How to Correct Foals With Cocked Ankles

Deviations from correct limb placement or structure are abnormalities that may adversely affect the performance and overall soundness of horses. Cocked ankles may result in future lameness issues for a foal unless corrected early. You can prevent your foal from becoming lame because of cocked ankles through proper foot-care management and by providing ample exercise. Foals with cocked ankles stand with their fetlocks bent forward; the condition is most common in the hind legs. You can alleviate and correct cocked ankles through regular, corrective trimming of the hoof, and corrective shoeing, if necessary.

Things You'll Need

  • Hoof pick
  • Hoof knife
  • Nippers
  • Hoof rasp
  • Calipers
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Observe the foal while it's standing on a hard surface, and at the walk and trot. This will illustrate to what degree the feet should be trimmed to achieve optimal balance and proper foot correction.

    • 2

      Stand to the foal's side, run your hand down its leg and gently squeeze the back tendon at the ankle or "fetlock" joint, encouraging the foal to lift its foot. Lean forward and hold its front hooves firmly between your bended knees; the rear hooves should be held securely across your lap.

    • 3

      Clean the foal's feet with the hoof pick. Clean out the sole of the foot, but don't scrape it. Ensure the cleft and frog are free of dirt and debris. Remove loose pieces from the frog, but don't trim away healthy frog tissue.

    • 4

      Follow a straight line from heel to toe, and trim the hoof wall using the hoof knife or nippers. Ensure there's adequate frog pressure as the foal puts weight on each foot. Lower the heels and keep the feet straight with the angle of the short pastern. That will affect cocked ankle correction in your foal.

    • 5

      Apply even pressure with both hands, and use the hoof rasp to level the bottom of the hoof wall and to smooth the hoof's outer edges, ensuring that the heel is included with each stroke. Do not rasp the outside wall. The foal's feet should be rounded.

    • 6

      Measure the foal's hooves using the calipers. The front and rear hoof-to-ground angle should be approximately 45 degrees.

    • 7

      Clean the foal's feet daily, and trim the hooves every four weeks, carefully examining the ankles and watching for correction.

    • 8

      Shoe the foal only if its cocked ankles are not corrected through regular trimming. Corrective shoeing for a foal should be performed by an experienced farrier. If not done correctly, you can harm your foal.

    • 9

      Reshoe your foal every four to six weeks. As the hooves grow, they'll require regular trimming so they don't grow out of proportion and aggravate the foal's predisposition to cocked ankles.

    • 10

      Turn out your foal regularly for ample exercise on dry ground. That will facilitate natural wear of the hooves and provide increased success in correcting its cocked ankles.