Pidgeon toes

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I just wondered what people's opinion of them was?

Is the some sort of shoeing which corrects them?

Grace's Mum is quite pidgeon toed on one foot, and when Grace first came to me she had a very very (and I mean very very) slight turn in occasionally. It can still show when she is due for shoeing, but most of the time it is not there. I do think I only spot it when she is due to be shod because I know her Mum has it
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Thanks,

Rebecca x x x

P.S. It was not noted on her her vetting... therefore you can imagine how slight it actually is
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My mare is a bit pidgeon toed, and ultimately she has developed arthritis in her fetlock joint on the leg that is slightly twisted. Not sure how linked it is but sure it has contributed. However she has improved over the years, and I think if it had been shod correctly since she was a baby, would have been fine. My arab was born with a twisted hind leg - cow hocked to the point of crossing over, and from correctinve trimming virtually from birth, he is now no more cow hocked than a lot of other horses!
 
My mare was slightly pidgeon toed but 3 years on and a good farrier she is now quite straight. No special shoeing but speak to farrier so they know you are aware of it and what he advises.

She competes BJSA and recently ad xrays for an injury and didnt show anything in her foot effected by her pidgeon toes (i asked the vet!)

PS i love your cat in pic!! i have a long haired one
 
Thanks, I love Inca... she is the boss of the house
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Grace is really straight, and there is no twisting from the knee or the fetlock because it is only very very slight. My farrier couldn't really see much when he started shoeing her, but because of the wear of the foot when she went barefoot he did see I was talking sense and since has shod her really well and never had a problem with it.
 
If it was so slight it wasn't mentioned on a (recent) vetting it wouldn't worry me, but generally I wouldn't want to compete a horse with pigeon toes. They can stand up to most normal work but because the risk of injury is greater (depending on the severity) I would't want to risk it. As far as I know you can't fix it with shoeing (although have known unscrupulous peeps put the shoe on wonky so it looks like the horse is straight to a novice eye). If it's only slight and you don't intend doing any top level comp's with her I wouldn't worry
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that's the thing... I would like to think she could get to a high level in dressage.

This is a picture of her:
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The vetting was only done two months ago and not mentioned at all.
 
Thanks kerilli... Grace has not had corrective shoeing, having normal shoes on just seemed to stop her wearing down the inside more than the outside and completely straightened her up.

But I am interested in corrective shoeing... I find it fascinating. What sort of corrective shoeing would a farrier use when dealing with pidgeon toes?
 
Both my horses are pidgeon toed never had any problems. One is a heavy 16 yo never had a days lameness and the other is a 8yo TB. Both have evented. Both have worked hard and I would rather have pidgeon toes than flat feet/uneven feet.
 
Lance can stand pigeon toed when he isnt shod, or due for shoeing, wen shod though, with normal shoes, you cant even notice it.

He has evented, done open XC, and competed at elementary level in dressage with no problems, and is still fine now at 18.
 
Thanks... I don't really know much about them to be honest.

As I said it is very slight, but like St_Bernard's horse probably a little more noticeable when unshod or due for shoeing.

Does anyone know of any websites that contain information about it?
 
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