Hi Dr.Getty,
we are a small APHA/AQHA breeder and through the last few years of breeding had several cases club foot in our foals, which always seemed for different reasons. Last years colt started limping on his right front leg at around 12 weeks of age. I was feeding him 4lbs 12 % sweet feed and 2 lbs oats per day with grostrong minerals as top dressing. After reading your forum I changed his diet to 4 lbs of safe choice and 2 lbs of TDI10, unfortunatly his clubfoot required surgery, which turned out well. Now this years filly, who is his half sister (same sire)is starting to walk lame on her right front also and I'm worried that she will develope a club foot too. She is still nursing, but is eating some safe choice. I did give her foal aide for a few weeks, but stopped a couple of weeks ago and sprinkled DAC grow colt over her creep feed of safe choice, which she only eats a couple of mouths full. As recommended by my vet I put her back on foal aide last night and stopped creep feeding her. I also gave her some bute for a couple of days. Now I give her b-l supplement pellets for pain. She also eats our homegrown mixed hay and was on pasture until 2 days ago, but is now in smaller paddock to reduce overusing her foot. What am I doing wrong with my foals to cause these foot/leg/hoof problems? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks Gabriele

Where are you from? Ohio

How did you locate this forum? internet

Hi Gabriele,

Unfortunately, what you describe is not likely due to poor feeding. Genetics is likely the reason for the club feet. The fact that your colt has done well with surgery is a promising sign and your filly may require the same thing.

From a nutritional perspective, it is good to provide a diet that has enought lysine for adequate tissue growth and repair. To do this, you need to add plain lysine, such as Pure Lysine, to the diet.

Vitamin B1 is not particularly effective for pain. If you want to go bute-less, consider an herbal preparation such as Stop the Pain.

I, too, have a horse with a club foot, though he is quite functional and without pain. But, his mother had a club foot, and her mother did, too.

Thanks for writing and I hope things work out well for your filly.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Thank you very much for your quick response and I was considering that it might be genetic, but the stallion has no foot/leg/hoof problems and I did see his sire and dam and other siblings and there were no probelems there either. The yearling colts dam has no problems and neither did her parents. Now the fillies dam came down with club foot on both front legs at a very early age and required surgery (responded so well to it that she never even required corrective shoeing), but she was born very small evenwith her dam carrying her 367 days. She grew rapidly within the first weeks of life and she was on her toes within days, so I thought her club feet were due to fast growth.The dam never showed any signs of pain, just went up on her toes. The onset in the filly is very different than in her dam and only one side seems to be affected. I am very discouraged with the whole thing.

Where are you from? Ohio

How did you locate this forum? internet

Hi Gabriele,

Yes, this is very discouraging. The fact that her birth weight was so low and she was carried well beyond a normal gestation period could indicate that the mare was not receiving the proper nutrition during her pregnancy.

At this point, however, the best thing you can do is keep your filly's diet low in starch and high in vital nutrients. Keep me posted on her progress.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

I did have my blacksmith out on Monday and he retrimmed her front hooves and now she walks without a limp and he said she looks good, so hopefully it was just her baby toe being to long that bothered her. I do keep her on foal aide for a bit longer and she normally eats a few mouths full of safe choice.Thanks again for your help.The fillies grandam was my first horse and the first mare I ever bred. When I bought her she was/is what we call an easy keeper and I was told she didn't need much grain, so when she was in foal with my fillies dam I did not give her any grain in the summertime, so you are probably right that she did not get the right nutrition for a pregnant mare and that's why the fillies dam was small when she was first born. Boy you should see that mare today, she is a tank[:D. Now I have all my horses on safe choice with grostrong minerals as supplement.

Where are you from? Ohio

How did you locate this forum? internet

Hi Gabriele.

Well, from the sound of things, it may not be as bad as you originally thought!

Keep up the fine work!

Dr. Getty