Horse tripping due to collapsed heels or something worse? Also in vets

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Christmas Crumpet

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Morning.

A friend who I ride with has been offered an exracehorse for £1k. He is currently at the yard at home and seems really nice and quiet which is just what she wants. She came out exercising with me last night and I noticed that the horse trips a lot. He has got pads on in front due to his collapsed heels (which look dreadful).

Do horses with collapsed heels trip a lot or could it be something else? She is going to have him no matter what because she's fallen in love with him but I'm concerned he might have something more sinister within his feet. He's about 14 and has been raced hard since about the age of 4.

I'm just quite interested to know what people think having read lots of posts about tripping horses. My horse trips once in a while but that's when he stands on a sharp stone but Jack seems to trip every 2 minutes or so.
 
It sounds like she is going to buy trouble here, he may only be £1k but I bet the vets bills/farrier bills are going to be more than that in a short amount of time!

We have an older horse that has to have pads on the front due to collapsed heels but he is 33 years old now, he trips all of the time but due to his age you can understand it.

She will not be enjoying hacking him if he trips all of the time, it could be dangerous too if he trips badly and goes down?
 
Mine used to trip loads. Changed farrier & new guy found bruising all over his toes. We put him in natural balance shoes and he has been brilliant since, no tripping atall.
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I did wonder about navicular - his front feet are dreadful - the angle of them is quite peculiar. However, because she is just a happy hacker she isn't too bothered about his feet saying the farrier can sort them out. Also at £1k she isn't that bothered either if he's not 100% sound because she's not competing or hunting or anything so it doesn't matter if he has weeks off at a time in the field I guess.
 
My horse has collapsed heels (see all previous posts) which has led to a navicular syndrome diagnosis. Farrier said tripping is a symptom of collapsed heels but with good farriery then the problem can be overcome. Natural balance shoes are better apparantly. If your friend really likes the horse she should get it at least 2 stage vetted or get her farrier to take a look.
 
Farrier already seen feet and reckons he can do something with collapsed heels. She won't get it vetted because as she says "at £1,000 what's the point?". I know what the point is but its her choice whether she has him vetted or not.

I have managed to get her to use a proper saddle fitter to reflock her saddle rather than using the chump down the road who hasn't got a clue. Its a start I suppose!!
 
Guildford - I guess it will fall on deaf ears if your friend has fallen in love with him but it would be worth her while to do some investigation before she commits to him.

I have taken on a horse with navicular and I will never do so again. Similar reasons - I bonded with him and in many ways he is absolutely perfect for me but it is heartbreaking and expensive trying to keep him well and comfortable.
 
My mare is really trippy in walk, and goes down sometimes but never quite on her knees, its like Mission Impossible- millimetres off the floor!

Farrier is confident she has not got navicular or isn't heading that way, and she's 17 now.

She often gets collapsed heels if we can't get her feet done quick enough, she can't go more than 6 weeks and as soon as her toes are even a fraction too long, she starts tripping badly again.

Its manageable - but you need regular, really regular, farrier visits - so 5-6 weeks max, and I'm another who the farrier has put on the natural balance shoes and I agree they seem better than ordinary ones as they can pull the toe back more (I think that was the explanation)

So for £1k if she's happy to take the risk, and has a good farrier, it wouldn't worry me, though I'd maybe get my farrier to have a good look before I parted with cash?
 
Sounds like trouble.

If nothing else I'd have his feet x-rayed prior to purchase.

My 'trippy' horse is currently bankrupting me in vet's fees.......
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