Showing peeps ...Pigeon toed

basilcob

basilcob

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Can any people experienced in showing tell me how much being slightly toe in will affect a pony's placing in a class at affiliated level (BSPS etc)? We've just been to see a lovely Highland pony - it's bone seemed straight from the knee and through the pastern and it needed it's feet trimming but it's feet definitely seemed to turn in slightly. Many thanks
 
It will depend on the rest of it, and the class. I would say pigeon toed is quite an undesirable fault cause it can make them dish their legs and doesn't make for very pretty trotting up. If i was buying to show exclusively, i probably wouldn't be buying this one.
 
It will get picked up, more than some minor faults as the judge will see it when you trot up in hand and there is little you can do to cover it up, you may find the feet improve with good regular trimming as well as getting the pony very fit and not carrying too much weight, when they are very over weight they sometimes almost seem to go wider through the chest so look worse as they seem base narrow when viewed from the front, not sure if this pony is carrying too much but it is worth considering.
If you want to go to top level, Olympia, HOYS then maybe look elsewhere if you want to have fun at aff level and maybe do workers then it will not matter so much if you get everything else spot on.
 
Depends on how obvious it is. My partner shows highlands & the last one was pigeon-toed. She took the toe clips off his shoes & it was never picked up in the ring. He did move totally straight though.
 
Yes she does seem to move very straight with no swinging of the foot and the owner assures me it's just because her feet are over due because of the farrier not turning up the day before my visit. She wants me to go back when she's shod (she was barefoot when we visited). Maybe it will just be less obvious shod but presumably still there. I loved her because she was so safe yet forward going. My daughter puts so much effort in though and I can imagine it would be tough to be dropped when there's little you can do to rectify the situation.
 
A trim will make no difference to toe in conformation. Shoes with off set toe clips will give the illusion of correct conformation but judges will notice and will send you down the line.
 
there are plenty of horses out there showing that are not conformationally perfect, so a lot will depend on who you are up against on the day and what sort of show / ride your horse gives and how vigilant the confo judge is. However, if you are wanting to show at the very highest level then its best avoided.
The other point to note is that any foot defects will have an affect on soundness at some point and probably earlier on in a horses life than normally expected.
I guess this is where you need to take advise from a vet and farrier.
 
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