Nothing personal JB, the Farrier causing the problem, you want back at 5 weeks? I said 2 shoeings to prove a point. Stop trimming the heels and let the toe grow. (Assuming the environment doesn’t change)
I never said use the same farrier. You simply said don’t use anyone for 2 appointments. That’s going from one extreme to the other, as I clearly said. The OP has also said there’s the option of another farrier who does specialized shoeing.
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Let’s get into your trimming experience JB, looking at the x-rays, what are you expecting to see in the foot in 5 to 8 weeks?
I don’t trim club feet. I didn’t tell the OP what to do. I suggested she needs to find a team of professionals she trusts, and work through all the options, with risks vs benefits.
But I DO know enough, having been trimming my own (sound) horses for almost 20 years, that you don’t just ignore imbalances for 4 months, especially in a yearling.
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It IS concerning though that the OP should be taking advice from someone who thinks that trimming doesn’t affect anything above the pasterns 
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So this particular farrier is the one recommended by the CL surgeon, not your current farrier, correct? I would think that’s a reasonable option to get their input.
We raised Trakehners and Dutch WBs for years. Reality is, occasionally you have a foal that has a congenital club foot. It happens. When indicated, CL surgery really isn’t that big of a deal, and better to do it while the horse is young with plenty of growth left (as @JB suggested).
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It IS concerning though that the OP should be taking advice from someone who thinks that trimming doesn’t affect anything above the pasterns
That would be from a Tracy study. Whereas increasing and decreasing the angle doesn’t affect the joints above the fetlock. In this context, trimming does not affect the shoulder joint angle.
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C’mon JB, just admit you don’t know anything about the subject and be done with it.
For those wondering about how hoof issues percolate up the horse
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You’re not serious with that are you?
What are YOUR credentials, shoer76? Cause JB is one of the more knowledgeable people here, and I’ve never seen them suggest something as crazy as “trimming doesn’t affect anything above the pasterns”.
I have a few horses who would disagree with that statement. Clinically.
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The trimming doesn’t affect anything above the fetlock was specifically regarding to this discussion. Feel free to read the tracy turner study.
You should be able to evaluate what I say and decide if it’s reasonable or not. I’m not interested in name dropping to prove my credentials.
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Okay. Telling someone with a clubby yearling to skip two trim cycles and that trimming only affects up to the fetlock is rather out there - I’d expect someone to defend that stance with valid experience and sources.
OP, definitely consult with your vet’s farrier. Get suggestions, ask what their plan would be both with and without surgery, and talk about outcomes and risks. This is a crucial time in a horse’s development and is not the time to futz around. Heck, I’d call the vet school or clinic with a podiatrist (if you’re not already using them) and ask for a consult, even if you just send pics and rads.
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Okay. Telling someone with a clubby yearling to skip two trim cycles and that trimming only affects up to the fetlock is rather out there - I’d expect someone to defend that stance with valid experience and sources.
Do you want to be told or do you want to know? I said, after a farrier trimmed the heels downs to skip the next two trimmings and see what happens.
I had a WB yearling who had long legs and short neck. He started to develop high/low syndrome, as he always had the right front ahead of the the left when grazing, eating from a hay net or eating hay from the ground. Hooves were trimmed every 4 weeks. The key was changing how he stood in his stall when he ate. The floor of his corner hay feeder was risen so he could easily reach the hay with his head in grazing position. In front of the feeder he was given room to place both front hooves in an even alignment. Then we used landscaping poles to fill in the area between his front hooves and hind hooves. The goal was to change his go to eating position. It worked. We also had body work done to release tense overworked muscles and shorten tendons/ligaments and strengthen weak muscles, etc. It’s a slow process to change postural habits. He even nursed with the same foot arrangement.
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Can you provide a link to this study? I just skimmed through the titles of a bunch of their studies and I’m not about to read through all of them to find what you’re referring too.
Thank you everyone for your input. I do really appreciate it all!
I for sure won’t be skipping any trimming, I did speak with the vet after the xrays and asked what I should be doing in the meantime before the surgeon calls me and she said to keep the 3-4 week trims. As @Horsecrazy3 mentioned, my current farrier suggested me putting his hay up to stop the posture, so I have been feeding his hay inside in a manger so he’s not eating from the ground. But he’s only inside for about 8 hours and eats very little as he’s on grass for about 8hr, so may eat half a flake a night. I have heard to have grass at 8-9" as well so they don’t splay out while grazing, so we let our pasture grow a bit. But he does go in a dirt type paddock for the evening for a few hours and I really notice the stance of one leg back as he’s trying to nibble on the very short grass. So he still does it, either by habit, or its just easier and more comfortable for him, which would make sense to get a body worker in to see if they can help him stretch out those muscles.
The surgeon is the one who suggested her farrier come and look at him and can try to put a shoe on him to see. But thought twice about it and highly recommended having the surgery now (as in 2 weeks from now) and to have the shoe on for afterwards for the recovery. It just not worth it to try the shoe for a few months, find out it didn’t do anything and then he’s that much older and surgery will be harder. So I’m waiting to hear back from the surgeon (she has great reviews, has done this surgery many times with her horses becoming great athletes afterwards).
I have heard of someone doing nothing with her yearling (from my sisters barn so she saw it first hand) and just did frequent trims and massage and by the time he was 3-4 he totally knuckled over on that foot. I’m sure surgery back as a yearling would have prevented that, and now he now has and had 0 performance career.
I also have heard from a few friends that had the surgery done on their ponies and horses as youngsters (one by this surgeon even) and they had great recoveries and one was a successful jumper and is now a retired therapy pony. The other is just starting her hunter career and is totally sound and blemish free.
I just want to do whats best for him and for his future career as I bred him specifically for me and for a purpose - which is a riding horse (either hunter or jumper, whatever he wants to do, and hopefully a driving horse - if he enjoys it. I also line show so looks are important to me as well. He’s very special to me as it took me over 10 years to get this breeding, the stallion has passed on now and I don’t want to ever breed again, so he’s one of a kind in my eyes. Not many people would purposely breed a pony to a WB to get a “hony”). It would be a shame (and a crime in my opinion) to not do anything and to see what happens.
I’m waiting for the call tomorrow from the surgeon to book a date and will do some more research. I do really appreciate everyones comments and experience. This is one (of many) things I’m not an expert on and I do love hearing everyone’s stories. I will speak with my current farrier as well, but in my opinion, I don’t think he’s doing a bad job by any means. I’m sure the surgeons farrier will take a look at his feet and can give me his opinion as well.
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Make sure the manger is not higher then his point of shoulder, otherwise, you are setting him up for another unhealthy posture. As the head and neck go up, the back drops.
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I just contacted a body worker as well so plan to have her out to put her hands on him next week.
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Hoooweee! People can fight about anything! Personally, I find the X-ray very concerning. Not a vet but I’ve seen a few xrays. Paint Party has offered good advice. My contribution is to manage the colt’s diet to slow his growth rate. You have approached this in an organized and thoughtful way. Wishing you a sound and strapping four year old!
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