In last week’s online poll, TheHorse.com asked if you can easily identify a club foot on a horse. More than 600 of you responded, and we’ve tallied the results.

The majority of respondents (42%, or 238), said they could spot a club foot if they were looking for an abnormality. Additionally, of those who responded, 38% (238) said they felt “very competent” and spotting a club foot any time they look at a horse; 11% (71) said they could recognize a clubbed foot if it is pointed out to them; and 9% (58) said they didn’t know what a club foot looks like.

Some readers also shared comments about their experiences with club feet:

  • "I always look at legs and feet even just passing by horses in a field."
  • "Somewhere between ‘very’ and ‘if I’m looking.’ Some of them are pretty subtle."
  • "Best event horse I’ve ever had has an extremely club right front, but he’s never noticed it."
  • "That is because people call many things a ‘club foot’ when in fact it is not a club foot.
  • "I was just informed by my vet that my mare has a club foot! I had no idea!"
  • "A club foot stands out like a sore thumb!"
  • "I’m a professional farrier, I’d better be competent."

The results of our weekly polls are published in The Horse Health E-Newsletter, which offers news on diseases, veterinary research, health events, and in-depth articles on common equine health conditions and what you can do to recognize, avoid, or treat them. Sign up for our e-newsletters on our homepage and look for a new poll on TheHorse