Is toe-first landing always a sign of pain?

dollyanna said:
Thanks, an interesting idea but currently she really doesn't fit. I doubt many people would notice her "tightness", it is just a side-effect of my profession that I notice very subtle differences in movement and tissue quality :)
She is very sound, very happy to move, it is just more....controlled?...than my boy. But they are very different build so I'm not really comparing like with like.

I do stretches with her when I can, not at the moment due to the weather, so I will work more on that.

What are your thoughts on the idea that it may be related to her current conformation ie downhill?
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I think if you have ruled out the obvious, thrush, and do some stretching, then I would certainly wait for her spring growth spurt to even her up a bit before I would panic about it. I have only ever had one really young horse and that was before I looked for heel first landings, so I've no idea how unusual your filly is, really.
 
Ah, ok :) I have been waiting for the spring growth to even her up since the day I got her, I'm sure she'll even out eventually! I'll get photos and video, speak to my trimmer about her feet and do stretches, and then just wait and watch. Until then, thank you again, I really appreciate bouncing ideas around, just didn't want to be missing something if I could change it.
 
dollyanna said:
Ah, ok :) I have been waiting for the spring growth to even her up since the day I got her, I'm sure she'll even out eventually! I'll get photos and video, speak to my trimmer about her feet and do stretches, and then just wait and watch. Until then, thank you again, I really appreciate bouncing ideas around, just didn't want to be missing something if I could change it.
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That's what's great about the forum :)

I don't know how old she is, but come spring, if she is still doing it, I would, personally, start taking her for walks on hard flat surfaces. A year ago I had a rehab who had been lame on and off for four years and was toe first landing after a year of paddock rest barefoot. I walked him on roads and he came right extremely quickly.

I did the same with my first rehab, who had not been barefoot, but he wasn't sound to ride so I led him like a dog on walkies :) It worked quickly for him too.
 
It is what's great about the forum, and why I read it, but it can be a scary place to post as well!

She is 2.5, 3 next spring, and she already goes out for walks on the roads from time to time but I am planning to get her out more anyway now the light is changing:).
 
Here you go, no photos because photobucket isn't playing ball, but slow mo footage. It isn't as bad as it looks from above! It seems most of the time she does flat landings, when she is moving right to left on the video she is going uphill so tends to toe first more, but the other way is just occasional from what I can see. Would you agree?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeclN2NI-k0
 
dollyanna said:
Here you go, no photos because photobucket isn't playing ball, but slow mo footage. It isn't as bad as it looks from above! It seems most of the time she does flat landings, when she is moving right to left on the video she is going uphill so tends to toe first more, but the other way is just occasional from what I can see. Would you agree?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeclN2NI-k0
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Interesting! What a marked difference caused by a tiny slope. And the turn really makes her do it too.

I wouldn't worry about it. On the flat she is probably landing consistently flat or heel first. I would see what happens when she's in work and has a better idea how to balance herself.

I would disinfect her feet regularly (I use peroxide) because she certainly doesn't need the encouragement of even a tiny bit of thrush to make her avoid her heels, and it will do no harm.

It's difficult to see with the hair, but I get a slight impression that her feet may be a bit long? I'd certainly keep right on top of trimming.
 
It does look like their long doesn't it? They're really not, that video was just after trimming and there is very little to take off - she has always had very upright "tight" feet and I think it just looks that way because of that. Her front feet aren't quite balanced side to side yet but are improving every time - we had a bad time with poor farrier trimming until I found a trimmer but then he messed her up on the second trim so I found our current lady who I am very happy with. She is just working with both of them as they grow and change. I am wishing I could find more resources with photos of youngsters from foal to adulthood rather than loads of rehab adults because I suspect (with no evidence) that their feet aren't yet what they will be when they are mature, and would love to confirm how much youngsters feet change. Any ideas?
The turning thing is interesting, I did think it was as if she was feeling for the ground (rather than feeling the ground) just because she hasn't quite worked out her balance issues yet. Knowing how little spatial awareness my other one has I wonder if this is her way of dealing with the same problem - he barges through life and falls over a lot, she is far more careful.
 
dollyanna said:
It does look like their long doesn't it? They're really not, that video was just after trimming and there is very little to take off - she has always had very upright "tight" feet and I think it just looks that way because of that. Her front feet aren't quite balanced side to side yet but are improving every time - we had a bad time with poor farrier trimming until I found a trimmer but then he messed her up on the second trim so I found our current lady who I am very happy with. She is just working with both of them as they grow and change. I am wishing I could find more resources with photos of youngsters from foal to adulthood rather than loads of rehab adults because I suspect (with no evidence) that their feet aren't yet what they will be when they are mature, and would love to confirm how much youngsters feet change. Any ideas?
The turning thing is interesting, I did think it was as if she was feeling for the ground (rather than feeling the ground) just because she hasn't quite worked out her balance issues yet. Knowing how little spatial awareness my other one has I wonder if this is her way of dealing with the same problem - he barges through life and falls over a lot, she is far more careful.
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It did look a lot like a balance issue to me.

I have seen friends' home bred horses grow to adulthood barefoot, and it was clear that the stimulus of work at three years old really helped their feet become more adult, if you know what I mean. One also recently bought a newly backed five year old, and his feet have done the same, which suggests to me that it is as much the work as age which causes the feet to develop.

Your girl looks well up to plenty of slow work as a three year old to me, so I'd be seeing what happens after three months in work.
 
Well hopefully they will be learning about longreins this year and get out and about more - they won't be ridden until at least next year though. It will be very interesting to see how things change - I really wish I had taken photos of her feet as a baby though so I could have a record of all the changes she has made, you wouldn't believe the difference now to then.
 
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