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| Author | Topic: hoof test |
| ann |
posted 5/8/08 6:31 PM
I just had a vet out to pre-purchase exam a horse. This 6 yr old gelding is a barrel horse. He used hoof testers on his front left frog and the horse was sensitive, the horse flinched and tried to pull his foot away. So the vet tested his front right foot and stated that I shouldn’t buy the horse. I asked if he should test the back feet to see if he was just a “flinchy” horse and he said no, that it was very common among 6 and 7 yr old quarter horses to have navicular and that I should keep looking. I talked to the owner’s vet who examined the horse last month in a routine exam and he stated that he didn’t find anything remarkable about his feet. My question is this: do you see a lot of 6 yr olds that are sensitive to the hoof testers become navicular later? What do you recommend that I do in this situation. (I really like the horse, he is for my 15 yr old daughter who is an extremely good barrel racer). |
| Esco Buff, PhD, CF |
posted 6/27/08 12:09 AM
Hello Ann, Sorry to take so long getting back with you. Normally whenever a person posts on the site I get an immediate notification telling me so. I did not in this case and just happened upon your post when responding to another. First, no equine professional should ever really be telling you to buy or not to buy a horse based on a prepurchase exam. Our job is to evaluated the horse and pass onto the prospective buyer the pros and cons of the horses conformation, gaits, injuries, etc. There really is or should not be a pass/fail evaluation done. Second, hoof testers are a great tool when used correctly and used with other diagnostic tools and general observations. Just because you get sensitivity over the frog does not mean the animal has navicular disease. What part of the frog was the horse most sensitive too? Did the veterinarian take radiographs to check for any possible navicular changes? Was other field tests done to confirm palmer heel pain issues? Just to use the hoof testers and confirm a navicular disease diagnosis would be irresponsible. Possibly the veterinarian is right, but further tests and history would need to be done to confirm this. Third, although not impossible at all,generally six is a young age to have any major navicular disease issues. Fourth, there are several other issues that could also create sensitivity in the frog. Fifth, what kind of prepurchase exam did you pay for? Some buyers want a quick, no mess exam in which the veterinarian is really only doing a quick exam. Some buyer go all out taking films if the veterinarian finds an issue to further investigate. YOUR QUESTIONS: My question is this: do you see a lot of 6 yr olds that are sensitive to the hoof testers become navicular later? No, I do not see this at all. I have come across some younger horses with such conformational issues or documented genetic history that have gone on later to develop palmer-heel pain issues, very few actually true navicular disease. What do you recommend that I do in this situation. (I really like the horse, he is for my 15 yr old daughter who is an extremely good barrel racer). Personally, I would get another prepurchase exam done that is a little more thorough or if you did not order a thorough exam, have one done. To not spend the money on a thorough exam could come back on you in short order. I would also really have a qualified farrier look at the feet and determine the source of sensitivity, possible hoof problems, confirmation issues, etc. |
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