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Barrel Horses with Club Foot

11K views 13 replies 8 participants last post by  loosie 
#1 ·
What are everyone's suggestions/thoughts for a prospective barrel horse with a club foot? The degree of the club foot is not severe, but is slightly noticeable. I have read horror stories, as well as good stories about horses with a club foot going on to be very successful. I am afraid it is already affecting him, as he does not easily pick up his right lead. The club foot is his right front.
Does anyone have any experience in this, or have any ideas? I know trimming the heel down regularly is the first thing you can do, but anything besides that?
 
#2 ·
The mare I just purchased for barrels has a "slight" club foot. I personally cannot tell she has it. But more experienced eyes can.

It all depends on the severity of it. I talked with my vet and farrier before purchasing the mare. Both said there wasn't any reason why she can't do what I want (which is to run NBHA on her)

The only thing my farrier said is if she starts to wear that foot down with her training and running, we'll put shoes on her. Well, she had shoes put on anyway because of a big chip that happened a little over a month ago. Oh well...
 
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#3 ·
My horse has a clubbed foot and I decided to get shoes on him and it seemed to help. He to has his clubbed foot on the right and he didn't like taking the right lead at first. With his shoes and and some training he takes his right lead about 90% of the time. Which was a lot better than a couple of months ago before I got him shod and if would take me forever to get him on the right lead. I hope this helps. Good luck.
 
#5 ·
Take a look at the other 'club foot' threads. Without more info can't tell you anything specific, but NO you DON'T want to go lowering the heel of the club foot, at least without a lot more info on what's going on, IMO including a bodyworker. It is not usually a foot problem that causes it, but can be due to shortened tendons, injury, 'left handedness'(IOW grazing stance), etc. Likewise you don't want to encourage the opposite foot to match the high heel.
 
#6 ·
Thank you for your input. I know it is not just a hoof issue; it is a deformity of the coffin joint. However I need some clarification on things--- what is bodywork? Who can provide this service? Also, what do IMO and IOW stand for?


QUOTE=loosie;1638605]Take a look at the other 'club foot' threads. Without more info can't tell you anything specific, but NO you DON'T want to go lowering the heel of the club foot, at least without a lot more info on what's going on, IMO including a bodyworker. It is not usually a foot problem that causes it, but can be due to shortened tendons, injury, 'left handedness'(IOW grazing stance), etc. Likewise you don't want to encourage the opposite foot to match the high heel.[/QUOTE]
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#7 ·
Thank you for your input. I know it is not just a hoof issue; it is a deformity of the coffin joint. However I need some clarification on things--- what is bodywork? Who can provide this service? Also, what do IMO and IOW stand for?
I'd call a deformity of the coffin joint a hoof issue actually. What sort of joint deformity has the horse got? 'Bodywork' is chiropractic, physio, etc.

Sorry about taking internet shorthand for granted(there was a list somewhere explaining it all... lol... laughing out loud)... IMO is in my opinion & IOW is in other words :wink:
 
#8 ·
Write a member here named LKC. She's my best friend. Her mare Maxi has a slight club foot and is a barrel racing machine!!!! Low heel and shoes (I believe) and she's just fine. She's in her 20's and is just now being retired. Her club foot never seemed to slow her down a bit. She's a consistent 15 sec barrel horse. LKC would have a lot more info to give you on her own horse of course ;)
 
#10 ·
Can be for a range of reasons. Flexural deformities - so called contracted tendons - are indeed a common one. I hadn't actually thought of this as deformity of the coffin joint. This sort of thing can be a congenital problem & it can also happen later, due to injury, DOD etc. Clubbed hooves can also come about later in life due to weak/injured heels, injury to the foot, leg, body, can also come about purely due to the horse's preference to graze with a particular leg forward & other one(that becomes clubbed) back. Depends on the cause & age of the horse as to whether or not it can/should be 'treated' & what type of treatment.
 
#11 ·
As I think Loosie was hinting at, a club foot doesn't affect the body, it's the body causing the club foot. Any imbalance that causes a horse to bear weight on one side more will cause a club, (or atrophied) hoof. It's narrower because weight's not spreading it out. Remember a horse's feet change shape according to how they bear weight.

Now if a horse had a dished foot with a high heel, without difference in width, I may believe it was a tendon-related problem. I'd say in my experience, that's only the case in maybe 10% of the horses. That's just my experience around here. When I see a club foot, it's usually on the front, and you can often figure out why it's happening if you look and ask questions. Could be grazing posture, injury that caused them to favor one side, rider's tendency to work one way more than they should, etc. Look hard at these modern-day barrel horses. Many are tall with short necks. Watch them graze and they'll tell you what's happening. Not hard to fix if that's the case. Remember too that many barrel horses are ridden to the left more. One turn to the right, two to the left. If they get stronger to the left, they'll even rest on that side more standing in a stall. It's more comfortable.
 
#12 ·
He does graze with his left foot forward. One of the reasons for posting this forum is to learn more about it, because from what I have read, the articles have said that a horse will favor his other foot and graze with it forward, etc, when they have a club foot on the other. So what you are saying makes sense, as I think it will probably make it worse the more he favors the other foot.

In response to AmazinCaucasian--thank you for your input. I understand what you are saying and totally agree. The only reason I was still going along the lines of something inside (coffin joint deformity) causing the initial club foot is because this horse is 3---and I noticed it when he just over a year old; he had not and still has not sustained any injuries and he hadn't been worked really at all when we started to notice this. I think now it is important to pay attention to the club foot and do everything we can to prevent other things worsening it.
 
#14 ·
The only reason I was still going along the lines of something inside (coffin joint deformity) causing the initial club foot is because this horse is 3---and I noticed it when he just over a year old; .... I think now it is important to pay attention to the club foot and do everything we can to prevent other things worsening it.
Yep, as with people being left or right handed, he may have come out of his mum with that preference & the 'back' foot has become clubbed purely from habitual less pressure/wear on that heel.

While (without a good bodyworker at least) it's probably not 'correctable', managing to minimise the problem & prevent it getting worse is good. Maintaining the feet well to avoid excess growth, bevelling the toe to prevent leverage, along with carrot stretches or such exercises to get him stretching that foot forward so the muscle doesn't stay tight & 'short' are good steps.
 
#13 ·
My 13 year old 14'1 Arabian also has a club foot on his RF. It's a pretty steep club, but I've had him for 8 months with no problems or lameness. He was a barrel racer before I got him, and I do show jumping with him now with no problems. He doesn't like to pick up his right lead and well as his left lead, but a lot of horses are left handed like that; he also does carry his club a little differently but it's not lame at all. I know his previous owners never polo wrapped him, but I do his front legs just to give his tendons that extra support (the club foot affects the tendons). The worst thing you can do for a club foot is try to fix it. I don't shoe my pony, and we just trim his feet so his knees are even. Hope this helps =]
 
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