would you buy a horse with a box front foot

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popp

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iv seen a lovely gelding more than what i could wish for but has a box front foot and a flat one and doesn't wear shoes behind as has great back feet. Lady said hes never had a problem and should come right with a good farrier what are your thoughts does anyone have this problem
 
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popp

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Hes just turning 6 irish sports horse hes been placed county riding horse i just want to do abit of everything
 
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scotsmare

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i find it difficult to believe he's been placed at county level with dodgy feet
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Personally, unless you have a very good farrier, and the horse is cheap as chips I wouldn't go there.
 
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lauraanddolly

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My mare has a slightly boxy front foot, it is only noticeable now when she is due to be shod my farrier has been a dream.
But I do agree with scotsmare(I'm beginning this make it a habit!) that the issue would be more that the two front feet have very different problems - a good farrier will help a lot, maybe you could arrange a farrier (or the horses own) to give you an opinion on his feet.
If the horse ticks all other boxes for you, I would say it is worth investigating - but bear in mind that the feet may cause you problems in the future.
 
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GermanyJo

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I would be very careful....odd feet (1 boxy and 1 flat) are very often a sign there is something going on inside the boxy foot... there is normally a reason that one foot contracts..... It could be that with a good farrier, you can improve the situation (by careful rebalancing of the feet) ... but remember, this will take time and money.... and may not prevent the onset of some lameness.

Why are the owners selling? is the horse very cheap? ... and have you a chance to lunge the horse on the hard somewhere? - this may show up a problem and save you paying out for a vetting which the horse may fail.

Also ... remember.. if you want to insure the horse, even if he passes, if the vet mentions on the vetting certificate about the odd front feet, you may get some exclusions added to your policy.
 
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brightmount

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[ QUOTE ]
heres a photo
http://www.kenettphoto.co.uk/agricultural/nailer.php?did=126&id=68

[/ QUOTE ]

I would be going barefoot with that horse. The foot that can be seen in the photo looks strong and inherited from his ID genes. It's impossible to say without seeing photos of his feet all round, but I would think a DAEP qualified equine podiatrist could work with those feet. The one I can see looks very similar to my ISH's feet and she has thrived barefoot; she has had 3 years she wasn't going to have, and is going the best she ever has.

On the other hand if you can't afford to take a risk then I wouldn't go for a horse with problems, even a cheap one, as the upkeep of a horse that is out of work, not to mention the stress just isn't worth it.
 
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Donkeymad

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Depends on the degree of boxiness/flat footedness.
I had a pony with a pretty boxy fore, but he went to the top as a show pony, then succeeded as both a driving pony and childs PC pony. never caused any problems. The only difference being he didn't have a flat foot to consider too.
 
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frb

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My horse has a slightly boxy front foot which my vet said would fail a vetting but should not cause me any problems unless i wanted to hammer round cross country courses etc every weekend, then it may show itself. I have never (touch wood) had a problem with it, however i do have to ensure he is shod bang on every six weeks or he goes uneven when schooling. He is sometimes uneven on very tight circles, which a judge may pick up on, but not often.
After i bought him i heard he had often been lame before i had him but he was jumping constantly, and over big fences.
I would go for it unless it is severe and his other foot is an odd shape, and you want to do a lot of jumping, then i would be cautious. Maybe get the opinion of a good equine vet.
 
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Tia

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No, not at 6 I wouldn't. If he were a yearling or a 2 year old then depending on how slight it was I may buy as my farrier is fantastic and boxy feet can be managed with great farrier work.
 
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brightmount

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From that second photo I was expecting them to look more different as you said one was boxy and the other flat. He doesn't look a lost cause to me, but what sort of money are we looking at?
 
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brightmount

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If you really like him (I think he looks lovely) then I would get a vetting and make your decision based on professional advice.
 
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From personal experience I probably would not, as I was bought a little TB mare as a teenager (many years ago!) with one box foot (which the vet noted at the vetting) and she later developed navicular in that foot.
 
TicTac

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My mare has one front hoof that my farrier very bluntly describes as a club foot!!! It is slightly boxy and more upright than the other but she have never had any problems and if she looses a front shoe it's always the other one!

If you have a good farrier I'm sure it won't cause a problem and my horse was vetted when I bought her. I have attached a photo and the hoof in question is the black one at the front.

DSC02116.jpg
 
TicTac

TicTac

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My mare has what my farrier bluntly describes as a club foot!! It is slightly more upright and boxy than the other but she was vetted when I bought her and it has never given her any problems. In fact if ever she looses a shoes it's always the other one!

I'm sure if you have a good farrier he will be able to look after it properly.

I have attached a piccy of my horse and the foot in question is the black hoof at the front.

DSC02116.jpg
 
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Marchtime

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No don't touch it. Or at least I wouldn't. Front feet that don't match often indicate problems. My TB has two different sized front feet and has soft tissue damage. I'd be getting a thorough vetting and quite possibly xrays before buying it.
 
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