I have a new shoer (for the last year) who is very good
about trimming the feet back well under the leg, but I will watch to see whether
going longer between shoeing is making a difference. My horse's feet grow
so proportionately that it's a surprise even to the shoer how much foot he has
grown.
My husband's Paso Fino gelding will knuckle under in the rear if
his toes get too long - he has farily long, slightly narrow hind feet
anyhow. We found that out when we went 6 weeks between farrier visits
one time due to both of us being out of town. (We typically have a 5
week farrier schedule.) Just that one week's extra growth made a
difference.
Dawn in East Texas
-----Original Message----- From:
Dyane Smith <sunibey@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: dawnsimas67@xxxxxxxxxxxxx;
ridecamp <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 10:01:06
-0700 Subject: Re: [RC] "knuckling over"?
Amazing! That's what I have been dealing with this
past year with my 18 year old. What is different about mine is that
prior to taking him to the vet, he had occasionally stumbled behind when
self-lunging around me to avoid being haltered. I took him to Davis, we
did the whole 9 yards. He has a miniscule bone chip in the left hind leg
(the one that gives way). I have since found out that many horses,
especially those who have raced, have that and it usually does not bother
them. He looked like he had a torn sesamoidian cruciate ligament, but,
eventually we ruled that out.
When he isn't stepping wrong on that leg, he doesn't
look lame.
His Bob Marshall sportsaddle does bridge even though I
have the special bridging Skito pad, but since I have seen him step wrong when
not being ridden, I am not at all sure that's the problem.
I have had him to a neurologist (weak tail pull, but
seems to know where his feet are) and a chiropractor (needed some adjusting,
but nothing major). Bute does not make any appreciable
difference.
This is a horse I would really like to be able to
ride. He is so responsive it's like driving a Mazeratti.
Okay, what do you guys mean by this? I have had a recent thing
start happening in my boy and wonder if this is what you're refering
to. Mostly when going downhill, but sometimes on level, he drags a
rear foot and it catches and he actually "steps" down on his fetlock
joint. Big OUCH, like a sprained ankle and from my perspective in the
saddle, his hindquarters drop like he stepped in a hole, his head flies up
to catch himself. I didn't know what he was doing until someone told
me that I was riding with. Has to hurt! Never lame though.
