flat feet

[arasway miniatures]

My colt foal was born three weeks ago all cute and beautifully marked- then he stood up!!!! both his front feet were flat, he was walking on the fetlock bone. I phoned my vet whom said not to worry as they can come right with time. I have seen other foals with lapse tendons but not a severe as this. We have now had support shoes made for his tiny feet and he is splinted on both front legs to keep them rigid. Am I doing the right thing? A question i as myself many times or should I have put to sleep. The vet says no and my family say the same but I am concerned especially now as he is getting sores from the splints. Is there anything else i can do? At present I am using pvc guttering moulded to fit the width of his leg with dressings below and a vetwrap to hold in place. He goes out in a grass paddock for an hour per day and seems happy enough in himself.

 

[Mickey & Mouse]

When I got my little Mouse, he was almost walking on the bone but with a wonderful barefoot trimmer etc. He is all better now however he does kind of shuffle when he walks. Here is a photo of him when he was first born, I did not own him at that time.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

I think right now your best bet is to take the splints OFF. His tendons can't strengthen if they are being supported by splints. You can wrap his fetlocks for protection so they don't get rubbed. Check out the dwarf thread as she has almost the same problem.

Right now this is NOT a euthanize now problem. Put that right out of your mind!

 

[cretahillsgal]

Take the splints off and keep his feet trimmed/rasped with the toe squared off. He will probably be fine left alone and with lots of room to move around. Don't confine him to a stall as long as he can keep up with mom well enough.

 

[arasway miniatures]

I think right now your best bet is to take the splints OFF. His tendons can't strengthen if they are being supported by splints. You can wrap his fetlocks for protection so they don't get rubbed. Check out the dwarf thread as she has almost the same problem.

Right now this is NOT a euthanize now problem. Put that right out of your mind!

I understand what you are saying but when he doesn't have the splints on he goes bow legged! I think I am trying to achieve the impossible of getting straight legs and correct angulation of the front fetlocks- I have a brilliant farrier but in his 30years of shoeing he has not seen anything this extreme, If i could up load photos I would.

 

[bev66]

Four weeks ago we had a tiny filly born with the same situation- she was so down she could hardly walk and had issues standing upright to nurse nursing... I have raised minis for over 20 years and this was the worst case I had ever delt with.... But from previous experience time will fix most if not all of the newborn leg problems... we left her and mom in a small paddock and allowed her to move at her own pace and give her tendons and legs time to gain strength... several people commented she needed to be put down... well she is now 4 weeks old-- perfect in every way====looks who has the last laugh...this little girl runs and plays has awesome conformation and just needed time to tighten up.. Wrapping and bracing a newborns legs will bring you nothing but trouble... as long as the foal can get up and down and is nursing just let them be... Some take a little longer to gain their strength... I am always facinated when a new breeder has a wind swept foal and freaks out....We as long time experienced breeders just laugh and say give it time... some babies dont bake as fast as others.... so please remove those braces and quit rubbing sores on the baby... let his legs develop

 

[ohmt]

I agree with others who say to take the splints off. It's amazing how well a foals legs will correct themselves with strengthening. If you would like you can email the pictures to me and I will post them for you.

[email protected]

put-miniature horses in the subject line so I know its not junk mail.

 

[eagles ring farm]

I'm not sure if Rejuvenaide Plus is for this situation

but it is a great product for strengthing and straightening legs in new foals

 

[Minimor]

Well, without seeing the foal for myself I hate to comment. Many times a foal's legs do come right with time & no outside assistance. Once in awhile assistance is a good thing.

I had a friend who had a foal born with wonky legs--not windswept as such, just very weak & immature--they were bend backward at the knees. She left the foal alone for some time thinking the legs would strengthen & straighten on their own. They didn't this time--they actually got worse. She finally put casts on them and that did help--but she wished that she had done it sooner because the legs were too bad for too long and the filly developed arthritis at a young age (yearling/2 year old).

Just because leaving it alone is the best way most of the time doesn't mean that it's the best way every time.

 

[wwminis]

I'm not sure if Rejuvenaide Plus is for this situation

but it is a great product for strengthing and straightening legs in new foals

Please take the splints off! They will do more harm than good! Just let him be a foal and his legs will come around!

Also try the Rejuvenaide Plus!

Bill

 

[Charlotte]

Agree with the others. No splints. Do try rejuvenaid when over 7 dyas old. Can help a lot in many cases. If you stall mom and baby at night pay attention to how he looks in the morning when you turn out. If being out for several hours makes the legs worse than they were at turn out then I limit turn out. I also keep them in a very small paddock so baby doesn't have to tire his legs out trying to keep up with mom. Any we have had born like that have corrected on their own. Is he a bit premature?

 

[WeeOkie]

I don't know what rejuvenaid is, but I have used shots of vit A,D& E which certainly has helped a few of mine. If necessary, give a weekly shot.

Rita

 

[arasway miniatures]

I thank you all for your advice which i have taken although he has a padded dressing on for tonight just so he can adjust to no splints and to try and keep his wounds clean. He seemed happy to have his knees back again! I am grateful for all help given and yes I do panic because I didn't want to cause him any suffering. Karen.

 

[arasway miniatures]

Agree with the others. No splints. Do try rejuvenaid when over 7 dyas old. Can help a lot in many cases. If you stall mom and baby at night pay attention to how he looks in the morning when you turn out. If being out for several hours makes the legs worse than they were at turn out then I limit turn out. I also keep them in a very small paddock so baby doesn't have to tire his legs out trying to keep up with mom. Any we have had born like that have corrected on their own. Is he a bit premature?

I dnt think he was pre but mother hadn't bagged up and I think being her first foal she had stressed a bit because he was a few hours old when i got to my stables. This is something else I have heard that slack tendons are normal in some first foalings? I have had a mare that produced a beautiful filly whom was slack on the hind but not as bad as this little fella is on the front - and she came right with time and a good farrier.