Subj: toeing out
Date: 7/4/02 11:46:30 AM Central Daylight Time
I realize this is not a MFT question, but as you said, good shoeing
practices ....
I have a 2 year old Morgan filly who toes out and I am having
some
corrective shoeing done. The farrier was just here and
was able to
straighten the right front with trimming and shoeing. However,
the left
front was more of a problem apparently. She (farrier) built
up with
pads the inside (toe to heel) of the hoof - this appears to me
to have
made the toeing out worse.
I am certainly not a farrier, but intuition (and experience with
toeing
in) is telling me that the inside heel could be raised but not
inside
toe - maybe outside toe...? (Or outside heel/inside toe taken
down?) My
one hoof care class did not, of course, cover corrective shoeing
and I
am frustrated with my lack of knowledge. I realize that the answer
is
not necessarily simple, but can you give me any guidance - information
or where I can get it?
Thanks, pj
Answer:
PJ,
Contrary to popular belief, the ONLY time that corrective trimming/shoeing
will make a lasting change in the leg is from birth until approx 6 mos
old. Anything done after that is cosmetic, and can temporarily alter the
flight path of the hoof.
The unequal raising or lowering of the heels can cause too much pressure on either side of the fetlock or knee possibly causing splints, or other problems! On a horse that is toeing out I lower the inside front quarter of the hoof leaving the outside quarter a little longer. I leave the heels the same height.
Usually toeing out is a growth problem, not a conformational one. Many horses toe out between the ages of 1 and 3. When their chest and front end fill out with maturity the toeing out usually goes away.
Bob