Comments on: Pigeon Toes http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/ A world of sound, healthy barefoot horses Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:41:50 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Christina http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-7786 Christina Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:41:50 +0000 http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-7786 Hi Monique, No do not shoe your horse for this reason. Shoeing will not correct it. What you need to have done is have the farrier trim the inside, slanting wall shorter than the outside for several trims or one hoof growth, to try and get it to even out. Your horse is only 6 so it should still be possible to fix it. I've worked with mustangs and their feet are so hard that nothing wears them down naturally even abrasive rock, so they tend to grow in these incorrect shapes unless monitored very carefully and trimmed often and correctly. Do not leave it alone, eventually he will develop ringbone on the opposite side that is slanting in because the tendons will be overstretched on the other side to compensate for the incorrect hoof form. Hi Monique,
No do not shoe your horse for this reason. Shoeing will not correct it. What you need to have done is have the farrier trim the inside, slanting wall shorter than the outside for several trims or one hoof growth, to try and get it to even out. Your horse is only 6 so it should still be possible to fix it. I’ve worked with mustangs and their feet are so hard that nothing wears them down naturally even abrasive rock, so they tend to grow in these incorrect shapes unless monitored very carefully and trimmed often and correctly. Do not leave it alone, eventually he will develop ringbone on the opposite side that is slanting in because the tendons will be overstretched on the other side to compensate for the incorrect hoof form.

]]> By: monique http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-7780 monique Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:39:18 +0000 http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-7780 I have a question i have a 6 year old mustang gelding.we do competive trail together. he is severely pigeon toed and his left front the hoof wall slants inward. im just wondering if i should hae him shoed to fix it i realize he's 6 and was able to live sound in the wild and from now on. but it worries me. should i fix it? or trim it often and leave it alone and hope he stays sound? I have a question i have a 6 year old mustang gelding.we do competive trail together. he is severely pigeon toed and his left front the hoof wall slants inward. im just wondering if i should hae him shoed to fix it i realize he’s 6 and was able to live sound in the wild and from now on. but it worries me. should i fix it? or trim it often and leave it alone and hope he stays sound?

]]> By: john "TheFootDoctor" silveira http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-4413 john "TheFootDoctor" silveira Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:13:18 +0000 http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-4413 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 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

]]> By: Christina http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-4314 Christina Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:04:23 +0000 http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-4314 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. 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.

]]> By: Sam http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-4313 Sam Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:50:20 +0000 http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-4313 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. 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.

]]> By: Christina http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-267 Christina Sun, 28 Jan 2007 22:42:35 +0000 http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-267 Thanks for the link. I have been enjoying their story over there. If you submit pictures to me via email, I can post them. Thanks for the link. I have been enjoying their story over there.

If you submit pictures to me via email, I can post them.

]]> By: MiKael http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-264 MiKael Sun, 28 Jan 2007 20:20:33 +0000 http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-264 They are eight months old now. Earlier in the week I started telling their story on my blog, <a href="http://risingrainbow.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">MiKael's Mania - Arabian Horses</a> 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. 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.

]]> By: Christina http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-262 Christina Sun, 28 Jan 2007 19:23:20 +0000 http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-262 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. 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.

]]> By: MiKael http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-223 MiKael Thu, 25 Jan 2007 00:06:09 +0000 http://barefoothoofcare.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/pigeon-toes/#comment-223 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. 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.

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