# Are all foals over at the knee?



## ForeverSunRider

Like many users on here, I'm a wishful baby owner but I make up for a lack of a foal by stalking other users' foaling threads :lol:

I don't have any experience with a foal of my own - aside from a boarder in our barn's mare foaling when I was 9. Obviously I had nothing to do with that process. 

But many of the pictures of the babies I've seen on here appear to be over at the knee (I googled it because their legs looked wonky in front).

So...are most foals born this way? Do they just grow out of it? Is it just a stage of growth that ends or are they actually over at the knee?

Not all of the babies' knees look like this, but some of them do and it's been bugging me for a while. I would ask the owners individually on their threads but I feel like it'd be a bit rude to do that so I figured I'd post a separate question. 

So...can someone explain baby knees to me? 

It's a bad picture, but most of them look like this: Is this normal?










Thanks for any insight you can provide me with.

The attached image is one from a google search and as far as I know is not a foal of any user on here. I thought using images of foals on here would be rude. You may PM me if you want to know specifically what foals I'm questioning on this site.


----------



## Elana

Many are.. as new borns.. and most get better with time. You see, the legs are all folded in the womb and not bearing weight. Soo.. they come out and both bear weight and straighten out to stand and the tendons need to stretch. Sometimes they are tippy toed behind too (not often). 

In some cases it can be severe.. and in some cases there are club feet involved.. and sometimes the issue is severely contracted tendons. That is different than a new born or week old foal over at the knee a bit. 

I would rather this than back at the knee at this very young age. Walking around and weight bearing the legs typically become normal by a month old. Usually sooner.


----------



## JCnGrace

Not all are born that way and when they are it's usually just a matter of them getting outside for some exercise to strengthen ligaments. Look at this little guy, he had the crookedest legs of any foal I ever had when he was born.

Newborn


A short while later (not sure how many days)


Weanling


Yearling


----------



## Tryst

While "all foals" is undoubtedly not true, but most are slightly over at the knee for at least the first week, and often even the first month as they "unfold". You will often hear breeders talk about seeing what a foal looks like after it unfolds, which is usually referring to the tendons and ligaments adjusting from being curled up in the womb, and then adjusting to a foal standing/walking/running after it is born.

Also young foals can't lock their knees the same way as an adult horse, which is one of the reasons that foals sleep laying down and adult horses often sleep standing up.


----------



## MsLady

Chance was born 10-17-13 and over the knee. It is getting better, hopefully by the time he is a year old it will be normal 😊. 

Chance a week old


Chance 2 months old 

_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## mls

This is another reason to have a good relationship with your vet and farrier.

Some foal leg conditions require wrapping for support. Some - LOTS of turn out and some NO turnout, special shoes, etc, etc.

They can appear to be simply over at the knee but there are other potential issues too. Helping them young prevents problems when they are old enough to work!


----------



## Cherie

Here is one of our foals born in 2013 (only one I have an early photo of -- 2 days old I think). Almost all of our foals are born like this. 

I used to get quite a few foals that were either over at the knee or weak and low in the pasterns. After I started supplementing Vitamin A and Calcium (with Magnesium) I have not had a single one that was not born straight and strong.

I was told years ago by the Moorman Mineral Co. nutritionist that this would be the case. He was right. He is the one that informed me of the importance Vitamin A in immune, breeding and other problems. He was right on.

Most foals born over at the knee straighten up but not all. Foals born behind at the knee and with knock knees have a much harder time developing correctly.

We have found that foals born less than correct at birth do best when they get limited exercise and are not turned out. 

Oddly enough, you do not see hardly any foals born anything but perfectly straight in feral horses running out. I have been told that if they are not able to run hard within an hour or two, they are usually abandoned by the herd.


----------



## Elana

Cherie,

I remember something about this years back when I was breeding horses (contracted tendons in foals) and it had to do with nutrition.. but I cannot recall what it was. It might be what your mineral guy said.. but I think this was much more scientific. It was in the days b4 internet too.. so I just cannot recall. 

I had one born straight and nice.. that later developed osteochondrosis and had to be put down. Others varied. Back at the knee and knock knee'd were real issues. The badly knock knee'd ones were corrected using periosteal stripping (as I recall). Not sure if that is still being done or not.


----------



## Zexious

What an interesting thread!

Cherie, that's interesting about wild horses!

Subbing <3


----------



## BlueSpark

I suspect many foal leg issues have a link with nutrition. I also think many broodmares are under exercised and overly fat.


----------



## 2BigReds

Subbing as well!


----------



## Peppy Barrel Racing

Jet always had fairly straight legs from the get go. His dam was given a minerals, she was turned out on 15 acres so she definitely had room which kept her active and she was trail ridden lightly. I think exercise and good nutrition help both mom and baby. 

30 minutes after standing.



Month old


3 months


2 years old 


_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Cherie

Nutrition (particularly Ca ratio) and exercise are huge. The other major component is genetics. Some leg problems are extremely inheritable. Others are influenced by nutrition and mineral imbalances after birth. Inbreeding in some breeds has also had a devastating effect on some of the animals. I know breeders of Minis that have waaay too many crippled and deformed foals looking for that tiny champion one.


----------

