My husband competes in 50's with a TB/QH cross with a clubbed foot.
With proper care, the horse has done well & stayed sound. We shoe him
every 5-6 weeks to maintain an optimum foot - a little expensive, but
well worth it in our opinion.
I saw you ask Mike about abcesses, also. This hasn't been a problem for
this horse at all. Unfortunately, he road foundered quite a number of
years ago. Again, we had & still have an excellent farrier who keeps
him sound and competing at nearly 16 years old. If the going is going
to be rocky, we do use Shock Tamer pads to protect him. (His rotation
was initially 3* and 5* - with correction it is now 1* & 2*!) Shock
Tamers are the best shock absorbing pad on the market. They have
different density materials, much like a runner's shoe. Without them,
we wouldn't still be competing on Major.
Get the best farrier you can, then feed him, pay on time, send birthday
& Christmas cards... he's the most important person in your horse's
career other than you!
Good Luck!
Linda Flemmer
Blue Wolf Ranch
Bruceton Mills, WV