Connemaras hind leg issues and other problems

Winger23man

Winger23man

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Hi how many of you have had connemaras with hinders issues including SI problems

I’m seeing hock and stifle arthritis, bone cysts, demitis eg suspensory issues. Lameness

This is in young connies some have done a lot others not. Some are older but done a lot

I’m only interested in connies and I know it affects all breeds it’s just I’ve had a few now with the same problem some broken and some not
 
Winger23man said:
Hi how many of you have had connemaras with hinders issues including SI problems

I’m seeing hock and stifle arthritis, bone cysts, demitis eg suspensory issues. Lameness

This is in young connies some have done a lot others not. Some are older but done a lot

I’m only interested in connies and I know it affects all breeds it’s just I’ve had a few now with the same problem some broken and some not
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Sorry hind end issues!!
 
My friend had a Connemara gelding who was diagnosed with hock arthritis and suspensory issues at just 9 years old.
He was a sporty overheight at 15.2hh and I remember he was very upright behind, he had been well jumped at an early age too.

I once loaned a little 14hh Connemara who was a proper traditional leg at each corner with well set down hocks. She'd been a seasoned hunter most of her life and a busy PC pony but in her late 20's you'd thought she was much younger.

I do believe that the desire to breed the Connemara overheight as come at a price with hind end issues.
 
I'm convinced Connemaras are more prone to hock OA than any other pony breed. All of the ones I've had or ridden have been severely compromised by hind end issues. Two were PTS before the age of 7 because of it. I actually don't know a single Connie who hasn't been diagnosed with OA.
 
I thought they were more predisposed to HWSD.
I only know this because I was going to view a WB x connie last year but didn't in the end.
 
I think Connies are almost uniquely vulnerable to training that doesn't suit them - they are natives, wide, downhill in many cases. They have also been bred to be more athletic, whatever that means, and have become highly in demand as sports ponies...including being bred to be significantly overheight as there's no loss in value and in fact they are often more valuable. Then add in modern sport training- compressing the front end, not helping the thoracic sling and ribcage come up at all because of it, and the hind leg has nowhere to go, so the movement behind is compromised. I see it in all breeds and types to be honest, but if it IS more common in Connies then this is the context.
 
maya2008 said:
I’ve known of several who arrived in the UK already broken at a young age - too young for the issues raised by sbloom to be in play yet. Hock arthritis before they’d even done much beyond a few weeks of work after backing.
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IMO it doesn't take much if the body is already compromised (for instance have a look at the work of Dr Ian Bidstrup into birth trauma, perhaps bigger ponies means bigger foals means worse birth trauma? No idea).
 
I see an awful lot of Connemaras (and ID ) with very poor hindleg conformation, I would think that has something to do with it
 
My old yard used to breed connies and they were always fairly decent I think, old style smaller chunkier type. but the only other one I know who is oversize/fine has shivers and laminitis and has been off working more than working for years.
 
foxy1 said:
I see an awful lot of Connemaras (and ID ) with very poor hindleg conformation, I would think that has something to do with it
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And yet so much of that apprent conformation is actually showing the ability of the horse to flex the pelvis, and use the HQs correctly. This directly affects the angles in the hind joints and can make even a straight leg much more biomechanically efficient and therefore healthy.

Many Connies, like natives in general, are rotated forward in the pelvis (anterior tilt, flattish croup, high tail set, posterior tilt showing as hunters bump and low set tail) which can pull all the hind end joints straighter, usually camping under but sometimes parked out behind.

Not gospel but the best current understanding that I can find.
 
Compared to other natives we do see a lot with hindlimb lameness issues, usually hock and/or stifle OA, however whether that is because they are so popular (so more of them), more likely to be doing an athletic job (e.g. there's not many Fell ponies eventing, but a lot of connies?) or whether it is that they are genuinely more prone to issues is a bit unclear. I would wonder if, because they are so popular and in demand, that poorer quality connies have been bred simply to bolster the numbers? Certainly if I was buying a young one I would consider x-raying it prior to purchase.

Birker2020 said:
I thought they were more predisposed to HWSD.
I only know this because I was going to view a WB x connie last year but didn't in the end.
Click to expand...

For future reference, HWSD required them to have two copies of the defective gene, so a part bred would be of no concern for HWSD as at worst it would be an unaffected carrier (unless it was PB by having PB connies on both sides). So don't rule them out :)
 
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