Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Beau does have  the high-low heel syndrome which Blake Edwards - a farrier who worked at Loomis Basin Veterinary Clinic and has spoken at AERC convention about this syndrome.  He attributes it to the long legged horse having a preferred "split stance" when grazing.

 

It can be managed, but it is real micromanagement.  I have fired soooo many farriers over this issue that it's not funny.  Since I'm not doing endurance on him anymore I keep him barefoot and trim myself.  I have to keep his bars down otherwise the clubby foot gets pretty contracted.  He does have a little more arthritis in low heel knee, and he definitely stays more even if I keep him in consistent steady work.

 

But I did have a lot of fun riding endurance with him.   He loved it and was an easy going ride.  He'll never be a high mileage horse, but he was a good horse for me to learn endurance on.  However, he was already broken to ride when I got him on a horse trade with my ex, and I spent many years on him before I did any endurance.

 

Here you are looking at an young un-broke filly with unknown capabilities.  You will just have to be prepared to spend a lot of time and investment to bring this horse along.  I found it worth it for the extra effort for Beau.  He taught me an awful lot.

 

K.

On Thu, Jul 10, 2008 at 9:13 PM, Barbara McCrary <bigcreekranch@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I have to agree with you, Jeri.  One of my all time favorite horses had a high-low syndrome.  Farriers always were trying to get both feet to look the same, and I didn't know enough to say NO.  Eventually, the poor horse popped a knee on the low leg, and it was downhill after that.  The knee calcified, became distorted and twisted, and the horse was thereafter lame.

 

Barbara

----- Original Message -----

From: desertrydr1@xxxxxxx

To: carrie.kitley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cc: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2008 8:53 PM

Subject: Re: [RC] Confirmation- reply to Tuni

NO, it can't not after several months of age.  If that's the way it grows, that's the way it will continue to grow and NEEDS to grow.  If you try to change those angles, you are more likely to cripple the horse than fix it.  There are some things you can do to a clubby foot (high/low is what I was seeing more than an actual club, but it's hard to tell from pics) but messing with the angles will just make a mess.

jeri (Owner of a horse with high heels, who after 16 years and several farriers will never try to change angles again.)