Would you worry about these feet? Conformation advice please

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katiper

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Would you buy a horse that was uptight/too straight in the pastern in the front legs. I've found such an amazing horse, and my instructor agreed she would be perfect for me, but the only thing she mentioned was the fact that the angle from her pastern to hoof is too severe so it would put pressure on the joint.

Do you think this could be helped with shoeing? Is it a bad case? I really have no clue, so all advice welcome
image: https://forums-secure.horseandhound.co.uk/images/smilies/redface-new.png
) I know many horses with great conformation go lame, but I'm weary of buying something that already has increased chances. She is 6 and I want to event up to BE100. I have a 5 stage vetting booked for Monday, but really want some advice/ experience on this...


http://s284.photobucket.com/user/Kat...?sort=3&page=1

Thank you
 
Photo isn't showing. Whether something could be corrected by shoeing in an adult horse, depends on how the defect was caused in the first place. i.e, congenital or through poor shoeing or injury.
 
I think you are right to be cautious, if you are going to complete and jump then the horse is going to have to work for you and be up to this. To have the best chance of staying sound the angles need to be right. Confirmation faults such as those you describe can be just be problems waiting to happen in the future. There will be other horses that you will like :)
 
What are you looking to do with her?

If it's just hacking and light work then go for it. If it's something a bit more hardcore like SJ or XC then I'd say avoid. They look very upright in the first pic - whatever you do with her the shock of impact is going to go right through her bones as opposed to being distributed through the tendons.
 
Surely the vet at the vetting will be able to give the best advice? You will be paying enough money for it!
 
The feet aren't great and could certainly be improved, but there's not much you can do about the upright pasterns. Personally, she'd have to be absolutely perfect in every other way to even consider going as far as a vetting and I'd want x-rays taken.

How much competing are you thinking of doing with her? I have seen horses with awful conformation continue into old age, sound despite working hard and others with minor faults that seem to cause no end of trouble.... but... it could be a heartbreaking and expensive mistake.

I would ask the vet their opinion and proceed with extreme caution.
 
Yes, I know that, but I was wondering if anyone had horses with similar issues and how they have been. I just want different perspectives really!
 
IMO this is not just her conformation. Her feet are underun with a long heel/toe running forward and what looks like poor laminar attachment. If the feet are sorted out, with the frog touching the ground and lateral cartilages get stronger through barefoot rehab, the pastern angle will start matching the angle of the hoof. Personally I would buy the horse but knowing the feet might take years to sort and careful management.
 
Well I would just be competing at weekends, probably not every weekend, and as I am a teacher I would do more in the summer. It is my first horse as I have been sharing for years, and I am so scared of making the wrong decision. Perhaps I'll look into X-rays, I just feel like if it is plainly obvious that her feet will be a problem, then it is not worth spending all that money on a vetting? I got money off the asking price in return for a quick sale. I don't want to mess the seller around either. It's such a gamble as she might be fine.
 
Palindrome said:
IMO this is not just her conformation. Her feet are underun with a long heel/toe running forward and what looks like poor laminar attachment. If the feet are sorted out, with the frog touching the ground and lateral cartilages get stronger through barefoot rehab, the pastern angle will start matching the angle of the hoof. Personally I would buy the horse but knowing the feet might take years to sort and careful management.
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yep very underrrun, terrible feet to be honest, but that may be due to management, you can change some things but not angles of pastern.
 
katiper said:
I would like to event her up to BE 100. Is it really bad then?
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I wouldn't be comfortable doing BE100 on her, but maybe I'm just fussy. There are definitely better pasterns out there though.

Honestly if I were you I'd walk away and save yourself any unnecessary expense. I wouldn't buy anything that I had any big doubts about conformation-wise.

There are so many horses out there - avoid the ones with obvious problems!

My first pony had the worst conformation you could possibly imagine (my mum chose her for me as I was seven) - she was ridiculously toed-out and dished very obviously with her back legs (it was almost comical!), but in over ten years she wasn't lame once and was the most versatile little thing I've ever sat on. It's very hit and miss on whether a confo fault will affect them or not.
 
I'd ask the vet- that's what the vetting is for. I personally wouldn't buy- but then again- i've seen far far worse doing BE100+. You could get problems with a horse with much better conformation too.

