advice please from anyone who has had a horse with a hock injury

[shoulderlength]

i would like some advice please. i am looking into buying a thoroughbred, she's gorgeous cant get her out my head but i have one concern.

the current owner has been up front and said she has an old injury concerning her hocks. she says when she tried to bring her back into work after 2 years off but appears to be uncomfortable when trotting.

however they have said that slow work, walking out everyday, building up gradually (which takes time, time is what i have plenty of) will strengthen her and she will be able to do work. i only want her as a hack, and to take on pleasure rides, no hard strenuous work.

does anyone with this kind of experiance believe this to be true or is there more to it than this? i dont want to end up involved in something thats going to cost me a fortune in vet bills etc . . .

 

[twinkle]

All i can say is why buy a horse with problems when you could but one without!

The horse your talking about might be ok but if its not then you have a horse that you cant ride or do much with.

Sorry to be so blunt.

 

[be positive]

I assume she is not in work now and has not been ridden for some time, do you know what the problem is supposed to be? have they had it properly diagnosed?

It would have to be a gift horse really imo. not something I would want to buy without trying when there are so many around.

 

[spike123]

To be perfectly honest if she is trotting up lame when brought back into work after 2 years off I seriously doubt she will ever be suitable for what you want. 2 years is a long time out of work and I can't think of any condition which will improve with work in a horse still lame after such a long lay off. However I am not a vet. If you are seriously considering this horse then get a vetting done. It costs as much if not more to keep a lame,long term injured horse as it does to keep a sound one.

 

[cellie]

I bought wonderful tb as 4 yr old and had to retire him 3 yrs later after spending fortune on him,one of his pronblems was spavins/hock related.He now manages couple of hacks a week but couldnt live up to harder work load.I said I would never buy another tb but cant live without them.If you buy horse for gentle pleasure hacks very often you end up wanting more so I would always go with head and not heart.3 legged horse is no good to anyone