Can you ride a horse with clubbed/pigeon toed feet?
im looking into rescuing this gelding from a lady who knows absolutely nothing about horses, hes been really neglected and i would like to bring him on like i have with my other horses. only problem is he has clubbed and pigeon toed front feet, he seems quite sound and has no problem galloping around the pasture, and i;ve ridden him very lightly bareback with no problems. i plan on using him as a trail horse, as i figured if he could be safely ridden it would have to be light. im gonna get my farrier out to check him out and be sure its not that bad. but i would just like to know if its alrite to ride him on trails without the risk of him going lame often?
2011-05-09T17:29:29Z
also im for sure getting a set of correctional shoes put on him so as hes balanced.
coty2011-05-09T17:23:14Z
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Ive heard that it takes alot of...physical therapy for a horse to recover from pigeon toe. Regular/more often farrier visits to fix the problem and sometimes its gone so far that its not fixable. I would consult with a equine vet to ask their opinion for we nor you yet have seen the extent of the damage. You have a kind and strong heart. We need more people like you.
Chances are pretty good that he's not actually club footed if he's a rescue horse. It's pretty likely that whoever has been trimming his hooves just REALLY messed them up. Get a farrier out and see-I bet that they can either help the hooves grow out more naturally or fix it all together. Even if they are bad permemntently, pigeon toed isn't a huge deal and clubbed foot is manageable if he's sound. Just be careful
Yes it's fine to ride him on trails. I would get the farrier to look at his hooves first like you said. If you get him trimmed or shod regularly then it will make him more balanced, as pidgeon toed horses don't ware evenly.
i wouldn't see why not, talk to the vet or farrier and see what they say and with the trails take it light make sure you clean his hooves and see how he does if he seems alright then he will probably be okay
As long as you aren't putting him through strenuous work, it should be fine. Correctional shoes should help and as long as he isn't tripping or lame often, I would think it would be fine to ride him on trails.