She looks as though correct trimming would improve her feet :)
 
I think she's a little upright but the main problem is her feet, as Palindrome said-underrun heels, long toes. I would want the shoes off so if you wanted to be out and about on her soon, and not barefoot rehabbing, she may not be the right one right now.
 
Bonkers2 said:
yep very underrrun, terrible feet to be honest, but that may be due to management, you can change some things but not angles of pastern.
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This isn't true, I'm pleased to say. When you change the under run heels you will also change the angles of the pastern. Look at the horses shoulder angle. The pastern angle will most likely match that once you have the feet right. She would benefit greatly from six months out of shoes, plus a very good farrier when shod again.
 
ycbm said:
This isn't true, I'm pleased to say. When you change the under run heels you will also change the angles of the pastern. Look at the horses shoulder angle. The pastern angle will most likely match that once you have the feet right. She would benefit greatly from six months out of shoes, plus a very good farrier when shod again.
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I've put a picture of the whole horse up, her Back feet are fine (I think). Interesting comment about the shoulder angles.

Thanks!
 
She's upright in the shoulder.. which would explain the upright pasterns...
'm no expert in conformation but i'm not a lover of her hind end tbh..
sorry x
 
She would have to be pretty amazing to ride, which I would question from her lack of topline, to make me want to purchase her, there are too many obvious faults, the wear on her joints already showing at the age of 6, the feet are not great as already covered, I would not get her vetted/ purchase unless she was an older schoolmaster with miles on the clock when you know they have stood up to work and are buying their experience rather than potential.
 
She has a pretty face, but I don't like her hind end at all I'm afraid. As others have said, her pasterns at very upright, and I don't like the look of her hooves, but that could just to due to bad farriery. See what your vet thinks when they vet her, and I'd also show the photos to your farrier. I know a horse doing BE 100 that has upright pasterns, and he seems to cope OK - can struggle sometimes, but each horse is an individual. Might just be the way she's standing, but it looks like her back hooves are crooked, and pointing left. How was she to ride, and what work is she in now?
 
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I had a horse with similar front feet issues ( although not quite as bad ) which took me over a year of corrective shoeing to rectify. I had 5 weekly shoeing with gel inserts at over £100 a go, I tried barefoot initially with my vet, farrier & a barefoot trimmer on board but it wasn't a success and all 3 advised to go down the remedial shoeing route - I guess what works for some doesn't work for all. X rays showed that due to conformation issues and poor shoeing her pedal bone had dropped slightly and my vet advised this is the case in nearly all of these cases.

Mine is now sound and her feet are as goods as they'll ever be but she would not stand up to regular competing at the level you wish to do and I would't even attempt it with her. The horse you are looking at doesn't have great conformation and may not pass the vetting, you then have to consider if you don't buy her you have not only wasted your money but the owner is left having to declare a failed vetting to other prospective buyers.

She may come right enough for you to do what you want but it's a risk and there are plenty of other horses out there without issues.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
Hayleighm175 said:
I'm very interested as to what she has already done?
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Well she has done some BE 80 on a ticket, some unaffiliated showjumping, clinics and is currently jumping 1m at home. I jumped her at the height when I tried her and I tried her in a school and also XC. My main priorities are temperament, and willingness to jump. Yes, she needs to build topline and for my budget I can't expect something that is competition ready or absolutely perfect confirmation wise. This is however my first horse, and I am fully aware of the fact that I am lacking in experience.
 
She hasnt stood the test of time though, and she certainly hasn't been out every weekend.

Out of interest, what do you think she is advertided for?
 
She hasnt stood the test of time though, and she certainly hasn't been out every weekend.

Out of interest, what do you think she is advertided for?
 
Would I worry about the feet? No, but I wouldn't be happy with the rest of the leg.

Conformation advice? You could definitely find a much better put together horse.

I'd keep looking.

Advertised for.... Dunno £3750 ish?
 
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OP, if it's your first horse and your on a tight budget but want to compete at a sensible level forget anything under 12/13, over that you'll get something with miles on the clock that you know can do what you want but is decreasing in value because of age. Far safer than a poorly put together youngster with no proven record.
 
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