Slightly Pigeoned toed Is it that bad?

mbsports

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Hello Everyone Just wanting a few opinions please. I have just started advertising my conn x who is slightly pigeoned toed. He is only 5 and the farrier who is extremely good is building his foot up. It seems to put people of buying him. Its his only fault as he is so good in everything else. Besides on Horse and hound to advertise which I am doing this weekend where else should I put him. Its the first horse I have sold in 5 years & never had one with this problem. Is it him or the market? Am I asking too much of £1500? He is 15.2hh by the way
 
it wouldn't put me off as he is only 5 and it sounds like the farrier can help correct his way of going.I don't think 1500 is too expensive either. I paid more for mine as a green 6yr old who had the education of the average 4yr old
 
My first horse was slightly pigeon toed. The vet didn't seem too concerned when I had him vetted, so I went ahead and bought him. The pigeon toes never caused a problem at all in the 6 years I owned him.

They could cause joint problems as the horse gets much older, but if it was only slight I probably wouldn't be worried.

I suppose it wouldn't be too good for showing either though.
 
I would not be put off, I have loaned a few all rounders in the past with pigeon toes and I would have bought them had it been the right time for me to. My last loan mare is now 16 and has been pigeon toed all her life, it did not affect her performance in anyway and she was absolutely fab to ride.
 
My pony is slightly pigeon toed but only bizarrely when standing still...it was mentioned on his vetting certificate though so my first insurer wouldn't insure his front legs for any problems that might be caused by that, eg, I think they can be more at risk of throwing a splint? Mine has had no problems with his front feet or legs at all though in the 6 years I've had him. Had my own vet look at him a year down the line from buying him and she said that in motion his action is totally straight so he should be fine and thought it was ridiculous that an exclusion had been applied.
 
My Conniex is pigeon-toed...he's 35 now and has never had a problem...I'd have thought £1500 was an absolute bargain given the average price of Connies/Conniex's today!
 
not at all, i bought my connie x just under a year ago, he is slightly pigeoned toed but passed the vetting, he was 6 when i bought him and i paid alot more than that!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
To be honest, Yes, it would put me off.

I only say this from current experience. I have a got a fabulous ex-race mare, great bloodlines, oodles of talent and pretty decent confirmation, with the exception of her pigeon toed front feet. They are not horrific and my farrier does a wonderful job (immediately after shoeing you wouldn't even know she was pigeon toed) but I have had nothing but trouble. He front feet are a serious problem. She has had so much time off with her front feet and other front leg issues.

I genuinely believe that much of it comes done to the pigeon toes. I got her given to me so thought it was worth a risk as she had everything else going for her, but having had the nightmare experience (and still having) you couldn't give me one again let alone get me to pay for one.

Sorry probably not what you wanted to hear
 
I just bought a horse with slight pigeon toes.. vet wasn't concerned about it at all. Our farrier is also doing a fab job of helping to correct them too :) It would only ever put me off if I was going to show her. And I was told pigeon toed horses make the best jumpers ;) ... whether its true or not I don't know :p
I would say maybe people are put off as he is slightly under priced, so maybe they think there is something wrong with him? Is he broken in? Cause I would have thought he is worth more if he is working well in all areas.
 
I had a horse failed by the vet for pigeon toes, so they can cause problems, but your horse sounds very reasonably priced anyway.

Mine is slightly pigeon-toed. I would be very wary about a farrier who wanted to "correct" this because if that is the horse's natural coformation any messing around is going to lead to all sorts of stresses and strains.

Mine was shod for showing and his feet look great, you couldn't tell he was pigeon toed at all. Then he developed a lump above his knee. After inspection by vet and farrier, who came to no firm conculsion, I decided to have his shoes removed. Over 12 months his feet went through all sorts of changes, starting with becoming even more pigeon toed than before, then they gradually changed back to almost normal, and the lump above his knee disappeared. I was riding him throughout this time.
 
In my old horseman's book it says that pigeon toes are a 'good fault' and that such horses are safe in deep going, whereas the opposite is true for turned out hooves. Having said that when I have googled it there seems to be more chance of long term problems with a non straight- moving animal. My rising 2 year old filly has one bad pigeon toe which I dont like the look of, but the vet didnt seem to think it was a big deal when I showed her.
 
My last loan mare who had a very noticeable pigeon toe has just been sold by the owner for £2500 at 16 years old as she has everything else going for her and no problems. £1500 sounds quite low for a connie x, maybe people think there is something more wrong with him? Connies and connie x are very popular!

I have also like another poster, heard that sometimes correcting them can lead to more problems, it depends on the horse.

Where abouts are you as I am looking to buy and would love a connie x :)
 
My mare is extremely toe-in and I can honestly say she never takes a lame step. As I say "she's never read any books on lameness so she doesn't know she's not meant to be sound". She is tough as old boots and that's the important thing.
 
One of my horses is very pigeoned toed, he is 11 now, he is always sound (touches wood :o) he has really strong, solid, legs - it is one of the reasons why I brought him (for £2,600) - a really qualified instrutor/horse dealer/friend rode him and said that if his legs were straight he would be worth £10k plus, so I got a bargain!
 
Current mare is pidgeon toed, not that you can tell now, but hers actually starts at the knee. My farrier is fab and does her feet in such a way that caters for her conformation while at the same time making it look like she isn't pidgeon toed.... a very good optical illusion tbh. The only time she is ever lame is if she has lost a shoe and bruised her sole.
 
I would be very wary about a farrier who wanted to "correct" this because if that is the horse's natural coformation any messing around is going to lead to all sorts of stresses and strains.

Ditto this. My ISH is slightly pigeon toed and my farrier shoes him accordingly. He's evented at intermediate and done dressage to medium without a days lameness in his life. He's now 23 and still going strong.

It certainly wouldn't put me off buying a horse if everything else was to my liking. I think £1500 is very reasonable. Good luck with the sale.
 
My last loan mare who had a very noticeable pigeon toe has just been sold by the owner for £2500 at 16 years old as she has everything else going for her and no problems. £1500 sounds quite low for a connie x, maybe people think there is something more wrong with him? Connies and connie x are very popular!

I have also like another poster, heard that sometimes correcting them can lead to more problems, it depends on the horse.

Where abouts are you as I am looking to buy and would love a connie x :)


Nothing else wrong with him he is a lovely boy with great temperment just green. We are in the forest of dean gloucestershire Tel no 07964151331
 
That wouldnt bother me at all, my girl is the same, had her vetted and the old Irish vet said "to be sure, she will be a star" and she is!! So dnt worry think its just the market, I agree with the others at that price for a conni x is a bargin!!
 
It wouldn't bother me in the slightest. I was always taught that slightly pigeon toed is better than the other way out.

Ron is slightly pigeon toed and my farrier shoes him so that his legs are supported correctly, but so that he doesn't look pigeon toed (does that make sense?). The odd occasion someone else has had to shoe him you can soon tell!
 
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