Tenderfooted Horse

[tonka]

I have a question. We are looking at a 6 yr old mare for my daughter. The owner says she is tenderfooted and she shoes her front and not her back. We did notice that on rocks she was stepping lightly but on dirt she was fine. Can you tell me anything about this condition? She also has some nice papers and if we bought her we would like to breed her would that be a problem with weight?
Thank You,

[lauraSchumann]

This is a fairly common question amongst owners.  I will try to answer it the best way I
know how.  First off, upon considering a purchase of this horse I would spend the money
to vet check her and see if her condition runs deeper than thin hoof walls which might be
your problem.  I have had several horses with a thinner hoof wall that needed alittle more
help shoeing and supplementing their feed with hoof additives, which really helped their issue
and made them much better.  A vet would be able to tell you if the problem runs deeper than
that.  And a few hundred dollars as an investment on a prepurchase exam could save you
thousands as a end result on a horse that may not stay sound.

Laura Schumann
Lauras Ladder to Success Barrel Clinics
"I Believe" Tour 2009