# Is he **** footed? Rideable?



## Dreamcatcher5 (May 15, 2012)

I recently found out about "**** footed" horses and with dread I noticed that Syd, my sister's new gelding had feet that looked very similar. :-(
Here is a picture of him when he's being ridden. His hooves needed a trim then, and now his legs look a bit better but still.
Click pic to enlarge.

And one where he's being led. They still look like that now when he walks on the paddock. 


So.....what do you think? Here are my questions for you

1) Is he **** footed?
2) if so, to what degree? Mild? Severe?
3) What is the most amount and level of work he could do? 
4) is there a way to support his legs other than boots?

Here's info about him:
-He's 15hh 
- his rider weighs 35 kgs 
- he is 16 years old 
- he is a little bit overweight, but not really. 
- he is a Standardbred
- he hadn't been properly ridden for 4 years before we did. 

I read somewhere that **** footed horses are a smooth ride. Syd is. His trot is easy to sit in, but hard to rise in. His canter has short strides but is easy to stay on. My sis wanted to do pony club and farm hacking with him....but can he still do that? Thanks and cookies to you if you read it all.


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## Dreamcatcher5 (May 15, 2012)

Bump


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## LoveTheSaddlebreds (Jul 9, 2009)

He is, but as long as it doesn't bother him, I don't see why riding him would be off limits. I would definitely get the advice of a vet, though, to be 100% sure, if you're worried. My friend has a mare who was extremely ****-footed who she jumped up to 3'6" and never had issues. BUT she made sure that that horse and her others were physically fit and sound enough to do what they did.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

Can you post bigger pictures? Them are all pixelated.. :-(


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## LoveTheSaddlebreds (Jul 9, 2009)

toto said:


> Can you post bigger pictures? Them are all pixelated.. :-(


Click the images, they get bigger.


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## michigancowgirl (Feb 17, 2013)

What is **** footed? I have never heard of this term.....


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

the first one is pretty coonfooted- but the second dont look that bad.. you can check and see if the ergot is touching the ground when he walks.. that would be the most extreme case.. ive jumped a coonfooted horse but it wasnt that bad and i didnt jump anything too gnarly, lol.


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## LoveTheSaddlebreds (Jul 9, 2009)

michigancowgirl said:


> What is **** footed? I have never heard of this term.....













> Figure 14 shows a "**** foot" or a horse soft in the pastern. The pastern is long and the attachments are weak. Under stress of a hard gallop or hard stops and rough ground, this horse will eventually injure the sesamoid bone. His gait will also be too springy and camel-like. One can often tell if a horse tends toward this problem by close examination of the ergot (callus-like protrusion at the rear of the fetlock). If the ergot is rubbed off or infected, or if the surrounding hair is gone, there may be room for questioning.


 (From Conformation, Egyptian Arabian Horses, Agecroft)


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Get his front hooves trimmed properly and take another picture, horse standing, on hard ground, just the lower leg and foot. 
I think he's got the typical " make-him-race-faster" long toe.


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## Dreamcatcher5 (May 15, 2012)

LoveTheSaddlebreds: that pic....number 14..... :shock: He isn't THAT **** footed for sure. I have some more Poics of him after his feet were trimmed. He's nit standing on hard ground in the pics, he's being ridden. But...yeah. That's all I've got for now. As I've said...click to enlarge 

Doesn't look too bad in that one:


When he's taking a stride:



In this one, his ergot isn't touching the ground, the grass is just a bit longer there, so it makes it look like it is. The ergot is actually just a bit off the ground. He's turning inwards a bit there:


Btw, it's my sis riding him  aren't they sweet together?


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Is that going to be the weight he is typically carrying? If so, good farrier care will help, but I wouldn't ask him to carry more weight than a kid.


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## Dreamcatcher5 (May 15, 2012)

It's only gonna be my sister who will be riding him, but I sometimes ride him, but I only weigh 2 kgs more than my sis. By the time my sis is too big for Syd, he would most likely be retired already.


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## LoveTheSaddlebreds (Jul 9, 2009)

Dreamcatcher5 said:


> LoveTheSaddlebreds: that pic....number 14..... :shock: He isn't THAT **** footed for sure.


No, not that extreme! haha but it helped demonstrate what ****-footed is.


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