Hoof deformaties:

[happy appy]

IMO and take this with a grain of salt, It looks like the hoof isn't balanced and that you would need xrays to see if that is just a poor trim job that has been going on for a long time or if it's something physical in the leg. I think that I would have the vet and farrier booked for the same time and then get to the bottom of it once and for all.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I should have read all the other postings before my lengthy posting I just deleted.

best wishes on a solution.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

If I were to play the odds, a bilateral condition like this is less likely due to improper trimming or a random growth abnormality leading to a crooked leg(s) and more likely to be a variant of dwarfism. Frequent trims, keeping him in good shape (not overweight) and being proactive in treating the likely progression of arthritis will improve his quality/quantity of life. I would encourage you to employ the services of a Vet to not only X-ray, but then to set up a treatment plan complete with frequent re-checks.

The bad news might be we aren't a perfectly made horse and the care will likely be life long, but the good news is the care probably exists and there is something you can do to improve function and maintain comfort.

Dr. Taylor

 

[Minimor]

Thank you Dr. Taylor--that has been my suspicion, that this is related to dwarfism -- the first time I saw it was in a mare I bought as a 10year old. Her feet got progressively worse as she aged into her teens, even with frequent careful trimming. It reminded me very much of the feet of a dwarf. I believe that her sire carried dwarfism, or perhaps was a very minimal dwarf...once I saw photos of him I believed that he did have at least one dwarf gene. This mare came to us in foal and the filly came out looking--to me--like a dwarf. Not a severely affected dwarf but still a dwarf. She went back to her breeder and was then sold to Europe--I do not know how she grew up. As the mare's feet worsened I believed more and more that her problem was related to dwarfism.

The two mares I currently work on--I do not see dwarfism in them, except for their feet--and this hoof/leg issue does look to me like it is dwarfism related.

 

[Mona]

That is exactly what I thought also when I saw them, but didn't want to say, for fear of hurting OP's feelings. As soon as I saw them, to me, they seemed like a sign of dwarfism.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

I hope I haven't hurt anyone's feelings.

I have never quite understood why genetic conditions have an 'evil' connotation to them. Cryptorchidism, HYPP, locking stifles, dwarfism, and etc... are just unfortunate things that are carried in certain lines/individuals. No breeder wants these problems, but some genetic problems aren't realized until years/generations later and every breeding animal needs to judged on its totality and not on 1 specific issue.

Although I would encourage any breed organization to be proactive in eliminating genetic problems, I also understand it is impossible to eliminate most totally and the best we can do is try to reduce the problems.

Dr. Taylor

 

[WJS]

I just want to thank everyone for their views: here are a couple of comments made by previous vets and farriers that have seen her.

* a type of dwarfism

* hereditary birth defect

*a weakness in hoof wall

* poor or no hoof correction as a foal

* Life expectancy 6 years because she will be suffering

and finally

* you could put her in foal and see what she produces.... I am really struggling with this one :'(

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

* a type of dwarfism

* hereditary birth defect

*a weakness in hoof wall

* poor or no hoof correction as a foal

I agree with the 4 possible diagnoses and I agree with their order being from most to least likely.

* Life expectancy 6 years because she will be suffering

and finally

I strenuously disagree. I have seen horses with far worse physical problems have a much longer life with quite reasonable comfort. I wouldn't consider this problem would limit her longevity at all, assuming it was reasonably well handled.

you could put her in foal and see what she produces.... I am really struggling with this one :'(

Probably the smartest place to start is by running the new dwarfism test designed in-part by John Eberth of Little King Farm and offered through Gluck Research Center. Once that information was ascertained then it along with all other factors should be considered when deciding to breed.

Dr. Taylor

 

[WJS]

I was just thinking the same, at least it will rule out some possibilities.