Posted by Jonathan Cohen DVM on October 13, 2001 at 00:37:31:
In Reply to: Re: 2YR. OLD PACER HITTING KNEE posted by M. W. Myers, D.V.M. on September 02, 2001 at 16:05:48:
: : I HAVE A 2YR. OLD PACER THAT HITS HIS RIGHT KNEE. HE DIDN'T START HITTING UNTIL HE TRAINED BELOW 2:10.TRIED SQUARING HIS FRONT LEFT TO THE INSIDE,HAVE TRIED ALUMINUM AND STEEL.THE FASTER HE GOES THE HARDER HE HITS,RECENTLY RACE TIMED IN 1:55.3. BOUGHT A SET OF PROTECTO GO STRAIGHTS(SPREADERS)HAVENT TRIED THEM YET, WILL THEY HELP? PULLED HIS SHOES AND TURNED HIM OUT FOR NOW.ANY SUGGESTIONS?
: I would asume he is hitting his knee with the opposite hoof. If this is the case, you might try a little more weight to the outside branch of the shoe to keep the hoof flight wider. Half rounds may help him break over where he wants. Forcing a breakover can "snap" the hoof back into its desired flight pattern and cause an overcompensation.
: M. W. Myers, D.V.M.
Have tried Dr. Myers suggestion many times and doesn't work. I've seen toe weights placed on the outside of the foot; doesn't work. I know of people that have attached strong springs from the fetlock to the outside of the foot; doesn't work. Normally there are a few specific things that cause a pacer to hit when they go faster. Soreness is a primary contributer and if this is the case I agree with turning him out. The other most common one is the long toe and low hoof angle that people STILL think makes the horses stride longer and faster, when all it does is cause sore ankles sore knees bowed tendons and interference injuries. I would try the diamond toes again but get the feet as short as reasonbly possible and the hoof angle as normal as possible i.e. 53 degrees. Also try squaring the right front to the inside so he lands further to the outside and hopefully gets the knee a little further out of the way. Also it doesn't work very well to square them to the inside and then lower them on the outside; which is the old standby that makes no sense to me. As for the Go-Straights they do work pretty well. The trick to them is to make sure that they are pretty tight.