Twisted Feet

QUESTION: 

Hi Dr. Teskey,

My name is Marci.  I saw your article in the horseshoof magazine. I have been trimming for about 2 years now. I was wondering if you could look at some photos I am sending to give me a little advice on this horse with a twisted leg/foot? He is a 9 year old Quarter Horse, and he is apparently sound and ridable. Do you think we should get x-rays? Will the bones go back into the correct position? I know the horse will be more comfortable with the trimming, etc. but I don't want to make matters worse. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you for your time.

DR. TOM'S ANSWER:

Hi Marci,

With the high inside/toe-in conformation, this horse has developed a deformity we call "varus" which means the leg bows outward...in this case the bow is outward at the fetlocks.

I think the horse could be made more comfortable and you could get some improvement in the bone alignment, but it will take several years. If you don't see improvement in just a few months then it may be difficult to get changes. The terrain the horse is on shouldn't be too abrasive or the feet will wear down too fast on the outsides, which are all ready too low. X-rays would be interesting but not necessary, as it wouldn't change what I want to do with the feet. It would be neat to see what the changes are that happen over months to years, though. I would think age is still on his side, but being an adult horse, the changes will come slower. Bones definitely change their shapes and alignments in cases like these, so don't let anyone tell you that they "can't change".

I'd encourage you to work on him, taking down the inside walls as they are able and definitely get control of the long toes as well. This is not an easy case for a beginner, but you sound like you've got some experience, so I think you'll probably have a pretty good feeling for what you can get away with each time you trim. Just take a little and walk the horse, then take a little more if it looks like the horse is OK with it. You may want to get some Old Macs or other boots to protect the outside walls from wearing down when walking or riding. You have to try and preserve the structure you have on the outsides to encourage the lower leg to come straighter and get control of the angular deformity. The presence of the shoes has essentially allowed this condition to become worse, because the feet can't adjust or help themselves for balance even if they wanted to.

Take care,

Dr. Tom T.