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front leg interference
Post At
02/28/2005 - 7:09 pm
reply from
stephen schwindt
i have recently started shoeing a 15 year old mare that for the past 10 years has been a bare-foot broodmare.she interferes badly in front, knocking the medial aspect of both fetlock joints. she breaks over to the lateral side of toe-center and lands on the lateral wall. conformationally, she toes-out fairly severely, but appears base-narrow. any ideas on how to correct this?
Reply at
03/ 1/2005 - 6:40 am
reply from
Dr. Esco Buff, PhD, AFA-CF
Hello Stephen,
Conformation problems can always be frustrating. Some questions I have would be: Has this horse always interfered? Or is this just recently? If recently, what has changed? Is this a balance issue? Is the interfernece due to the mare being preganant? Does this interfernce happen in all footings? Or is this a result of deep snows or mud conditons?
Base-narrow, narrow in front, bowlegged are all conformation problems that you can do liitle to correct unless your the breeder. However, there are some trimming and shoeing methods that can be applied to help the horse move with less interference, less stress, etc. By definition this is called Corrective Shoeing - shoeing to change the way of going due to conformation problems. Once the shoe is removed the original fault usually returns. Make sure your customers understand this, so they don't think your going to cure the confromation problem.
Usually more frequendtly trimming is required to keep the feet in balance. Make sure you are balancing the horse from the shoulder down. For base-narrow and narrow in front, theycan also be helped by insuring proper conditioning and exercising.
Shoeing these horses is probably the best way to help support the limb and lessen or prevent limb interference. Take a step back and really assess the horse and shoe to the shoulder plumb line.
Personally, I find most interference problems are lessened with correct conditing by the owner and insuring that I've balanced the feet correctly.
Good Luck Stephen and keep well.
Dr. Esco Buff
Esco Buff's Farrier and Founder Service
Conformation problems can always be frustrating. Some questions I have would be: Has this horse always interfered? Or is this just recently? If recently, what has changed? Is this a balance issue? Is the interfernece due to the mare being preganant? Does this interfernce happen in all footings? Or is this a result of deep snows or mud conditons?
Base-narrow, narrow in front, bowlegged are all conformation problems that you can do liitle to correct unless your the breeder. However, there are some trimming and shoeing methods that can be applied to help the horse move with less interference, less stress, etc. By definition this is called Corrective Shoeing - shoeing to change the way of going due to conformation problems. Once the shoe is removed the original fault usually returns. Make sure your customers understand this, so they don't think your going to cure the confromation problem.
Usually more frequendtly trimming is required to keep the feet in balance. Make sure you are balancing the horse from the shoulder down. For base-narrow and narrow in front, theycan also be helped by insuring proper conditioning and exercising.
Shoeing these horses is probably the best way to help support the limb and lessen or prevent limb interference. Take a step back and really assess the horse and shoe to the shoulder plumb line.
Personally, I find most interference problems are lessened with correct conditing by the owner and insuring that I've balanced the feet correctly.
Good Luck Stephen and keep well.
Dr. Esco Buff
Esco Buff's Farrier and Founder Service
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