Club Feet in Horses

A foal born with club feet or a young, growing horse which develops the condition can be both a mystery and a problem for the owner and the veterinarian in charge of treatment. The condition can be mysterious because many factors might be

Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

A foal born with club feet or a young, growing horse which develops the condition can be both a mystery and a problem for the owner and the veterinarian in charge of treatment. The condition can be mysterious because many factors might be involved in its onset. It is a serious problem because unless the mystery of origin is at least partially solved, treatment might not elicit the desired results.




PHOTO COURTESY RIC REDDEN, DVM

Grade 1 club in a mature foot. Note the even growth rings.

The scientific community uses the term flexural deformities for what many laymen have lumped together as the club foot syndrome. In this article, we will delve into the broad subject of flexural deformities in an effort to eliminate confusion and delineate various types, causes, effects, and treatments. We will conclude with one practitioner’s in-depth approach.


There are both congenital and acquired causes of flexural deformities. They can range from uterine malposition to injuries after birth, and from genetic defects to improper nutrition. Not to be overlooked as a cause for acquired flexural deformity is pain. In fact, some researchers believe that chronic pain is the most common cause of an acquired deformity

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Les Sellnow was a prolific freelance writer based near Riverton, Wyoming. He specialized in articles on equine research, and operated a ranch where he raised horses and livestock. He authored several fiction and nonfiction books, including Understanding Equine Lameness and Understanding The Young Horse. He died in 2023.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

Where do you primarily feed your horse?
300 votes · 300 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!