What causes a horse not be able to use their front feet properly when turning to change direction?

Question

I have a friend of mine who has a paint mare that was given to her a few months ago that was in bad shape. She was foundered but is now getting proper care. My question is what can a person do to help her bare weight properly on her front legs without hurting her. She walks a little stiff but here lately with some walking she has begun to loosen up. Going in a straight line she does fine but as soon as you change direction either side to side or at an angle she seems almost like she shuffles her front legs to get her body around. Yes she does have shoes on but only on her front feet. Would walking her in a large circle help and then try to gradually work in smaller circles with time. She is seeing a vet for founder.

Answer 1

If she were mine, I'd have her hooves xrayed to determine whether there is bone rotation or descent within the hooves.  That information would go far to assist the farrier in determining what corrective measures would serve her best.  Until then, just catering to her painful condition would be the best.

Answer 2

It sounds like she needs more time to recover from founder, her feet are still hurting.  It can take a long time and she should be closely monitored by the farrier and vet.  In the meantime, keep walking her in straight lines as much as possible.  The exercise will do her good without causing her as much pain.

Answer 3

hi theres a couple of things that could cause this one she could be a wobbler and two the peddal bone could have come down when she founded or it might not be any of them but it sounds like you might have a problem there so what i would do is get out a vet to check her and mention wat has been said here i defentley wouldnt leave it because it could result in futher and worse problems leah

Answer 4

if it was me I would shoot the horse. after a horse is foundered, it is never right again know matter what you try to do. it sux, but true.

Answer 5

They shuffle like that because as they turn, more pressure is put on just one leg causing pain and so it's their way of doing it to minimize the discomfort. My horse had a pastern fusion, looked great walking in a straight line but did the same thing when turned.

First thing I would do is get a great farrier, one that is really good at corrective/remedial work and ask them about using wedges - altering the angle of the foot can do amazing things or even trying pain plates. I've seen horses that are crippled but can jump just fine in pain plates. Shoeing like that does cost a lot more but can be worth every penny. You could also use heart bars. You could also speak to the vet about using Equioxx as a pain reliever on those really bad days - less likely to cause stomach problems than bute.

http://www.hoofplates.com/index.cfm

Answer 6

she might have restricted heels, but i would get an x-ray done to see what the problem is  

Answer 7

Founder almost always occurs in the front hooves and on a random occasion can occur in all four feet. She without a doubt needs to have an x-ray done on her front hooves to see if there is any separation or to see if her coffin bone has rotated and is beginning to push down on the sole of her hoof. I did some research on founder a few years back and one of the symptoms is that the horse will be reluctant or refuse to make sharp turns because it hurts them to put that weight on their front hooves.  Another symptom that is easy to spot would be if she stands in a “founder stance” often, this just means that she will have her back legs well up underneath her in the attempt to relieve some of the pressure from her front feet.  DO NOT force her to turn if it is obvious that she is in pain... if your friend only got her a few months ago then she still has a long road ahead of her to try and get her founder under control. Just continue to keep up with vet checks and farrier appointments and do what you can to make her comfortable and happy. :)

Answer 8

Her feet hurt.  It's painful for her to make turns as it forces a lot of weight on the individual feet.  You need to leave her alone and hopefully the care she's getting will eventually alleviate some of the pain from the laminitis, and she'll be able to turn with less pain.  Do not, not, not  force her to do anything that is obviously painful.

Answer 9

Horses naturally bare weight on their front legs evenly, unless we (humans) do something to make them do otherwise. Ex: uneven trimmings / shoeing, putting them in a place that the ground isn't flat but always at an angle, etc. My advice, is to get a certified AFA (american farrier's association) farrier out there to help the vet. I'm not saying the vet doesn't know a lot about a horse - but when it comes to a horse's hoof, they sometimes can be mistaken. One reason she might be shuffling her feet could be lack of muscle mass or suppleness in her shoulders to move properly. That's my theory, since you said that she was in bad shape when your friend got her. Good luck :)