Question about how youngster walks?

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MosMum

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I have a 2.5 yr old cob/arab called Mojo.

The other week I went to the horse vet with a friend and her horse. The vet commented on how her horse doesn't put her foot straight down but places the outside of the foot and then falls onto the flat foot if that makes sense.

Watching Mo walk on the flat the other day I noticed that his front feet land toe-first then fall back onto the heel if you get what I mean. Is this the way horse's feet fall naturally (I understand its not the same as landing outside-hoof first) or should the foot fall flatly on the ground in walk?

Sorry if this makes no sense I'm trying to explain as best I can, I'm sure there are technical terms, I just don't know them!

Bottle of coke for whoever got this far!
 
One of the main reasons foals and youngsters should be trimmed regularly is to prevent distortion, ie unbalanced feet. Now I know many people think that this is an expense they can skip, not so, I have had two horses with slight twists that could have been sorted out early on, but now they are spoiled for showing and even with corrective shoeing they may not be placing strain evenly on all four limbs as nature intended. I present my horse to the farrier (a world class chap imho) every six weeks regardless of my own opinion, he is the expert and it is his job to keep me right.
PS I may offer to pay for him just looking, but he only takes money if he does something.
go to some local shows and particularly watch the walk. To me I would never buy a horse that does not have a free swinging walk, feet vary but again I would not buy one with poor feer, neglected feet may be acceptable, but if owner neglected the feet, do you really want to proceed with a purchase, sorry wandered off the post there.
It takes quite a few years of study to understand the lower limb, ask someone to walk your horse away from you before and after being shod, ask the farrier for his opinion of the gait and the footfall, and if he is less than complimentary, please do not get upset!
 
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Front feet - Toe touches the ground a moment before the heel. Lamanitics tend to go heel first and lok like they are walking in flippers.

Hind feet do sometimes land unevenly especially when the hindquarters are not well developed or muscled up.
 
Ah, thanks Evelyn! I wasn't sure.

Mojo does have his feet trimmed regularly, farrier doesn't do it every 6 wks because his feet seem to grow slowly but he looks anyway. I didn't think his feet were too long, and they haven't been since I got him a year ago, I was more wondering if it could be a confirmation fault but apparently its normal lol.
 
Oh, we were watching my pony walk the other day and he does this (heel 1st) and we thought it looked add as none of the others seem to do it.....its a good thing then?

He is unshod and I really like his feet! :D
 
Oh Humble, thanks, that was really interesting reading... so if he lands toe first, is this always indicitive of poor trimming/balancing, or can it be a conformation fault?
 
It can be the result of poor conformation, but more likely the trimming/balance. It can also be the result of pain due to ongoing infections in the frog such as thrush or LGL (low grade laminitis), or WLD (White line disease) i.e. a number of causes. Note the trimming/balancing (leaving the heels too high) can result in contraction of the heels which increases the likelihood of getting thrush in the frog, by the deep central sulcus it creates (good hiding place for the bugs!!)
 
Mine lands on the outside edge of his off fore first and then the rest hits the ground. He is 100% sound, unshod, and vet and farrier just say to leave him be. I know there is an 'ideal' but everyone does things slightly differently and it isn't the end of the world. I can't see that it would be in horses either?
 
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