Fanatical
Well-Known Member
What are peoples thoughts on Pigeon Toes and how they may or may not contribute to future lameness?
Pigeon Toes
- Thread starter Fanatical
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Nailed
Well-Known Member
Pidgeon toes come in varying degrees and diffrent causes..
If the whole leg is 'twisted' then lamness is basically gauranteed at some point.
If the horse is knee in 'carpal valgus' then again its quite common for lameness to occur.
If the pidgeon toe is slight and due to poor trimming as a youngster, then lameness is less likly, but still possible.
Its puts strain on tendons, joint, ligaments and the hoof.
Lou x
If the whole leg is 'twisted' then lamness is basically gauranteed at some point.
If the horse is knee in 'carpal valgus' then again its quite common for lameness to occur.
If the pidgeon toe is slight and due to poor trimming as a youngster, then lameness is less likly, but still possible.
Its puts strain on tendons, joint, ligaments and the hoof.
Lou x
Kayfm
Well-Known Member
depends what you want to use your horse for and just how 'pigeoned toed' he or she is. I have just purchased a beautiful tb x for my daughter who is pigeoned toed. we want her for general riding and local shows etc. i know pigeon toes does put stress and strains on the joints but i had her x rayed and there were no problems found. i dont think i would buy a pigeoned toed horse for serious competeing, eventing, showjumping etc. but that is just personally.
minesadouble
Well-Known Member
We have a 19 year old affiliated jumping pony who is pigeon toed - they have caused no soundness issues at all. Wouldn't buy a horse with a twisted leg though as I know one who had this problem and he was rarely sound.
langside
Well-Known Member
i agree with nailed and kayfm although it does depend on a number of variables
1. what you expect the horse to be capable of - e.g. prob not going to cope with top level in any dis and conformation won't be great for showing
2. age of the horse - my school mistress is extremely pigeon toed but the vet informed us when she was vetted neary 7 years ago due to her age if it was going to cause her problems it would have by then (she jumped round hartpury's 2* course only 2years ago aged 19)
3. price due to risks i wouldnt pay out - plus could casue issues for potential buyers if selling later on
1. what you expect the horse to be capable of - e.g. prob not going to cope with top level in any dis and conformation won't be great for showing
2. age of the horse - my school mistress is extremely pigeon toed but the vet informed us when she was vetted neary 7 years ago due to her age if it was going to cause her problems it would have by then (she jumped round hartpury's 2* course only 2years ago aged 19)
3. price due to risks i wouldnt pay out - plus could casue issues for potential buyers if selling later on
welshchick
Well-Known Member
I believe that Mary King's great King William was pigeon toed, yet he was the soundest horse on the eventing circuit....
Lollii
Well-Known Member
I think Zara's Toy Town is pidgeon toed as well?
My ISH is pidgeon toed, he is 10 years old now, never been lame (touch wood) we do dressage, sj & xc never a problem with anything.
My ISH is pidgeon toed, he is 10 years old now, never been lame (touch wood) we do dressage, sj & xc never a problem with anything.
TheFarrier
Well-Known Member
Pigeon toes are not the end of the world as long as the twist is not in the joints then you are heading for trouble and lameness. It really depends on the severity of the toe in though and the age of the horse because this can be corrected (to a degree depending on the severity) in young and still developing and growing horses, with older horses you work with what you have.
I would be more concerned about a toed out horse myself, i have a number of horses with varying degrees of pigeon toes for various reasons and have not heard of any soundness issues in any of them.
I would be more concerned about a toed out horse myself, i have a number of horses with varying degrees of pigeon toes for various reasons and have not heard of any soundness issues in any of them.
Fanatical
Well-Known Member
Thank you all for the replies.
Amaretto
Well-Known Member
Supreme Rock had one front toe turned in.
Personally, I wouldn't buy anything with pigeon toes due to the extra risk. I have lost one horse due to lameness issues (not pigeon toed related), so I would always look for something with conformation that lends itself to soundness, altho I know there is no guarantee. Why set yourself up for a problem?
I tried a beautiful german bred 4yo who ticked all the boxes, but I couldn't get past the pigeon toes, so passed on him. Interestingly, he has been placed in sports horse classes consistently, so it makes you wonder if pigeon toes are actually a problem. But, I'd go with the opinion of your vet and farrier in terms of likely soundness in the future.
Personally, I wouldn't buy anything with pigeon toes due to the extra risk. I have lost one horse due to lameness issues (not pigeon toed related), so I would always look for something with conformation that lends itself to soundness, altho I know there is no guarantee. Why set yourself up for a problem?
I tried a beautiful german bred 4yo who ticked all the boxes, but I couldn't get past the pigeon toes, so passed on him. Interestingly, he has been placed in sports horse classes consistently, so it makes you wonder if pigeon toes are actually a problem. But, I'd go with the opinion of your vet and farrier in terms of likely soundness in the future.
PapaFrita
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
I would be more concerned about a toed out horse myself, i have a number of horses with varying degrees of pigeon toes for various reasons and have not heard of any soundness issues in any of them.
[/ QUOTE ]
I've also heard toeing out creates far more problems than toeing in. We've got several pigeon toed horses on the yard, including Antifaz and they're all very sound.
I would be more concerned about a toed out horse myself, i have a number of horses with varying degrees of pigeon toes for various reasons and have not heard of any soundness issues in any of them.
[/ QUOTE ]
I've also heard toeing out creates far more problems than toeing in. We've got several pigeon toed horses on the yard, including Antifaz and they're all very sound.
TarrSteps
Well-Known Member
There are quite a few upper level dressage horses that toe in, in fact there is even a school of thought a minimal amount in a good thing in a GP horse because it frees the elbow.
Jumping horses are a bit of a different trick, though, especially if you want to go up very high. As said, it really depends on how and how much the horse toes in, how sound the horse is otherwise, how much care you take with trimming, what you're going to use it for etc. One theory is that bilateral deviation is actually less of a problem than a turn in only one leg as at least the stress will be evenly distributed and the rest of the horse's body won't have compensatory unevenness.
Jumping horses are a bit of a different trick, though, especially if you want to go up very high. As said, it really depends on how and how much the horse toes in, how sound the horse is otherwise, how much care you take with trimming, what you're going to use it for etc. One theory is that bilateral deviation is actually less of a problem than a turn in only one leg as at least the stress will be evenly distributed and the rest of the horse's body won't have compensatory unevenness.