# ****-footed



## WhiskeyTango (Mar 6, 2009)

I have a 9 year old arab/appy cross mare that is "**** footed"..I am wondering about this..

I first saw her when she was 5...my neighbors had bought her from a sale barn and broke her..then they traded her for some hay to a guy that lives down the road from me.At age 7 he bred her..Her feet were not like this until I got her at age 8.

I have rode her..it does not seem to bother her..nor does she go lame...But is this a risk???

any help welcome.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

I've never heard of ****-footed? Maybe I'm used to hearing it as something else. What is it?


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## WhiskeyTango (Mar 6, 2009)

hard to explain...its when there back hooves dont set right....maybe you heard it called "post legged'?


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## equineangel91 (Oct 8, 2008)

hmm i've never heard of this either!
Does anyone know how to explain.


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## southerncowgirl93 (Feb 5, 2009)

When someone says a horse is **** footed it means there is more slope to the pastern than there should be, or it is to long.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Tendon Injuries Part Three: Suspensory Desmitis I had never heard of this term either but after investigation, it is just another term for a dropped fetlock. This could be a degenerative thing or it could be caused by an injury possibly suffered during her pregnancy. I would not advise riding her as I believe it could aggravate the condition and make her worse. 
Do her legs look like the horse in "d" below?









She could also be a carrier for DSLD. If that is the case, then it will continue to get worse and is probably hereditary so I would advise you to never breed her again as the disease could be passed on.
Are Post legged horses DSLD carriers


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## WhiskeyTango (Mar 6, 2009)

Yeah her feet look like D..except her legs arnt that straight..

I had to get her teeth floated today..I talked to my vet about it..he said if its nots hurting her she will be sound to ride..

I had never seen this until this mare was given to me(he did not want to feed her anymore)...I was like :shock: when I saw her..

Her feet did not do this until after she had that foal when she was 7.


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

Weird, do you have any pics? I would like to see this.


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## WhiskeyTango (Mar 6, 2009)

When I find my camara I will take some pictures for you..


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## barefoothooves (Sep 6, 2007)

This also makes me wonder if she's been trimmed with a chronic low heel, long toe in the hind feet, but you can't correct weak tendons with a trim, but correcting the trim can lessen the detrimental effects.
If she recently had a foal, the stress of carrying it and if she were fat, could contribute to it, but I would say she was already pre-disposed to it for it to manifest like that-there are plenty of fat, pregnant mares that never have the problem. Some horses that have been severly malnourished in early age will tend to do this, so I'm sure diet can affect it, however, there's not much you can do to fix it, regardless.


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## WhiskeyTango (Mar 6, 2009)

she was severly malnurished when I got her..Its very very hard to keep weight on this horse!

my farrier keeps a bit of heel on her back feet..i do what I can..she will remain here til the day she dies..she is just one of the best natured horses..she was abused..when my neighbors first got her from the sale barn she had a "barb wire halter" inbedded in her head...


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

*"A horse whose pastern is extremely long and sloping, with more slope to it than the hoof, is said to be '****-footed.'"* From "Riding for Success: Both In and Out of the Show Ring"

My computer is not doing very well, so I can't get you any links right now, but Google is a wonderful tool.


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## hotpinkhorse04 (Mar 13, 2009)

its a big problem just to let you know... i bought a horse 3 years ago with the same problem... i have actually had 3 horses with it. My vet said my horse probably wouldnt hold up to over 3'. And by the time she was 10 she may be pasture sound only. I would be lucky if she didnt pull her suspensory. If you watch them trot around their ankles almost hit the ground, and you can imagine what its like when they jump... the landing is painful to look at in pics. My horses pasterns were long in teh front as well, but her back pasterns were loose and saggy. My horse never went lame from it, but she came up with navicular changes at only 5 years old, most likely due to her tb flat footedness... i would be careful... definatley don't jump big... it could really cause problems. Good luck with it.


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## HooverH (May 17, 2008)

Whiskey- I just found this thread. My Hoover is ****-footed, front and back. It's also called low pasterns...**** footed seem to be a colloquialism. 

The best advice I can offer from my experience with him is light riding, only short periods of trotting or canter. Absolutely no jumping or racing. Put her on a glucosamine and condroitin supplement to keep her flexible and help to stave off arthritis. Most important is having a good farrier. They should be able to warn you if they notice any more dropping.

You could also try extended shoes on her back feet, like eggbutt. They will lengthen her heel, and support her joint. If your vet feels she's sound, I would just keep an eye on her for changes.


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