It is possible to correct a pigeon toed stance with proper trimming.
Before:
Here the horse has been trimmed once or twice and still shows the pigeon-toed stance. The inside toes have been lowered to initiate the correction. As a result, the hairlines are sloping down on the insides (medial side).
Left Front Prior To Trim A few months’ into trimming
The thick wall on the left side of the picture on the left (before), is the primary factor causing the pigeon-toed stance. It is a chicken and egg situation of whether it is caused by the horse’s posture or vice-versa, but it can be short-circuited by the ‘intervention’ of thinning the wall. In the second picture, the wall thickness has been evened out with trimming, making it more symmetrical. The assymetrical thickness was contributing to the pigeon-toed stance. The wall separation has narrowed as part of the improvement, as well. Note that the heel points are not yet perfectly aligned; the uneven heel alignment is also a contributing factor, or possibly a result. In any case, lining them up helps the feet adjust to the correct posture. The heel bulbs are decontracting – being further apart in the later photo.
Close-up Views:
RF LF
The inside walls have been correctively lowered and therefore the hairlines look somewhat unlevel. The curving and bulged up hoof rings (on the lateral Right) are very apparent in the middle of the hoof, and have reduced further up the foot. This is indicative of a previously unbalanced trim resulting in these rings, and the incorrect stance.
Left Heels Before Left Heels after Trimming
Before, the inside wall is longer than the outside wall, and both are sloping to the inside. This is a major contributor to the pigeon-toed stance. After a few months of trimming the walls are more even in length as a result of lowering the inside wall repeatedly. The inside toe also needs shortening from the bottom (red arrow) and continues to require it. The outside wall is beginning to grow outward in the correct direction.
After about six months, the feet are straighter
Click on the photo for a larger view.
The horse does occasionally revert to a pigeon toed stance if not trimmed on a regular schedule, which indicates that the condition is not ‘conformational’, rather, the soft tissue has adapted to the posture and requires time to readjust.
January 25, 2007 at 12:06 am
My twins have some issues with their legs due to being cramped in the mare’s uterus. It’s tough to keep up with, since with eight legs between them, seems like we have eight different corrections. I know we’re making progress but it sure seems to be slow.
January 28, 2007 at 7:23 pm
Wow, twins – how unusual! How old are they now? Are they barefoot? How often do you find they need trimming?
It would be great to see pictures of them, and perhaps provide some comments. Feel free to send them for posting if you like. Or perhaps a link.
January 28, 2007 at 8:20 pm
They are eight months old now. Earlier in the week I started telling their story on my blog, MiKael’s Mania – Arabian Horses I’m not sure how to go about posting a picture here but I will try to get some pics of their legs and figure it out.
They are barefoot.Ideally, we try to trim them every 3 weeks but that doesn’t always happen. One of the problems we have with them is their foot wants to roll over in the back if it gets any length at all and that affects our corrections. It’s like walking a tightrope.
January 28, 2007 at 10:42 pm
Thanks for the link. I have been enjoying their story over there.
If you submit pictures to me via email, I can post them.
February 7, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Warning!
Please do not correct a pigeon toed horse if your horse is over 6 months (preferable correct faults before 3 months).
If you do you will give your horse DJD (degenerative joint disease). Your horse will become lame (this may take years) and get arthritis like conditions much earlier; as the foot may look straight on the outside but as the horse has grown pigeon toed his bones are only in alignment if the foot is allowed to remain pigeon toed. It is best to get radiographs of such a horse to insure good bone alignment through correct foot balance.
Again please, please, please do not do as this article recommends with adult horses as you are setting them up for a host of problems that I see so commonly in the clinic.
February 7, 2008 at 9:04 pm
This is something that should be evaluated via radiographs and decided upon by the team of owner, vet, and trimmer.
The pigeon toed stance can result from assymetrical foot shape and hoof wear (e.g. thicker walls on the inside) but not have caused any skeletal adaptations, beyond the age of 3 months. The horse’s skeleton continues to grow until at least age 5. There is nothing magical about the 3 month mark.
If there are no skeletal adaptations (crooked joints) there is very little transition and no pain involved in making the correction. If there is some skeletal adaptation, it can still be reversed in a horse that has not matured. The joints will level out correctly. On the contrary the unlevel joints leading to the pigeon toed-ness are what cause the DJD down the line.
April 8, 2008 at 7:13 am
there’s so much missinformation on how to correct pigeon toed horses as well as toed out horses. 98% of horses are pigeon toed, even if their feet point straight ahead there’s still a 98% chance the horse is pigeon toed.
The practice of lowering one side of the hoof wall to correct these conditions is a bad one creating binds on and into the joints. There are alternative methods to what is taught in the textbooks and in the schools – has provided me with a 17 year 100% track record – not one single lame horse. you can check it out at the following: http://Farrieritis.Care4Horses.com
If you own horses , you never want to miss out
john “TheFootDoctor” Sil