What is an equine club foot?

What is an equine club foot?

Club foot refers to a tendon flaw that causes the hoof to be very upright. Often, club foot affects both front legs with one being more severe than the other. Club foot can occur before or after birth in foals. After birth foals acquire club feet when the bones grow faster than the tendons.

What is club foot and what causes it?

Clubfoot is caused by a shortened Achilles tendon, which causes the foot to turn in and under. Clubfoot is twice as common in boys. Treatment is necessary to correct clubfoot and is usually done in two phases — casting and bracing.

Is Club foot genetic in horses?

Genetic Tendencies Horses can develop club feet as a result of genetics (Figure 1 see above), Butler says, and the condition might or might not be evident at birth.

What does clubfoot look like in an infant?

If your child has clubfoot, here’s what it might look like: The top of the foot is usually twisted downward and inward, increasing the arch and turning the heel inward. The foot may be turned so severely that it actually looks as if it’s upside down. The affected leg or foot may be slightly shorter.

Can a clubbed foot Be Fixed?

Clubfoot won’t get better on its own. It used to be fixed with surgery. But now, doctors use a series of casts, gentle movements and stretches of the foot, and a brace to slowly move the foot into the right position— this is called the Ponseti method.

What does it mean when a horse has a club foot?

Club foot is one of the most common deformities in the horse world. Horses affected with club foot develop a flexural deformity of the coffin joint, due to a shortening of the musculotendinous unit that starts high up in the limb and inserts on the coffin bone in the foot, resulting in an upright conformation of the foot.

What are the signs of a club foot?

Caused by abnormal contraction of the deep digital flexor tendon, a club foot puts pressure on the coffin joint and initiates a change in a hoof’s biomechanics. Telltale signs of a club foot may include an excessively steep hoof angle, a distended coronary band, growth rings that are wider at the heels, contracted heels, and dished toes.

What kind of Foot does a horse have?

By Heather Smith Thomas. Most horsemen define a club foot as hoof and pastern angle of more than 60 degrees, making the foot more upright than normal. The affected hoof is usually stumpy with a short toe and long, upright heel.

Who is at risk for Club Foot in horses?

Fast-growing foals with developmental problems may be more at risk. Thus it pays to have a veterinarian and equine nutritionist involved in the diets of mares/foals and have the correct nutritional plan,” says Burns.