Pony with splay foot?

Question

If you dont know what splay foot is here is a picture:

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm287/Bindi72003/102_0899.jpg

I looked at this pony to buy but as soon as I saw her front legs it was a deal breaker. But I wanted to know what the downsides are? Will she have any health problems? She doesnt appear to have any trouble trotting or cantering, actually she has a really nice trot.

Answer 1

Ringbone is exists (bone growth) in the pastern or coffin joint of a horse. In severe cases, the growth can encircle the bones, giving ringbone its name. (But this is very unlikely) If the horse can trot nicely and canter like you say then it is very unlikely that there are going to be any severe dealings with this horse.

These are the main causes of it:

Excessive tension on the tendons, ligaments, and joint capsules of the pastern area can strain the periosteum

Osteoarthritis (the endstage of degenerative joint disease) of the pastern or coffin joint is a very common cause of articular ringbone.

Trauma to the periosteum can cause bone growth on the pastern bone.

Poor shoeing and conformation, such as long, sloping pasterns, upright pasterns, long-toes with low heels, pigeon toes, splay foot, or unbalanced feet may predispose the horse to ringbone, as they create uneven stress on the pastern and coffin joint, unequal tension on the soft tissues, or worsen the concussion that is absorbed by the pastern area.

In any case it is also good to get a second opinion from your vet and also farrier because poor shoeing can also cause this.

Hope this was helpful enough for you

Thanks

Answer 2

The pony in the picture toes out a bit, but she's not splay footed!    That's an extreme of toeing out.

In general, a splay footed horse may interfere with herself when moving.  She'll paddle or wing out.  If she doesn't interfere, there's no problem.

The legs are always the first thing inexperienced people look at, cuz it's easy to find fault.  They're the last thing I look at!  Overall balance and correctness through the body, neck set, and so on are better indicators of how the horse will perform.

Sure, there're some leg faults that are dealbreakers, but the pony in the picture isn't toeing out enough to worry about.

Answer 3

i would get opinions from your vet and farrier to see if they have any problems with it. if they say that it should be fine and if you are just going to ride her for pleasure and not over-work her, she should be okay. my mare is splay-footed in the front as well and she doesnt seem to have any problems. but as i said, get opinions from your vet and farrier.

Answer 4

This horse will be more prone to arthritis and interference, which can mean injuries for the horse and rider. Many horses with this flaw make good trail horses for field riding, but for athletic pursuits, I would pass it by.