New Worries

Cheeto was a free horse. Family friends got a divorce. Horse breeders who couldn't sell their stock, and so resorted to giving them away. The name of their barn was "Painted Arabians," and I don't suspect that they put any real thought into anything about their breeding program except that name.

I'm cursing Painted Arabians today because I don't like the latest piece of info I've gathered from Cheeto's bones. I think he's coon-footed:


You can see from this pic, that I'm not sure exactly which two angles I'm comparing. Regardless, it is clear that the angle of Cheeto's pastern does not connect smoothly into the angle of his foot as it should. Perhaps Cheeto is standing awkwardly in the one pic?

No, of course he's not. Plus, I've been watching him at the trot, and thinking "Jeez, his pasterns sink so low." Especially when he had the bell boots on the other day. I was afraid they would actually hurt him because his pasterns kept sinking into them.

Well... at least the severity changes between the two pics. So it may not be so grim as the first picture makes me think. I don't know anything about being coon-footed. I've read that it can make a horse anything from unrideable to for-pleasure-only. But it seems like a pretty serious conformation fault, and one that I should take seriously. I'd like a farrier's take on it. I have questions for said farrier:
Is he really coon-footed? Is it safe to ride? ...

Cheeto's got the typical coon-footed gait. Smooth, smooth, smooth. Coon-foot, slightly long back... if he can stay sound, he'll ride smoother than a Hummer on fresh blacktop.