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Discussion on Pigeon toed 2 year old
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Member:
Lsweeney
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Posted on Saturday, Nov 4, 2006 - 11:03 pm:
I have a Friesian filly that I purchased at 1.5 years old. She has been correct and barefoot out in my pasture.
I noticed a few months ago that she was starting to toe in. Her toes were also more pointed in the front.
My horses wear their hooves out in our pasture, and I usually just take a rasp and even out the rough spots. Her feet are not long. I can see where she is wearing them more on the outside than the inside. The outside heel is higher than the inside.
I had my vet out to look at her and he said to just take more hoof off the inside of the foot, and stop doing it when she straightens out. He also suggested that I square the toe so that it is not pointed. (I also read elsewhere where this will help the horse breakover straight.) He felt that she still has a lot of growing to do.
I'm not seeing huge improvements, and I don't really have a lot of hoof to work with as her feet are not long. The wall is about at the sole level.
Should the heel be even with the front quarter trimmed a little lower on the inside? Or should the heel also be taken down a little on the inside?
I notice the toeing out more when she is moving. She picks up her front feet and places them down flat with the toe pointing in.
Comments?
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Member:
Lsweeney
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Posted on Saturday, Nov 4, 2006 - 11:28 pm:
Correction: I notice the toeing IN more when she is moving.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Sunday, Nov 5, 2006 - 9:52 am:
If the hooves are toeing in from the fetlock down it strongly suggests you have been leaving the inside wall too long, hence your veterinarians suggestions. When correcting induced rotational deformity you want to lower the whole side but the bottom of the foot should still be all on the same 2 dimensional plane, that is it should be flat, it is just this flat plane is not perpendicular to the long axis of the leg.
DrO
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Member:
Lsweeney
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Posted on Sunday, Nov 5, 2006 - 8:02 pm:
Well, I wasn't leaving the inside wall too long, because with her feet, I wasn't doing too much of anything. I was checking them, but they were really wearing down with little or no wall, and didn't look like they needed to be touched up. So any wearing she is doing, or any imbalance, is coming from her.
As she has started this toeing in thing, I'm now noticing that there is more wearing on the outside - the wall is more chewed up there, and she is starting to flare more on the inside.
I'm going to upload some pictures.
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Member:
Lsweeney
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Posted on Sunday, Nov 5, 2006 - 9:28 pm:
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Member:
Lsweeney
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Posted on Sunday, Nov 5, 2006 - 9:37 pm:
She is just standing in this shot, but this gives you an idea of the hoof position when she places it on the ground. You can also see the chewed walls on the outside wall, and yet both outside heels are longer with a slight hook. The inside walls have been artificially lowered by my rasping with a smoother look.
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Member:
Lsweeney
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Posted on Sunday, Nov 5, 2006 - 9:44 pm:
Here are her legs straight on. 
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Member:
Lsweeney
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Posted on Sunday, Nov 5, 2006 - 9:46 pm:
In this shot of her left foot, I have done nothing to trim the outside of the hoof. This will give you some idea of how much her feet wear in the pasture. The left side has been rasped down and intentionally is a little shorter than the outside. Additionally, you can see the longer heel on the outside that I'm talking about. 
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Member:
Lsweeney
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Posted on Sunday, Nov 5, 2006 - 9:49 pm:
Vertical shot.
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Member:
Lsweeney
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Posted on Sunday, Nov 5, 2006 - 9:54 pm:
She has put on a lot of bulk and is filling out more than she is growing tall in the last couple of months.
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Member:
Lsweeney
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Posted on Wednesday, Nov 15, 2006 - 12:23 pm:
Any thoughts after reviewing pictures. Should I take down that outside heel?
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Friday, Nov 17, 2006 - 7:56 am:
Sorry Laurie,
I apparently did not push the button yesterday when I replied.
I cannot judge the conformation and trim from the images. It is unclear from the photos if the legs themselves turn in above the fetlocks. Neither can I judge the static (that which you judge when the horse is not moving) balance of the hoof partly because slight misalignments of the camera influence the appearance, partly all the hair makes it difficult to judge where the coronet and bone is, but mostly because more lower leg needs to be viewed and sometimes from several angles to judge balance. Subtle balance issues and particularly balance in legs with conformational problems are very hard to judge accurately from photos. Note also if the legs themselves are turned in the dynamic balance: how the foot hits while walking may be the best way to judge balance. If after studying the articles on balancing feet it remains uncertain what you need to do, I would recommend you seek the help of a experienced farrier. I do believe the flare in the outside wall needs to be rasped out.
DrO
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Member:
Lsweeney
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Posted on Friday, Nov 17, 2006 - 8:20 pm:
Understand. I'm going to get a corrective shoer out.
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