colts foot (hoof) toes out.

Question
I have a yearling colt whose left front foot has started to toe out.  One farrier says this can be fixed by lowering the inside (heel and toe) of the hoof a little at a time to turn the hoof back to normal.  Another farrier has said that we do just the opposite (lower the outside)is either correct?
Thanks

Chuck Larsen

Answer
Hello Chuck! I think you may have a farrier problem on your hand :-)
If your farriers can't agree, how are you, as the owner going to pick the "right" approach! If this were me, I would ask both farriers to explain to you in detail why they would do what they propose and how they are going to achieve...see what makes most sense and whether these farriers actually have experience with corrective trimming/shoeing of young horses.  Since with a yearling, you are already very close to missing the time window were leg conformation can be corrected, one of the approaches is to do what would be done with very young horses to straighten the legs, the other one is to adjust the trim to the leg that is already not quite straight....
I would recommend that you consult a farrier who is a specialist in young horses and conformations and get a "third" opinion, but make sure you get a good rationale for why an approach is proposed since at this age, you can probably do lots of damage but if done correctly, could also do immense good for your colt!
If you would like recommendations for who to ask, let me know and I will send you a few names.

Hope this was useful!
Christine