Dr Rebecca Walshe BVSc (Hons), MACVS (Equine Dentistry)

A hoof is classified as a ‘Clubbed Hoof’ when the front of the hoof wall is more vertical than the normal 45 degrees and the heel height of the hoof wall is excessive.  In severe cases the horse may be unable to contact the ground with the affected heels, thus preventing normal wear of the heels and exacerbating the problem.

The problem with ‘clubbed hoof’ conformation is that the pedal bone within the hoof suffers from severe concussion at the toe due to the increased direct contact with the ground.

It is possible to correct the abnormal hoof conformation to varying degrees, however the correction is always best attempted when the horse is a young foal.

If aggressive treatment is undertaken before the foal reaches 1 year of age, the hoof conformation may be restored to normal thus requiring only routine farrier trimming attention throughout life. If the ‘clubbed hoof’ conformation is not attended to at an early age, the conformation will remain for life and related lameness problems often occur, particularly in performance horses. 

Treatment options

Young foals

From birth to 3 months of age

The hooves must be trimmed at the heels as short as possible at least once a week. Often an intravenous medication is given by a veterinarian that may help the tight flexor tendons relax. If the hoof conformation is as severe as the picture above, a glue-on shoe with a toe extension at the front is necessary to prevent the conformation from worsening and to encourage the foal to place the heel of the affected hoof on the ground.

Foals greater than 3 months of age

If the hoof conformation is not improved dramatically by 3 months of age then a surgery is necessary to help the deep digital flexor tendon to relax. The more relaxed deep digital flexor tendon has less pull backwards on the pedal bone, therefore allowing the heels to contact the ground.  In turn, the fetlock and pastern angles are able to become less upright and for the hoof to wear in a normal pattern and realign with the angle of the pastern.  The same treatment can be applied to older foals, but because the horse is older the success rate is reduced, and damage to the pedal bone may have already occurred.

From one year of age onwards

The upright hoof conformation will now need management for the horse’s life. The heel height will need to be regularly trimmed every 4-6 weeks. Some horses will benefit from a shoe on the ‘clubbed hoof’ to help stop the increased wear at the toe due the upright angle of the hoof wall.  The above mentioned surgery has a much reduced rate of success in a horse older than 1 year but may still be performed to help reduce the deep digital flexor tendon tension.

Radiographs (x-rays) should be taken to reveal the pedal bone position. The ‘clubbed hoof’ can then be trimmed appropriately, as guided by the x-ray, to reduce heel height and attempt to restore the normal hoof wall angle.

Summary

Clubbed hooves can be very successfully managed if they are identified and treated appropriately from a very young age.  Careful treatment and maintenance of any hoof or conformation faults that your young horse may have is essential to their long term soundness and a successful competition career. 

We are always happy to discuss all aspects of veterinary care or routine management - just call us on 6241 8888, or email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it