Bum high 5 year old?

Hoof_Prints

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Hi, my sister is looking at buying a new horse. She has found one she loves but the back end is significantly higher than the front end, making the horse downhill. The horse is nice natured and moves well with a good jump, doesn't go heavy on the forehand and seems great apart from this. I am used to quicker maturing native types who seem to look level from a young age, do warmblood types level out as they get older? she has just turned 5, and has leveled out a fair bit since she was 4. I can pm a photo, don't want to post it on here as it's not my horse.
Thanks
 

Dizzleton

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PM me a photo :) WB's tend to mature a lot slower than other types, often maturing at 5 / 6 years old. However, this could also be bad confirmation; but I should be able to tell from the photo.
 

Goldenstar

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In my experiance at five it's likely to stay bum high , its not worth the risk unless she just wants to hack .
 

eggs

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Agree with Goldenstar. One of my WBs was lovely and level as a youngster and then at 3 went bum high and now at 11 is still slightly bum high. However he works at Advanced level dressage but shows absolutely no aptitude for piaffe
 

Dizzleton

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Re-reading I've noticed you said 'significantly bum high'; sorry I didn't notice that at first!

If it is really out of proportion as a 5yo, then it is likely to stay that way. Whereas if it was slightly bum higher as a 5yo I'd give it another 1/2 - 1 year to see the outcome.
 

Goldenstar

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Agree with Goldenstar. One of my WBs was lovely and level as a youngster and then at 3 went bum high and now at 11 is still slightly bum high. However he works at Advanced level dressage but shows absolutely no aptitude for piaffe

And my bum high mare got us to three star but it's so much easier to train an up hill horse .
 

Hoof_Prints

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I think it is likely to stay, I just know what it is like when you set your heart on one ! I think I will persuade her out of it, she mostly wants to hunt and do some jumping up to 1m
 

FinkleyAlex

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My just turned 5yo is slightly bum high - he seems to shoot up and level out sporadically, so I'm really hoping he levels out again. He's half welsh D and I know they take a long time to mature.
 

Hoof_Prints

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I have just been sent a photo which does show it quite a lot, more so than the other photo actually... I know I said I didn't want to post, but I suppose if the advert is online anyway then it's open for viewing!
e4f847a3268c363de9897c7027495701-96570.jpeg


I am finding others for her to look at, I just can't see her levelling out enough to look relatively "normal" a bit bum high is ok, but this looks quite downhill, which is a shame because otherwise she seems to be what she wants. There are videos of her moving here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6f0MJCjv2g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7iYiHxKLaI
 

Meowy Catkin

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One day people will stop believing that breeds mature at different rates. There is no such thing as 'fast maturing breeds', or 'slow maturing breeds' - they are all slow maturing, no horse or pony is skeletally mature before 5 1/2 years of age.
 

FairyLights

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my 5 year old has gone bum hight. I once had an 8 year old arab mare who out grew all her rugs as an 8 year old she had to have a complete new wardrobe! She had been underfed/poorly looked after as a yearling by a previous owner though. I bought her as a skinny under developed 2 year old. She was lovely a real star. Sadly had to be PTS at 10 due to a broken leg, accident in field :-(
 

Hoof_Prints

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I think the difference may be that the young native types / ones with more ID are very flat backed and look more mature compared to warmblood types that are a bit curvier in the back.

So , is this one an avoid? I didn't even notice the belly lump. I would have to ask about that if I proceeded any further. I am looking through rose tinted glasses on behalf of my sister. She's had that much trouble with her other "night-mare" I want to be careful what she buys. If she is going to struggle with schooling her or the back is weak and could cause issues, I'll advise she stays clear.
Thanks for all the replies
 

Cortez

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Hmm, not only is she built downhill, she has an extremely straight hind leg, is back at the knee, and has a low back (very dipped behind the wither - almost a sway back). Not ideal, any of it.

Incidently I bought a high-behind 3 year old in the sure and certain hope she would grow up through the wither, she was 14.2h at the wither and 15.1h at the top of her croup: she is now 17 years old..........and still 14.2 at the wither and 15.1 at the bum.
 

old hand

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She looks like she actually has longer back legs than fore legs to me. Unlikely to grow out of it. I have one I rescued like that, he has not levelled out and needs a lot of schooling to keep his weight off his front end, can't jump much for the same reason and ,managed a spectacular rotational fall over a 2ft 6 ins upright. he is sound at 12 but doesn't really do much. I have others so it is not a problem to me, his nice temperament makes up for it but if he was my only horse he wouldn't really do the job.
 
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