, several bits would be red flagged!) It is either improving with his after-race-management, or I can't see it so well any more!

 

[Cortez]

If you are talking about an upright hoof, I would not touch it. I've known many sound horses with mismatched front feet and like someone else has said it's more often the flatter foot that seems to cause any issues.

If the fetlock is twisted it's too late to affect those growth plates because they are already sealed at that age. All that could be achieved by surgery and/or remedial shoeing to affect the other growth plates is to twist something higher up to counter balance the lower twist. It's not something I would contemplate doing.

The pony is going to be small and although a show career is obviously off the books, it's entirely possible they will live a long sound life with a wonky foot.
.

This. I had an approved breeding stallion with a club/boxy/upright foot, he was also a competitive Prix St Georg horse and never had a problem, nor did he pass on the club foot. I’d trim appropriately and otherwise leave it alone UNLESS it was causing lameness.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Arabi has a slight twist in the leg on his more upright foot you see it more when you pick his foot up, I did years of Arab showing under saddle and ridden and we always did well no judge ever commented on it.

It's quite a common trait in Arab's to not have a pair of front feet I've seen it alot so seen as Welsh have Arab blood it's probably a common factor in Welsh bloodlines as well.

 

[Marigold4]

Thanks for all your replies. Very interesting - that's what I love about horses - you are learning new (expensive) things all the time! So my trimmer has been out. His view is that it is an upright foot rather than a true club foot. Her front feet do not match. However, no sign of any asymmetry further up the leg. She came with VERY short feet as breeder had had her feet done by a farrier. My trimmer thinks the toes were overly cut back and squared first time round. There was quite a lot of foot now (8 weeks later) to play with. We sedated her with Relaquine and she was really good. The fronts are looking a lot better. He is expecting her to grow a bit more toe now the hoof is a better, rounder shape rather than squared off. She is happy walking on concrete after the trim. Trimmer is coming in 2 weeks to do a little more and will keep coming every 2 weeks until we are happier with the shape.

Would the fact that she has longish pasterns help in the long term to get a better pastern/hoof angle? I'm thinking shorter pasterns lead to a more upright hoof??

 

[Marigold4]

I've heard all sorts of things called a club foot. Do you mean it's very upright, or twisted?
.

Very upright

 

[Marigold4]

My little mare is a bit club footy. Never cause her any problems when farrier is maintained..if he’s late she can flare horrifically so unless it’s very severe I wouldn’t rush to operate for a companion who will be quite happy plodding about the field.

That's really good to know - hopefully my trimmer can sort and we won't have to resort to surgery

 

[Marigold4]

Never heard of surgery for it what is it that they would do as I can't imagine how it can possibly be changed.

The surgery would be to cut her check ligament

 

[Marigold4]

This very rarely is it a true club foot as such but often the front feet are not a pair as in one is more upright and narrower.

Arabi and Louis have one slightly more upright hoof in front they have had lameness issues over the years they are 18 19 now and both are still ridden now though.

What I will say is out of the front feet the flatter one has always been the most problematic for both of them, so in our case the boxy foot has not been a real problem, you have the trim the feet as individuals not try and make them look the same.

They have both had shoes over the years but are currently barefoot at the moment and cope fine.

Thanks. That's good to know.

 

[Marigold4]

I would be interested in seeing photos of the foot. Especially as your vet is talking about operating. Though I have never heard of a vet operating for a club foot.

I will try to post some photos but they will be of the trimmed foot as I was delayed at work and didn't have time to take before the trim photos

 

[Marigold4]

Careful with the nutrition as it's often the rate of bone growth going too fast for the tendons- back off on nutrition slightly (cover the basics, but not too much protein). The farrier might want to make a little plastic shoe for that foot- can be really helpful, worth getting a very good farrier on the base.

Good thought about the nutrition. Because she is very much the smallest, she is probably getting more than she needs. I've never had such a small pony before so may be over feeding. I'll cut back.

 

[Cortez]

The surgery would be to cut her check ligament

Seems entirely drastic, but until we see the foot it's all conjecture.

 

[Marigold4]

i would back off with feeding, too rapid development is the cause of many ills

if its well grown i would coast through the winter and let nature pick it up as a yearling with the grass in the spring

vits and mins mins in moderation, often less than recc is the way i would go

i would not fiddle with it too much, unless it needs to walk straighter, try to keep the heels a similar height

Thanks that sounds good advice. I'll cut back on what she gets.

 

[Marigold4]

Echo TheMule and Tristars

If it was an obvious/congenital type club foot it would have been noticed on vetting. My initial gut feeling is this is most likely a development thing.

Welshy companion foal right? I'm afraid if it were mine I would not be diving to deep into spending. If you are feeding it, stop. Just hay/grass. Regular corrective trimming. It takes its chances. it's likely to be just fine for low level kiddy stuff in future and if it's not then the outcome was always likely to be bleak irrespectiive of spending £££

Thanks for replying. I think it may be a combination of a poor trim before she came and then me feeding too much. Trimmer has been and is going to trim every 2 weeks but his thoughts are its not as disastrous as vet's opinion. Probably never be a pair but not likely to put her out of action - if regularly trimmed.

 

[Marigold4]

This. I had an approved breeding stallion with a club/boxy/upright foot, he was also a competitive Prix St Georg horse and never had a problem, nor did he pass on the club foot. I’d trim appropriately and otherwise leave it alone UNLESS it was causing lameness.

THank you. That's encouraging. She's wasn't lame before the trim and not lame now so hoping its not too extreme. I'll post photos later.

 

[Patterdale]

I had this with a weanling.
I was also ‘advised’ by the vet to cut the check ligament, which I absolutely refused to do.

We took a couple of mm off the heel every 2 weeks and it was a normal hoof 4 months later.

I would work with your farrier on this, not your vet.

Also do not feed the pony, keep it hard to stop quick growth.

 

[Marigold4]

Here is a photo of the foot post trim today. I took photos of other front and both from front for they are so dark they are not much use. The concrete floor is a little uneven and has a slight fall to the right (looking from in front)

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Not the best picture but it doesn't look that bad at all the heal looks high but I've seen worse, a good way compare is take a picture of both fronts at the back so you can compare heal hight.

I will get some pictures of mine tomorrow so you can see its really not the end of the world I definitely wouldn't be having surgery on it.

 

[Cortez]

That doesn't look like a club foot, it also looks like it's had an injury to the coronet band that may be causing a flare. If that's the case, should be simple to correct with regular trimming.