I am looking at buying a 5 year-old Missouri Fox Trotter gelding who has huge feet. I'm a little disappointed in the owner for not having the feet trimmed before I looked at the horse, but it's been really cold here and I'm sure the farriers don't want to stand in 40 below winds no more than I do. The feet looked at little flat, but can that be corrected on a 5 year-old?
Posted 2008-03-09 8:15 PM (#79136 - in reply to #79135) Subject: RE: MFT w/Big Feet
Expert
Posts: 2614
Sure.I can't tell you how to do it,but if your farrier knows what he's doing,he can.You have to leave their heels alone.We don't trim heels on our MFT'S.I'm no farrier,but they have to stand up some on the front.Your farrier should have recommendations of the correct angles,if not,find a farrier experienced with gaited horses.
Do you know what size shoe the horse wears normally?
Posted 2008-03-09 8:17 PM (#79137 - in reply to #79135) Subject: RE: MFT w/Big Feet
Elite Veteran
Posts: 792 Location: East Tennessee, USA, Planet Earth
Are his hooves too long or are his feet just big? I am a good barefoot trimmer would be able to help the horse. If you are concerned about the health of his hooves ....you can have a Vet film the hooves. Good luck!
Posted 2008-03-09 8:55 PM (#79141 - in reply to #79135) Subject: RE: MFT w/Big Feet
Elite Veteran
Posts: 781 Location: La Cygne, KS
Have the horse vet checked prior to purchasing. Cold weather is no excuse not to have the feet trimmed. Feet are like a homes foundation, it is what holds up the frame. I have found that if the basic needs have not been met like trimming then other needs have most likely not been met either such as regular worming. Is this your first MFT? We switched to MFTs two years ago and love them! Good luck with your purchase.
Posted 2008-03-10 9:59 AM (#79160 - in reply to #79141) Subject: RE: MFT w/Big Feet
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
I'm with ponytammy, something smells about this story. A vet check with X-rays of his feet should be a must on this deal. I've seen horses with long feet that when trimmed were lame as the day is long...if this owner hasn't had the feet trimmed what else has been longing for proper care? I bought a horse once and had him wormed, etc. after he passed the vet exam, poor guy nearly died that night in his stall. His massive amount of worms all died and let go at once. Thankfully my vet was where I kept my horse at the time and he placed the poor fellow in a foaling stall and checked him every hour, I found out the next morning when I arrived to find a skeleton in the stall!
Posted 2008-03-10 11:09 AM (#79169 - in reply to #79135) Subject: RE: MFT w/Big Feet
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
My foxtrotters all have pretty substaintial feet. All of them are size 1 or 2 shoe. Which seems big compared to the arabs I've had at 00 or 0
I would ask the owner to get the horse trimmed so you can properly evaluate the horse. It will be hard to tell how he moves if his hooves have not been trimmed since last summer. If after he has been trimmed, you have concerns about his movement, you can decided if you want to pay for the Xrays.
A lot of this will depend on what you paying for the horse. A $500 horse it is hard to go and spend $500 on a prepurchase exam/Xrays. If you are spending $10,000 for the horse, then the cost of the exam is money well spent.
I am working on getting my horses bareefoot. So I have trimmed all four of my horses every two weeks all winter. I've been able to find days when it wasn't miserable to do the job. So I don't see winter as an excuse to not trim a horse every 5-8 weeks for proper hoof care. Beside Farriers have to pay bills in the winter also, I would suspect they need a paycheck then just as much as summer.
Posted 2008-03-10 8:38 PM (#79243 - in reply to #79135) Subject: RE: MFT w/Big Feet
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 544 Location: Claxton, Ga.
We've got a TWH/Arabian mixed. His feet are BIG!!!!!!!!! He is from the old stock TWH that is big boned. His front feet have flatened out. Been that way since he was 2 yrs old. Wife got him from an older couple who couldn't handle him or take time with him when he was little. He is flat out a hand full at times and does not give strangers the time of day. He is 24 now. He is a sweet feller (gelding) and he gets along fine. Long story on the horse but wife had him since 2, got divorced, and had to leave him with the X..... After 9 years she was able to talk him out of him after she found out he was thrown out to pasture with no care. She had to ride him home 10 miles. He won't get in a trailer, that is another thread. I have got his front feet back to the way they were previously but they still are flaired out somewhat with a long toe. I would say I would pass on him as others have stated. You may or may not be able to correct the issue. I would work with him on getting in the trailer but he can be a scared fool, those are the ones that can hurt you. I agreed with the wife to get him after alot of begging. She put a ton of trail miles on his back and now he is in a good retirement home. LOL He is very smart and a good trainer for our younger horses on the trail for short rides.
Posted 2008-03-10 10:18 PM (#79253 - in reply to #79243) Subject: RE: MFT w/Big Feet
Expert
Posts: 2614
Well,we don't trim our horses's hooves in the wintertime,because,we have the shoes removed early on,and most of the time they just don't need it.They don't suffer for anything,mine don't,and they aren't lame,ect.Unless the horse is just standing back on their heels,their hooves grow so much slower in the wintertime anyway,that we find it's not needed.
I would get a vet check,certainly.But I wouldn't rule the horse out as being unsound until medically proven to be so.
MFT w/Big Feet
